Explain the role of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and describe the rationale for this legislation.

The Taft-Hartley Act is often described as the counterpart to the Wagner Act. In essence, Taft-Hartley did for unions what the Wagner Act did for employers by spelling out specific unfair labor practices that mirror those of employers. Unions cannot, for example, coerce or restrain workers in the exercise of their Section 7 rights; nor can they discriminate against individuals based on their support (or lack thereof) of a union. Following the passage of the Wagner Act and World War II, there was a wave of strikes and it was commonly felt that unions had become too powerful relative to management. The Taft-Hartley Act was intended to strike a new balance between management and labor.