LOUISIANA

TITLE 23. LABOR AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

CHAPTER 8. LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND LABOR DISPUTES

Part IV. Agricultural Laborers’ Right to Work Law (La. Rev.
Stat. Ann. §§ 23:881 through 889)

§ 881. Definition

As used in this Part, the term "agricultural laborers" means only those persons employed in the ginning processing cotton seed and compressing of cotton, the irrigation, harvesting, drying and milling of rice, the sowing, tending, reaping or harvesting of crops, livestock, or other agricultural products on farms and plantations or those persons employed in the processing of raw sugar cane into brown sugar where such persons or their employees are not directly connected or concerned with any operation to further process such cane; except that those persons working for the raisers of such cane may process sugar beyond the brown sugar stage for such raisers and still remain within the definition of agricultural laborers but except as provided above, such term does not include persons employed in mills, plants, factories, wholesale or retail sales outlets, or otherwise in the transportation, storage, preparation, processing or sale of such crops, livestock or produce, except for transportation by the grower of rice from the field to the mill, or initial storage warehouse, for transportation of cotton by the grower from the field to the gin, or for transportation of sugar cane by the grower from the field to the mill at which the cane is to be initially processed, and for the transportation of cotton seed from the gin to the mill.


§ 882. Declaration of public policy

It is hereby declared to be the public policy of Louisiana that the right to work of an agricultural laborer as defined herein shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or non-membership in any labor union or labor organization.


§ 883. Membership of agricultural laborers in labor organization as condition of employment, illegality

Any express or implied agreement or understanding, or practice between any employer and any labor union or labor organization whereby any agricultural laborer not a member of such union or organization shall be denied the right to
work for an employer, or whereby such membership is made a condition of employment or continuation of employment by such employer or whereby any such union or organization acquires an employment monopoly of agricultural laborers,
is hereby declared to be an illegal combination or conspiracy against public policy.


§ 884. Agreements to violate provisions of law; lockouts or other conduct to force violation of law

A. Any express or implied agreement, understanding, or practice which is designed to cause or require, or has the effect of causing or requiring, any employer, whether or not a party thereto, to violate any provisions of this Part is hereby declared an illegal agreement, understanding, or practice and contrary to public policy.

B. Any person, firm, association, corporation, or labor union or organization engaged in lockouts, lay-offs, boycotts, picketing, work stoppages, slowdowns, or other conduct, a purpose or effect of which is to cause, force, persuade or induce any other person, firm, association, corporation, or labor union or organization to violate any provisions of this Part shall be guilty of illegal conduct contrary to the public policy as stated in this Part.


§ 885. Illegal conditions of employment of agricultural laborers

A. No agricultural laborer shall be required by an employer to become or remain a member of any labor union or labor organization as a condition of employment or continuation of employment by such employer.

B. No agricultural laborer shall be required by an employer to abstain or refrain from membership in any labor union or labor organization as a condition of employment or acontinuation of employment.

C. No employer shall require any agricultural laborer, as a condition of employment or continuation of employment, to pay any dues, fees, or other charges of any kind to any labor union or labor organization.


§ 886. Damages for denying employment in violation of law

Any agricultural laborer who may be denied employment or be deprived of continuation of his employment in violation of this Part, shall be entitled to recover in solido from any other person, firm, corporation, association, or labor organization so violating this Part, or acting in concert with such violator, by appropriate action in the courts of this state, such actual damages as he may have sustained by reason of such denial or deprivation of
employment.


§ 887. Injunctive relief

Any employer, person, firm, association, corporation, labor union or organization injured as a result of any violation or threatened violation of any provision of this Part or threatened with any such violation shall be entitled to injunctive relief in the manner provided by the injunction law of this state applicable to general civil matters, presently R.S. 13:4061-13:4071, against any and all violators or persons threatening violation.

§ 889. Application of Part

This Part shall apply to all contracts entered into after the effective date hereof and to any renewal or extension of any existing contract occurring thereafter.


CHAPTER 9. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

PART V. RIGHT TO WORK

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 23:981 through 987


§ 981. Declaration of public policy

It is hereby declared to be the public policy of Louisiana that all persons shall have, and shall be protected in the exercise of the right, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, to form, join and assist labor organizations or to refrain from any such activities. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976.)

§ 982. Labor organization

The term "labor organization" means any organization of any kind, or agency or employee representation committee, which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning wages, rates of pay, hours of work or other conditions of employment. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976.)

§ 983. Freedom of choice

No person shall be required, as a condition of employment, to become or remain a member of any labor organization, or to pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges of any kind to a labor organization. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976.)

§ 984. Certain agreements declared illegal

A. Any agreement, contract, understanding or practice,
written or oral, implied or expressed, between any employer and any labor organization in violation of the provisions of this Part is hereby declared to be unlawful, null and void, and of no legal effect.

B. No governmental body may pass any law, ordinance, or
regulation, or impose any contractual, zoning, permitting, licensing, or other condition on employers’ or employees’ full freedom to act under the federal
labor laws. . . .

C. An employer or employee is entitled to and shall receive injunctive relief necessary to prevent any violations of this Section.

D. For the purposes of this Section:

(1) "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.

(2) "Federal labor laws" means the National Labor Relations Act and the Labor Management Relations Act, hereinafter collectively referred to as "the Acts", presidential executive orders issued relating to labor/management or employee/employer issues and the United States Constitution as amended and as construed by the federal courts. The rights protected under the federal labor laws include but are not limited to:

(a) An employer’s or employee’s right to express views on unionization and any other labor relations issues to the full extent allowed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section 8(c) of the National Labor Relations Act.

(b) An employer’s right to demand, and an employee’s right to participate in, a secret ballot election under the Acts, including without limitation, the full procedural protections afforded by the Acts for defining the unit, conducting the election campaig and election, and making any challenges or objections thereto.

(c) An employer’s right to not release employee information to the maximum extent allowed by the Acts.

(d) An employee’s right to maintain the confidentiality of his or her employee information to the maximum extent
allowed by the Acts.

(e) An employer’s right to restrict access to its property or business to the maximum extent allowed by the Acts.

(3) "Governmental body" means any local government or its subdivision, including bu not limited to cities, parishes, municipalities, and any public body, agency, board, commission or other governmental, quasi governmental, or quasi public body or any body that acts or purports to act in a commercial, business, economic development, or like capacity of local government or its subdivision. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976; Amended by Acts 2001, No. 1190, § 2, effective June
29, 2001.)

§ 985. Penalties

Any person who directly or indirectly places upon any other person any requirement or compulsion prohibited by this Part shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars and/or imprisonment for a period of not more than ninety days. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976.)

§ 986. Injunctive relief

Any employee injured as a result of any violation or threatened violation of the provisions of this Part shall be entitled to injunctive relief against any and all violators or persons threatening violation, and may also recover any and all damages of any character resulting from such violation or threatened violation. Such remedies shall be independent of and in addition to the penalties and remedies prescribed in other provisions of this Part. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976.)

§ 987. Duty to investigate

It shall be the duty of the attorney general of this state, and of the district attorney of each city and parish, to investigate any complaints of violation of this Part and to prosecute all persons violating any of the provisions of this Part, and to take all means at their command to insure effective enforcement of the provisions of this Part. (Enacted July 9, 1976; effective October 6, 1976.)