What is Yellow Dog Contract ?
‘Yellow Dog Contract’ or ‘yellow dog clauses’ refers to the practice of refraining an employee from joining a union by the employer under the condition that they would lose their job if they join any union in future.
The term ‘yellow dog’ originated in the 1920s as a metaphor for someone who gives away their constitutional rights in exchange for something. It is used in a derogatory manner and hence is frowned upon by all.
Yellow dog contracts were prevalent until 1932 when the ‘Norris LaGuardia Act’ was passed, which made these contracts not enforceable by law. Another usage of the term yellow dog contract is in cases where the employers forbid their employees from working for their direct competitors