The main legislation passed by the second administration under Eisenhower was the revision of the Taft-Hartley Act. This Act to protect workers from unscrupulous Union officials was further revised and strengthened. Here, Senator John F. Kennedy conducted hearings of cases where dishonest Union leaders had been misappropriating Union funds. He later framed a law to protect the rank and file Union members. The Bill served to discipline the Unions. This Bill was passed in the Congress with the President’s support and resulted in the Labor Reform Act (1959).

This Act was to serve as a Bill of Rights to the rank and file of the Union. It was aimed to protect Union funds, to provide secret election of Union officials, a fair public hearing for Union members who are disciplined by the leaders and above all, filing reports with the Secretary of Labor and banning communists and ex-convicts from holding Union offices.

[Next Page]

Table of Contents

11.0 - Chronology of Major Events in this Period
11.1 - Conditions at Home
11.2 - The Employment Act
11.3 - The Taft-Hartley Labor Management Relations Act
11.4 - The Truman's Civil Rights Program
11.5 - The McCarthy Period
11.6 - The Cold War Abroad
11.7 - The Korean War
11.8 - The Eisenhower Administration
11.9 - The Civil Rights movement and the question of Desegregation
11.10 - The Labor Reform act
11.11 - The Budget
11.12 - The Economy in the 60s
11.13 - The Communist Threat Abroad
11.14 - The Threat of Nuclear War
11.15 - The Exploration of Outer Space
11.16 - The Geneve Conference on Disarmament
11.17 - Our WorldToday