Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A hot-cargo agreement is when a union and an employer agree to stop doing business with another employer that the union is having a dispute with. This means they won't use, sell, or transport any of the products from that employer. However, most of these agreements are not allowed anymore because of a law called the Landrum-Griffin Act. This law was made to stop corruption in unions and prevent certain types of boycotts.
A hot-cargo agreement is a voluntary agreement between a union and a neutral employer. In this agreement, the neutral employer agrees to stop handling, using, selling, transporting, or dealing with any products of an employer that the union has labeled as unfair. This is done to exert pressure on the employer with whom the union has a dispute.
For example, if a union has a dispute with a company that produces a certain product, they may ask a neutral employer, such as a transportation company, to stop transporting that product. This puts pressure on the company to resolve the dispute with the union.
However, most hot-cargo agreements were prohibited by the Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959. This act was designed to prevent certain types of secondary boycotts and hot-cargo provisions in collective-bargaining agreements.