The right to live involves the right to work. The public and working men and women must be protected. The activities of labor organizations affect the social and economic conditions of the state and the welfare of its citizens. It is declared to be the policy of this state, in the exercise of its police power and in the protection of the public interest, to promote voluntary and peaceful settlement and adjustment of labor disputes and to regulate the activities and affairs of labor organizations, their officers, agents and other representatives in the manner and to the extent provided in this article.

It shall be unlawful for any person at any time or place, by force or the threat of force, to seek to secure or prevent attendance at any meeting or voting place at which any strike vote is taken, or to influence the vote of such employee at such meeting or voting place by the use of force, coercion or intimidation or by threat of force or coercion or by the offering of a reward or the threat of loss of employment or membership in a labor organization. Any person using such force, coercion or threats or offering of rewards or withholding of membership from labor organizations or any person encouraging, aiding or abetting in such prohibited conduct shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

It shall be unlawful for any labor organization, any labor organizer, any officer, agent, representative or member of any labor organization or any other person to collect, receive or demand, directly or indirectly, from any person, any fee, assessment or sum of money whatsoever, as a work permit or as a condition for the privilege of work; provided, however, this shall not prevent the collection of initiation fees or dues.

It shall be unlawful for any executive, administrative, professional or supervisory employee to be a member in, or to be accepted for membership by, any labor organization, the constitution and bylaws of which permit membership to employees other than those in executive, administrative, professional or supervisory capacities or which is affiliated with any labor organization which permits membership to employees other than those in an executive, administrative, professional or supervisory capacity. The provisions of this section shall not be construed so as to interfere with or void any insurance contract in existence and in force on June 29, 1943.

Any union or association of workingmen may adopt and use a label or device for the purpose of designating and distinguishing any goods, wares or merchandise or other product of the labor of the association or union of workingmen or of a member or members of the association or union. A copy of any such label or device may be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State upon payment of a fee of $1.00.

The provisions of this article shall be cumulative of all other laws in force on June 29, 1943, upon the subject, and, in the event of a conflict between laws in force on June 29, 1943, and the provisions of this article, then and in that event the provisions, offenses and punishments set forth in this article shall prevail over such laws.

If any labor organization violates any provision of this article, it shall be penalized civilly in a sum not exceeding $1,000.00 for each such violation, to be recovered as a penalty in the circuit court of the county in which the violation occurred, the action being brought in the name of the State of Alabama by the district attorney of the circuit in which the violation occurred, and it shall be the duty of the district attorney of any circuit in which any such violation occurs to institute and prosecute such action. The doing of any act forbidden or declared unlawful by the provisions of this article, except where a penalty is specifically provided in this article, or the commission of any offense declared in this article to be a misdemeanor shall constitute a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $500.00, by imprisonment at hard labor for not more than 12 months, or by both.

When used in this article, the terms defined in this section shall have the meanings herein ascribed to them, unless it clearly appears from the context that some other meaning is indicated:

(1) LABOR ORGANIZATION or LABOR UNION. Every organization, association, group, union, lodge, local, branch or subdivision thereof, whether incorporated or not, having within its membership employees working in the State of Alabama, organized for the purpose of dealing with employer or employers concerning hours of employment, rates of pay or the tenure or other terms or conditions of employment, but such term or terms shall not include any labor organization or labor union the members of which are subject to the Act of Congress known as the Railway Labor Act.

(2) LABOR DISPUTE. Any controversy concerning terms, tenure or conditions of employment or concerning the association or representation of persons in negotiating, fixing, maintaining, changing or seeking to arrange terms or conditions of employment, regardless of whether the disputants stand in the proximate relation of employer and employee; provided, that this definition shall not relate to a dispute between an individual worker and his employer.

Except as otherwise specifically provided in this article, nothing contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with or impede or diminish in any way the right to strike or the right to individuals to work, nor shall anything in this chapter be construed so as to invade unlawfully the right to freedom of speech.

It is hereby declared to be the public policy of Alabama that the right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or nonmembership in any labor union or labor organization.

Any agreement or combination between any employer and any labor union or labor organization whereby persons not members of such union or organization shall be denied the right to work for said 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 in any enterprise, is hereby declared to be against public policy and an illegal combination or conspiracy.

No person 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.

No person 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 continuation of employment.

No employer shall require any person, 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.

Any person who may be denied employment or be deprived of continuation of his employment in violation of Sections 25-7-32, 25-7-33 or 25-7-34 or of one or more of such sections, shall be entitled to recover from such employer and from any other person, firm, corporation or association acting in concert with him by appropriate action in the courts of this state such damages as he may have sustained by reason of such denial or deprivation of employment.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to any lawful contract in force on August 28, 1953, but they shall apply in all respects to contracts entered into after August 28, 1953, and to any renewal or extension of an existing contract.

The Governor may, whenever he considers it expedient, appoint a board of mediation, consisting of three members, for the purpose of gathering facts and information and hearing evidence concerning the cause of any strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement between employees or between any employer and his employees, for the purpose of making recommendations for the peaceable solution thereof, and, if the parties involved in such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement shall in writing submit to such board such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement for arbitration, which written submission must contain an agreement to abide by the determination or award of the board, then also for the purpose of arbitrating such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement. One member of the board shall be a person who, on account of his previous employment or affiliations, shall be generally classified as a representative of employers. One member of the board shall be a person who, on account of his previous employment or affiliations, shall be generally classified as a representative of employees. One member of the board shall represent the interest of the public, shall not be generally classified as a representative of employers or of employees and shall be chairman of the board. The Governor may, if he so elects, serve as one of the three members thereof, in which event the Governor shall represent the interests of the public and serve as chairman of the board. Members of such board shall be paid their expenses, as provided in Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 36, and $20.00 per day for each day the board is necessarily in session, except, that the Governor shall not be entitled to any such per diem allowance. The board of mediation shall have the same power and authority to subpoena witnesses and to compel the production of books, records, documents and papers as the Director of Industrial Relations or the members of the board of appeals have under Chapter 2 of this title, and the same power and authority to enter any place of employment, place of public assembly or public building as the Director of Industrial Relations has under Chapter 2 of this title. The board of mediation shall make a finding of facts and a recommendation for settling such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement, and, if such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement shall have been submitted for arbitration, a determination or award, which may be enforced by any circuit court in the same manner as other determinations or awards of matters submitted for arbitration. Such board shall remain in session no longer than is necessary to accomplish the purposes for which it was appointed, and in no event more than 30 days in which to make a determination, but the board shall be allowed an additional 10 days time to make their findings of fact and recommendation for settling such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement, and, as soon as it shall have rendered its findings of fact, recommendation, determination or award, it shall be discharged. Copies of each finding of facts, recommendation, determination and award shall be submitted to the Governor, to the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and to each party or a representative of each party to such strike, lockout, dispute or disagreement.

(a) Every labor organization functioning in Alabama, and every labor organization hereafter desiring to function in Alabama shall, before doing so, file a copy of its constitution and its bylaws and a copy of the constitution and bylaws of the national or international union, if any, to which the labor organization belongs, with the Department of Labor, but this provision shall not be construed to require the filing of any ritual relating solely to the initiation or reception of members. All changes or amendments to the constitution or bylaws, local, national or international, adopted subsequent to their original filing must be filed with the Department of Labor within 30 days after the adoption thereof.

(b) Every labor organization functioning in the State of Alabama and having 25 or more members in any calendar year shall file annually, on or before March 31, or, if the organization's fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year, within 90 days after the close of the organization's fiscal year, with every member of their respective labor organizations and with the Commissioner of the Department of Labor, a report in writing showing certain facts hereinafter required as of the close of business on the last day of the previous calendar or fiscal year. Such report shall be filed by the secretary or business agent of such labor organization and shall show the following facts:

(1) The name of the labor organization;

(2) The location of its principal office and its offices in Alabama;

(3) The name of the president, secretary, treasurer and other officers and business agents, together with the salaries, wages, bonuses and other remuneration paid each and post office address of each;

(4) The date of the regular election of officers of such labor organization;

(5) The number of its paid up members;

(6) A complete financial statement of all fees, dues, fines or assessments levied and/or received, together with an itemized list of all disbursements, with the names of recipients and purpose therefor, covering the preceding 12 months; and

(7) A complete statement of all property owned by the labor organization, including any moneys on hand or accredited to such labor organization.

Said report shall be duly verified by the oath of the president, secretary or some other regularly selected and acting officer of such labor organization having knowledge of the facts therein stated. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Labor to cause to be printed and to make available to the public forms for making such report. At the time of filing each such report it shall be the duty of every such labor organization to pay the Commissioner of Labor an annual fee therefor in the sum of $2.00. The Commissioner of Labor shall receive, file and index the reports provided for in this section.

(c) The records provided for in this section shall be made available by the Commissioner of Labor in his office to the Governor of Alabama for examination.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any fiscal or other officer or agent of any labor organization to collect or accept payment of any dues, fees, assessments, fines or any other moneys from any member while such labor organization is in default with respect to filing the annual report required in this section.

A grievance or dispute between an employer and his employees may be submitted to a local board of arbitrators, consisting of three persons, for hearing and settlement. When the employees concerned are members in good standing of a labor organization, one arbitrator may be appointed by such organization and one by the employer. The two so designated shall appoint a third, who shall be chairman of the board. If such employees are not members of a labor organization, a majority thereof at a meeting duly called for that purpose may designate one arbitrator for such board.

Before entering upon his duties, each arbitrator so selected shall sign a consent to act and take and subscribe an oath to faithfully and impartially discharge his duties as such arbitrator, which consent and oath shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county or counties where the controversy arose. When such board is ready for the transaction of business, it shall select one of its members to act as secretary, and notice of the time, place and hearing shall be given to the parties to the controversy. The local board may, through its chairman, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and take and hear testimony as is provided in Section 25-7-4 for the board of mediation.

Each member of such local board shall receive as compensation for his services, $4.00 for each day actually engaged in such hearing.

The local board shall, within 10 days after the close of the hearing, render a written decision signed by them, giving such details as clearly show the nature of the controversy and the questions decided by them. One copy of the decision shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county or counties where the controversy arose. One copy shall be forwarded to the department of labor, to the Governor, and to each of the parties to the controversy.

The witness fees and the fees of the local arbitrators as provided in this article shall be taxed against the parties to said arbitrations equally.

Every person shall be free to join or to refrain from joining any labor organization, except as otherwise provided in Section 25-7-13, and, in the exercise of such freedom, shall be free from interference by force, coercion or intimidation, by threats of force or coercion or by the intimidation of or injury to his family.

Any person who, by force or threats of violence to person or property, or who, by any means of duress prevents, or seeks to prevent, another from doing work or furnishing materials or from contracting to do work or furnish materials for or to any person engaged in any lawful business, or who disturbs, interferes with or prevents, or in any manner attempts to prevent the peaceable exercise of any lawful industry, business or calling by any other person shall, on conviction, be fined not less than $10.00 nor more than $500.00, and may also be imprisoned in the county jail or sentenced to hard labor for the county for not more than 12 months.