2017 Tennessee Code
Title 50 - Employer and Employee
Chapter 1 - Employment Relationship and Practices
Part 2 - Right to Work
§ 50-1-207. Prohibition against requiring any employer or employee to waive their rights under the National Labor Relations Act or requiring acceptance or agreement to any provisions that are mandatory or non-mandatory subjects of collective bargaining under federal labor laws.

Universal Citation: TN Code § 50-1-207 (2017)
  • (a) For purposes of this section:
    • (1) "Employee" means a natural person who performs services for an employer for valuable consideration, and does not include a self-employed independent contractor;
    • (2) "Employer" means a person, association, or legal or commercial entity receiving services from an employee and, in return, giving compensation of any kind to such employee;
    • (3) "Federal labor laws" means the National Labor Relations Act, compiled in 29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq., and the Labor Management Relations Act, compiled in 29 U.S.C. § 141 et seq., as amended, presidential executive orders, and federal administrative regulations relating to labor and management or employee and employer issues, and the United States Constitution as amended;
    • (4) "Multi-employer association" means a bargaining unit composed of independent employers who associate together to negotiate jointly with one (1) or more labor organizations representing the employees of the independent employers within the bargaining unit;
    • (5) "Political subdivision" means any local governmental entity, including, but not limited to, any municipality, metropolitan government, county, utility district, school district, public building authority, and development district created and existing pursuant to the laws of this state, or any instrumentality of government created by any one (1) or more of the named local governmental entities; and
    • (6) "State" means the state of Tennessee and its political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities.
  • (b) No law, ordinance, or regulation shall impose any contractual, zoning, permitting, licensing, or other condition that requires any employer or employee to waive their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
  • (c) No law, regulation, or ordinance shall require, in whole or in part, an employer or multi-employer association to accept or otherwise agree to any provisions that are mandatory or non-mandatory subjects of collective bargaining under federal labor laws, including but not limited to, any limitations on an employer or multi-employer association's rights to engage in collective bargaining with a labor organization, to lock out employees, or to operate during a work stoppage; provided, that this subsection (c) shall not invalidate or otherwise restrict the state from requiring the use of project labor agreements to the extent permissible under federal labor laws.
  • (d) This section shall be interpreted and enforced consistent with the National Labor Relations Act.
  • (e)
    • (1) Any agreement, contract, understanding, or practice, written or oral, implied or expressed, between any employer and any labor organization required in violation of this section is declared to be unlawful, null, and void, and of no legal effect.
    • (2) An employer or employee may seek injunctive relief in the chancery court of Davidson county to prevent the state from violating this section.
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