ACT OF MARCH 23, 1932
Chapter 90 of the 72nd Congress, as amended
47 Stat. 70, as amended
ACT OF MARCH 23, 1932
ch90
98–620
Statute Compilation
United States House of Representatives
Office of the Legislative Counsel
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Anti-Injunction Law
Federal Anti-Injunction Act
Labor Disputes Act
Norris-La Guardia Act
5312
72
1932-03-23
ACT OF MARCH 23, 1932
[Popular Name: “Norris-LaGuardia Act”]
[
Chapter 90 of the 72nd Congress
,
47 Stat. 70
]
[As Amended Through P.L. 98–620, Enacted November 8, 1984]
[Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Chapter 90 of the 72nd Congress . It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/]
[Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]

AN ACT
To amend the Judicial Code and to define and limit the jurisdiction of courts sitting in equity, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That no court of the United States, as herein defined, shall have jurisdiction to issue any restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, except in a strict conformity with the provisions of this Act; nor shall any such restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction be issued contrary to the public policy declared in this Act.
[29 U.S.C. 101]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 1, 47 Stat. 70.
Sec. 2.
In the interpretation of this Act and in determining the jurisdiction and authority of the courts of the United States, as such jurisdiction and authority are herein defined and limited, the public policy of the United States is hereby declared as follows:
Whereas under prevailing economic conditions, developed with the aid of governmental authority for owners of property to organize in the corporate and other forms of ownership association, the individual unorganized worker is commonly helpless to exercise actual liberty of contract and to protect his freedom of labor, and thereby to obtain acceptable terms and conditions of employment, wherefore, though he should be free to decline to associate with his fellows, it is necessary that he have full freedom of association, self-organization, and designation of representatives of his own choosing, to negotiate the terms and conditions of his employment, and that he shall be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of labor, or their agents, in the designation of such representatives or in self-organization or in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection; therefore, the following definitions of, and limitations upon, the jurisdiction and authority of the courts of the United States are hereby enacted.
[29 U.S.C. 102]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 2, 47 Stat. 70.
Sec. 3.
Any undertaking or promise, such as is described in this section, or any other undertaking or promise in conflict with the public policy declared in section 2 of this Act, is hereby declared to be contrary to the public policy of the United States, shall not be enforceable in any court of the United States and shall not afford any basis for the granting of legal or equitable relief by any such court, including specifically the following:
Every undertaking or promise hereafter made, whether written or oral, express or implied, constituting or contained in any contract or agreement of hiring or employment between any individual, firm, company, association, or corporation, and any employee or prospective employee of the same, whereby
(a)
Either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises not to join, become, or remain a member of any labor organization or of any employer organization; or
(b)
Either party to such contract or agreement undertakes or promises that he will withdraw from an employment relation in the event that he joins, becomes, or remains a member of any labor organization or of any employer organization.
[29 U.S.C. 103]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 3, 47 Stat. 70.
Sec. 4.
No court of the United States shall have jurisdiction to issue any restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction in any case involving or growing out of any labor dispute to prohibit any person or persons participating or interested in such dispute (as these terms are herein defined) from doing, whether singly or in concert, any of the following acts:
(a)
Ceasing or refusing to perform any work or to remain in any relation of employment;
(b)
Becoming or remaining a member of any labor organization or of any employer organization, regardless of any such undertaking or promise as is described in section 3 of this Act;
(c)
Paying or giving to, or withholding from, any person participating or interested in such labor dispute, any strike or unemployment benefits or insurance, or other moneys or things of value;
(d)
By all lawful means aiding any person participating or interested in any labor dispute who is being proceeded against in, or is prosecuting, any action or suit in any court of the United States or of any State;
(e)
Giving publicity to the existence of, or the facts involved in, any labor dispute, whether by advertising, speaking, patrolling, or by any other method not involving fraud or violence;
(f)
Assembling peaceably to act or to organize to act in promotion of their interests in a labor dispute;
(g)
Advising or notifying any person of an intention to do any of the acts heretofore specified;
(h)
Agreeing with other persons to do or not to do any of the acts heretofore specified; and
(i)
Advising, urging, or otherwise causing or inducing without fraud or violence the acts heretofore specified, regardless of any such undertaking or promise as is described in section 3 of this Act.
[29 U.S.C. 104]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 4, 47 Stat. 70.
Sec. 5.
No court of the United States shall have jurisdiction to issue a restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction upon the ground that any of the persons participating or interested in a labor dispute constitute or are engaged in an unlawful combination or conspiracy because of the doing in concert of the acts enumerated in section 4 of this Act.
[29 U.S.C. 105]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 5, 47 Stat. 71.
Sec. 6.
No officer or member of any association or organization, and no association or organization participating or interested in a labor dispute, shall be held responsible or liable in any court of the United States for the unlawful acts of individual officers, members, or agents, except upon clear proof of actual participation in, or actual authorization of, such acts, or of ratification of such acts after actual knowledge thereof.
[29 U.S.C. 106]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 6, 47 Stat. 71.
Sec. 7.
No court of the United States shall have jurisdiction to issue a temporary or permanent injunction in any case involving or growing out of labor dispute, as herein defined, except after hearing the testimony of witnesses in open court (with opportunity for cross-examination) in support of the allegations of a complaint made under oath, and testimony in opposition thereto, if offered, and except after findings of fact by the court, to the effect—
(a)
That unlawful acts have been threatened and will be committed unless restrained or have been committed and will be continued unless restrained, but no injunction or temporary restraining order shall be issued on account of any threat or unlawful act excepting against the person or persons, association, or organization making the threat or committing the unlawful act or actually authorizing or ratifying the same after actual knowledge thereof;
(b)
That substantial and irreparable injury to complainant's property will follow;
(c)
That as to each item of relief granted greater injury will be inflicted upon complainant by the denial of relief than will be inflicted upon defendants by the granting of relief;
(d)
That complainant has no adequate remedy at law; and
(e)
That the public officers charged with the duty to protect complainant's property are unable or unwilling to furnish adequate protection.
Such hearing shall be held after due and personal notice thereof has been given, in such manner as the court shall direct, to all known persons against whom relief is sought, and also to the chief of those public officials of the county and city within which the unlawful acts have been threatened or committed charged with the duty to protect complainant's property: Provided, however, That if a complainant shall also allege that, unless a temporary restraining order shall be issued without notice, a substantial and irreparable injury to complainant's property will be unavoidable, such a temporary restraining order may be issued upon testimony under oath, sufficient, if sustained, to justify the court in issuing a temporary injunction upon a hearing after notice. Such a temporary restraining order shall be effective for no longer than five days and shall become void at the expiration of said five days. No temporary restraining order or temporary injunction shall be issued except on condition that complainant shall first file an undertaking with adequate security in an amount to be fixed by the court sufficient to recompense those enjoined for any loss, expense, or damage caused by the improvident or erroneous issuance of such order or injunction, including all reasonable costs (together with a reasonable attorney's fee) and expense of defense against the order or against the granting of any injunctive relief sought in the same proceeding and subsequently denied by the court.
The undertaking herein mentioned shall be understood to signify an agreement entered into by the complainant and the surety upon which a decree may be rendered in the same suit or proceeding against said complainant and surety, upon a hearing to assess damages of which hearing complainant and surety shall have reasonable notice, the said complainant and surety submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of the court for that purpose. But nothing herein contained shall deprive any party having a claim or cause of action under or upon such undertaking from electing to pursue his ordinary remedy by suit at law or in equity.
[29 U.S.C. 107]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 7, 47 Stat. 71.
Sec. 8.
No restraining order or injunctive relief shall be granted to any complainant who has failed to comply with any obligation imposed by law which is involved in the labor dispute in question, or who has failed to make every reasonable effort to settle such dispute either by negotiation or with the aid of any available governmental machinery of mediation or voluntary arbitration.
[29 U.S.C. 108]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 8, 47 Stat. 72.
Sec. 9.
No restraining order or temporary or permanent injunction shall be granted in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, except on the basis of findings of fact made and filed by the court in the record of the case prior to the issuance of such restraining order or injunction; and every restraining order or injunction granted in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute shall include only a prohibition of such specific act or acts as may be expressly complained of in the bill of complaint or petition filed in such case and as shall be expressly included in said findings of fact made and filed by the court as provided herein.
[29 U.S.C. 109]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 9, 47 Stat. 72.
Sec. 10.
Whenever any court of the United States shall issue or deny any temporary injunction in a case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, the court shall, upon the request of any party to the proceedings and on his filing the usual bond for costs, forthwith certify as in ordinary cases the record of the case to the court of appeals for its review. Upon the filing of such record in the court of appeals, the appeal shall be heard and the temporary injunctive order affirmed, modified, or set aside expeditiously1
^1
So in law.
[29 U.S.C. 110]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 10, 47 Stat. 72; amended May 24, 1949, ch. 139, sec. 127, 63 Stat. 107; amended November 8, 1984, P.L. 98–620, title IV, sec. 402(30), 98 Stat. 3359.
[Sec. 11.
Repealed
[29 U.S.C. 111]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 11, 47 Stat. 72; repealed June 25, 1948, ch. 645, sec. 21, 62 Stat. 862.]
[Sec. 12.
Repealed
[29 U.S.C. 112]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 12, 47 Stat. 73; repealed June 25, 1948, ch. 645, sec. 21, 62 Stat. 862.]
Sec. 13.
When used in this Act, and for the purposes of this Act—
(a)
A case shall be held to involve or to grow out of a labor dispute when the case involves persons who are engaged in the same industry, trade, craft, or occupation; or have direct or indirect interests therein; or who are employees of the same employer; or who are members of the same or an affiliated organization of employers or employees; whether such dispute is (1) between one or more employers or associations of employers and one or more employees or associations of employees; (2) between one or more employers or associations of employers and one or more employers or associations of employers; or (3) between one or more employees or associations of employees and one or more employees or associations of employees; or when the case involves any conflicting or competing interests in a “labor dispute” (as hereinafter defined) of “persons participating or interested” therein (as hereinafter defined).
(b)
A person or association shall be held to be a person participating or interested in a labor dispute if relief is sought against him or it, and if he or it is engaged in the same industry, trade, craft, or occupation in which such dispute occurs, or has a direct or indirect interest therein, or is a member, officer, or agent of any association composed in whole or in part of employers or employees engaged in such industry, trade, craft, or occupation.
(c)
The term “labor dispute” includes any controversy concerning terms or conditions of employment, or concerning the association or representation of persons in negotiating, fixing, maintaining, changing, or seeking to arrange terms or conditions of employment, regardless of whether or not the disputants stand in the proximate relation of employer and employee.
(d)
The term “court of the United States” means any court of the United States whose jurisdiction has been or may be conferred or defined or limited by Act of Congress, including the courts of the District of Columbia.
[29 U.S.C. 113]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 13, 47 Stat. 73.
Sec. 14.
If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the remaining provisions of the Act and the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
[29 U.S.C. 114]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 14, 47 Stat. 73.
Sec. 15.
All Acts and parts of Acts in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.
[29 U.S.C. 115]
Enacted March 23, 1932, ch. 90, sec. 15, 47 Stat. 73.