Wagner Act of 1935 - National Labor Relations Act

In 1935, Congress passed and President Roosevelt signed the Wagner Act, officially known as the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”), establishing the right for most private-sector employees to join labor unions and collectively bargain with their employers. The Wagner Act protects employees, allowing them to seek better working conditions without fear of retaliation, and prohibits employers from engaging in unfair labor practices.

In Girl in the Glass, the FBI agents don’t interfere with the Potowmack Company after they learn they are unionized. Rather than risk angering their boss, J Edgar Hoover, or his boss, President Roosevelt, they double-check before intervening, giving the Potowamack Company enough time to seal the tunnel under the Jefferson Pier Stone.