Boss not treating you right? See the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The agency investigates and rectifies unfair labor practices by employers and unions. It also conducts elections to see if employees want union representation and helps determine which union is the most appropriate. Congress created the NLRB as an independent agency in 1935 to administer the National Labor Relations Act. The act covers relationships between private sector unions and employers involved in interstate commerce except airlines, railroads, the government, and agriculture. The NLRB acts through about 30 regional offices throughout the country. Its annual budget is about $260 million.