In 1946, 4.6 million American workers walked off their jobs. While many of these strikes were successful in raising wages and winning workers fringe benefits, they brought a reaction against unions, especially in Congress. There, new Republican majorities passed the Taft-Hartley Act giving employers the right to sue unions for breaking contracts and authorizing the President to mandate “cooling off” periods during strikes. Many states passed “right to work” laws, which banned “closed shops” in which workers were required to join unions.