Section 8(b)(4) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) outlines important guidelines for managing secondary boycotts, protecting neutral employers from being involved in disputes between unions and primary employers.
The NLRA permits unions to strike or picket against their direct employer (primary). However, it prohibits actions that coerce a neutral (secondary) employer into ceasing business relations with the primary employer as well as certain actions from employees of the primary employer to adversely affect a neutral employer. This distinction helps prevent businesses not directly involved in labor disputes from facing undue disruptions.