legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 1935 that legalized the rights of employees to form and operate unions, engage in collective bargaining, and strike. It also identified and prohibited certain unfair labor practices of employers and created the National Labor Relations Board to administer and enforce the provisions of the act. Sponsored by German-born U.S. politician Robert F. Wagner (1877–1953), it is also known as the Wagner Act. See also Labor Management Relations Act.