The New Deal Collective Bargaining Policy

The New Deal Collective Bargaining Policy offers a meticulously detailed exploration of the transformative labor policies that emerged during the early years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Focused on the period from 1933 to 1935, this study highlights the pivotal role of federal intervention in legitimizing and advancing collective bargaining as a cornerstone of American labor relations. The book examines two key legislative developments: the trajectory from Section 7(a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act to the Wagner Act, and the evolution of the Railway Labor Act, culminating in its 1934 amendments. Through these milestones, Bernstein outlines the shift in governmental policy from a hands-off approach to a framework that championed workers' rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

By contextualizing these statutes within the broader socio-political and economic upheavals of the Great Depression, Bernstein provides insights into how labor policy became a critical tool for stabilizing industrial relations. The work balances historical narrative with institutional analysis, emphasizing the collective responsibility model that informed New Deal initiatives across labor, agriculture, and industry. With its rich use of archival material and firsthand accounts from key participants, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and readers seeking to understand the origins and impact of labor legislation that continues to shape American industrial and economic policy.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1950.