---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 U.S.C. § 142"
title: "29"
title_heading: "Labor"
number: "142"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/29/142"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Labor-Management Relations"
  - "Subchapter I — General Provisions"
---

# §142. Definitions


When used in this chapter—

- (1) The term “industry affecting commerce” means any industry or activity in [commerce](#3) or in which a labor dispute would burden or obstruct [commerce](#3) or tend to burden or obstruct [commerce](#3) or the free flow of [commerce](#3).
- (2) The term “strike” includes any strike or other concerted stoppage of work by [employees](#3) (including a stoppage by reason of the expiration of a collective-bargaining agreement) and any concerted slowdown or other concerted interruption of operations by [employees](#3).
- (3) The terms “commerce”, “labor disputes”, “employer”, “employee”, “labor organization”, “representative”, “person”, and “supervisor” shall have the same meaning as when used in subchapter II of this chapter.

## Source credit

(June 23, 1947, ch. 120, title V, § 501, 61 Stat. 161.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Subchapter II of this chapter, referred to in par. (3), was in the original “the National Labor Relations Act as amended by this Act” [29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq.].