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Labor law is the practice of employment-related law as it pertains to unions. Labor law is intended to help employers and employees bargain, while keeping the negotiations fair. A union is an organized group or association of employees, banded together to bargain with employers for improved pay, benefits and working conditions. Unions are commonly referred to as labor unions. Generally, employees in unions have similar job titles or work in a shared industry and pay dues to the union organization. When labor negotiations are in progress, representatives of the union conduct and manage the negotiation process and members of the union vote on their proposed decisions. Often, bargaining between employers and unions is known as collective bargaining. Labor is legislated by federal and state regulations. The 1935 National Labor Relations Act governs union-based bargaining and interstate commerce. The act also established a board to hear disputes between labor and employers, known as the National Labor Relations Board, and a council to prosecute violators of the federal labor laws. Those businesses not involved in interstate commerce are generally subject to state labor laws, which vary. Federal employees are exempted from the statutes of the National Labor Relations Act and are instead governed by Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Act. Railway and airline workers are governed by a different federal act. Continued... By Ann MacDonald