Rights to engage, or refrain from engaging, in activities identified in Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) (29 U.S.C. § 157). These include the rights to:

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigates unfair labor practice (ULP) charges against employers and unions that interfere with an employee's exercise of these rights. The NLRB issues and prosecutes complaints based on ULP charges after a preliminary review of their merits.

For more information about Section 7 rights and examples of activities that the NLRB protects for mutual aid or protection, see Practice Notes, Employee Rights and Unfair Labor Practices Under the National Labor Relations Act and Labor Law: Overview.

For information about the NLRB's processing of ULP charges, see National Labor Relations Board Unfair Labor Practice Case Flowchart.

For information about how employees organize unions and how an employer can lawfully respond to a union organizing campaign, see Practice Notes, Union Organization Process and Responding to Union Organizing Campaigns and the Union Representation Process Checklist.