Which Act prohibits federal courts from enforcing 'yellow dog' contracts and restraining orders against union activities?

• A. Wagner Act
• B. Fair Labor Standards Act
• C. Norris-LaGuardia Act
• D. Employee Polygraph Protection Act

Answer: (C)

This question centers on laws that limit how the federal government can intervene in labor disputes and protect workers’ rights to organize. The Norris-LaGuardia Act does exactly that by prohibiting federal courts from issuing injunctions in nonviolent labor disputes and by banning yellow-dog contracts—agreements where workers promise not to join a union as a condition of employment. By restricting the use of court orders against peaceful union activities, it steers labor relations toward collective bargaining and organized action rather than federal injunctions. Historically, this marked a shift away from using broad court injunctions to stop strikes and other union activities, empowering workers to organize more freely. The Wagner Act later reinforced union rights and established the National Labor Relations Board, but it isn’t about banning injunctions or yellow-dog contracts. The Fair Labor Standards Act deals with minimum wage and overtime, and the Employee Polygraph Protection Act limits lie-detector use.