Yellow dog contract

[Emsworth]

A yellow dog contract is an employment contract in which a worker agrees not to join a labor union while employed. It has been illegal in the U.S. since the Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932.

I vote yes. The employer-employee relationship is a purely voluntary one. If the employer wants to forbid his employees from joining a union, and if the employees agree to this condition in the contract, then I see no problem, worry, or concern.

[Emsworth]

Such coercion of employees by their owners is best prevented.

How is it coercion, if the employee voluntarily submits to it?

[Emsworth]

Whether a contract is fair or unfair should not be relevant. All that matters is that both parties have consented to it. If a worker wants to consent to a contract that bans union membership, then so be it. He is not violating anyone else's rights by accepting such an agreement.

Of course, the closed shop should also be legal (although it is not at present).

[Emsworth]

Unions can be as corrupt and stupid as management can be. That doesn't change the fact that they are sometimes needed, and workers should not be barred in any way from forming one.

I agree that unions should not be barred by the law. However, if the workers and employers agree that a union should not be formed, then a union should not be formed.

[Emsworth]

If there is such an agreement, implicit in that agreement will be that management will not behave in a manner requiring the formation of a union.

Well, if the union and company agree that the management will behave in a certain manner, or not behave in a certain manner, then fine.