IB History Labour Rights and Social Policies Key Definitions

A process where employees, typically represented by a trade union, negotiate with employers over wages, benefits, and working conditions. The Wagner Act (1935) gave collective bargaining federal legal protection in the United States, establishing the National Labor Relations Board to oversee union recognition and representation elections.

The minimum wage that a worker needs to earn in order to meet their basic living costs, including food, housing, and other necessities.

A series of programmes, public works projects, financial reforms, and regulations introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1939 in response to the Great Depression. Key agencies included the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), and the Social Security Administration. The New Deal expanded the federal government's role in the economy and established the principle that government bore responsibility for citizens' basic welfare.

A public system funded through contributions or taxation that protects people against risks such as old age, unemployment, disability, or loss of income.

An employer or union action prohibited by labour law, such as interference with lawful organization or refusal to bargain.