Title 29 — LaborRelease 119-73
§157 Right of employees as to organization, collective bargaining, etc.
Title 29 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS › § 157
Summary
Employees may organize, form, join, or help labor unions; choose representatives to bargain; and act together for collective bargaining or mutual aid. They may also refuse to take part, unless a lawful agreement requires union membership for employment.
Full Legal Text
Title 29, §157
Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all of such activities except to the extent that such right may be affected by an agreement requiring membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment as authorized in section 158(a)(3) of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1947—Act June 23, 1947, restated rights of employees to bargain collectively and inserted provision that they have right to refrain from joining in concerted activities with their fellow employees.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1947 AmendmentFor
Effective Date
of amendment by act
June 23, 1947, see section 104 of act
June 23, 1947, set out as a note under section 151 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
29 U.S.C. § 157
Title 29 — Labor
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73