Our History

The National Labor Relations Board is proud of its history of enforcing the National Labor Relations Act. Starting in the Great Depression and continuing through World War II and the economic growth and challenges that followed, the NLRB has worked to guarantee the rights of employees to bargain collectively, if they choose to do so.

Leadership

• View a chart of Board composition since 1935 here.
• Click here for a list of all past Board Members.
• Click here for a list of General Counsels since 1935.

Archives

The NLRB's online archives now includes all Board Decisions and news releases since 1935. Use the search tools to explore our rich history.

Brief History

Learn more about the various chapters in our history

• Pre-Wagner Act Labor Relations
• The NLB and the "Old NLRB"
• The 1935 Passage of the Wagner Act
• Enforcement of the Wagner Act
• Taft Hartley Substantive Provisions
• 1947 Taft Hartley Passage and NLRB Structural Changes
• 1959 Landrum Griffin Act
• 1974 Health Care Amendments
• Impact of the NLRB on Professional Sports
• Anniversary Publication: 80 Years of Protecting Employee Rights