VERNON'S CIVIL STATUTES
TITLE 83. LABOR
CHAPTER 12. RESTRICTIONS ON LABOR
Art. 5196. DISCRIMINATION. Either or any of the following acts shall constitute discrimination against persons seeking employment:
1. Where any corporation, or receiver of the same, doing business in this state, or any agent or officer of any such corporation or receiver, shall blacklist, prevent, or attempt to prevent, by word, printing, sign, list or other means, directly or indirectly, any discharged employee, or any employee who may have voluntarily left said corporation's services, from obtaining employment with any other person, company, or corporation, except by truthfully stating in writing, on request of such former employee or other persons to whom such former employee has applied for employment, the reason why such employee was discharged, and why his relationship to such company ceased.
2. Where any corporation, or receiver of the same, doing business in this state, or any officer or agent of such corporation or receiver shall, by any means, directly or indirectly, communicate to any other person or corporation any information in regard to a person who may seek employment of such person or corporation, and fails to give such person in regard to whom the communication may be made, within ten days after demand therefor, a complete copy of such communication, if in writing, and a true statement thereof if by sign or other means not in writing, and the names and addresses of all persons or corporations to whom said communication shall have been made; provided that if such information is furnished at the request of a person other than the employee, a copy of the information so furnished, shall be mailed to such employee at his last known address.
3. Where any corporation, or receiver of the same, doing business in this state, or any agent or employee of such corporation or receiver, shall have discharged an employee and such employee demands a statement in writing of the cause of his discharge, and such corporation, receiver, agent or employee thereof fails to furnish a true statement of the same to such discharged employee, within ten days after such demand, or where any corporation or receiver of the same, or any officer or agent of such corporation or receiver shall fail, within ten days after written demand for the same, to furnish to any employee voluntarily leaving the service of such corporation or receiver, a statement in writing that such employee did leave such service voluntarily, or where any corporation or receiver of the same, doing business within this state, shall fail to show in any statement under the provision of this title the number of years and months during which such employee was in the service of the said corporation or receiver in each and every separate capacity or position in which he was employed, and whether his services were satisfactory in each such capacity or not, or where any such corporation or receiver shall fail within ten days after written demand for the same to furnish to any such employee a true copy of the statement originally given to such employee for his use in case he shall have lost or is otherwise deprived of the use of the said original statement.
4. Where any corporation, or receiver of same, doing business in this state, or any agent or officer of the same, shall have received any request, notice or communication, either in writing or otherwise, from any person, company or corporation, preventing, or calculated to prevent, the employment of a person seeking employment, and shall fail to furnish to such person seeking employment, within ten days after a demand in writing therefor, a true statement of such request, notice or communication, and, if in writing, a true copy of same, and, if otherwise than in writing, a true statement thereof, and a true interpretation of its meaning, and the names and addresses of the persons, company or corporation furnishing the same.
5. Where any corporation, or receiver of the same, doing business in this state, or any officer or agent of such corporation or receiver, discharging an employee, shall have failed to give such employee a true statement of the causes of his discharge, within ten days after a demand in writing therefor, and shall thereafter furnish any other person or corporation any statement or communication in regard to such discharge, unless at the request of the discharged employee.
6. Where any corporation, or receiver of same, doing business in this state, or any officer or agent of such corporation or receiver, shall discriminate against any person seeking employment on account of his having participated in a strike.
7. Where any corporation, or receiver of the same, doing business in this state, or any officer or agent of such corporation or receiver, shall give any information or communication in regard to a person seeking employment having participated in any strike, unless such person violated the law during his participation in such strike, or in connection therewith, and unless such information is given in compliance with subdivision 1 of this article.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142, ch. 67, Sec. 1. Amended by Acts 1909, 31st Leg., p. 160, ch. 89, Sec. 1; Acts 1929, 41st Leg., p. 509, ch. 245, Sec. 1.
Art. 5196a. DISCRIMINATION. The following shall constitute discrimination against persons seeking employment: Where any corporation, or receiver of same, doing business in this State, or any officer or agent of such corporation or receiver shall discriminate against any person seeking employment on account of his having participated in a strike.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142, ch. 67. Amended by Acts 1909, 31st Leg., p. 160.
Art. 5196b. PENALTY. Every person violating any provision of the preceding article shall be imprisoned in jail for not less than one month nor more than one year.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142, ch. 67. Amended by Acts 1909, 31st Leg., p. 160, ch. 89.
Art. 5197. DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED, ETC. Any and all discriminations against persons seeking employment as defined in this chapter are hereby prohibited and are declared to be illegal.
Acts 1907, 31st Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5198. FOREIGN CORPORATIONS TO FORFEIT PERMIT. Any foreign corporation violating any provision of this chapter is hereby denied the right, and is prohibited from doing any business within this State, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to enforce this provision, by injunction or other proceeding in the district court of Travis County, in the name of the State of Texas.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5199. LIABILITY. Each person, company or corporation, who shall in any manner violate any provision of this chapter shall, for each offense committed, forfeit and pay the sum of one thousand dollars, which may be recovered in the name of the State of Texas, in any county where the offense was committed, or where the offender resides, or in Travis County; and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General, or the district or county attorney under the direction of the Attorney General, to sue for the recovery of the same.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5200. FEES OF ATTORNEY. The fees of the prosecuting attorney for representing the State in proceedings under this chapter shall not be accounted for as fees of office.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5201. PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF AGENCY. In prosecutions for the violation of any provision of this chapter, evidence that any person has acted as the agent of a corporation in the transaction of its business in this State shall be received as prima facie proof that his act in the name, behalf or interest of the corporation of which he was acting as the agent, was the act of the corporation.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5201a. PRIMA FACIE PROOF OF AGENCY. Evidence that any person has acted as the agent of a corporation in the transaction of its business in this State shall be received as prima facie proof that his act in the name, behalf or interest of the corporation of which he was acting as the agent, was the act of the corporation.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142, ch. 67. Amended by Acts 1909, 31st Leg., p. 160.
Art. 5202. MAY EXAMINE WITNESSES. Upon the application of the Attorney General, or of any district or county attorney, made to any justice of the peace in this State, and stating that he has reason to believe that a witness, who is to be found in the county of which such justice is an officer, knows of a violation of any provision of this chapter, the justice to whom such application is made shall have summoned and examined such witness in relation to such violations.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5203. SWORN STATEMENT. Such witness shall be summoned as provided for in criminal cases. He shall be duly sworn, and the justice shall cause the statements of the witness to be reduced to writing and signed and sworn to before him, and such statement shall be delivered to the attorney upon whose application the witness was summoned.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5204. FAILURE OF WITNESS TO APPEAR. If the witness summoned as aforesaid fails to appear or to make statements of the facts within his knowledge under oath, or to sign the same after it has been reduced to writing, he shall be guilty of contempt of court and may be fined not exceeding one hundred dollars, and may be attached and imprisoned in jail until he shall make a full statement of all facts within his knowledge with reference to the matter inquired about.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5205. IMMUNITY OF WITNESS. Any person so summoned and examined shall not be liable to prosecution for any violation of any provision of this chapter about which he may testify fully and without reserve.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.
Art. 5205a. WITNESS MUST TESTIFY. No witness shall refuse to testify as to any violation of this chapter on the ground that his testimony may incriminate him, but any witness so examined shall not be liable to prosecution for any violation of any provision of this chapter about which he may testify fully and without reserve.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142, ch. 67.
Art. 5206. STATEMENT OF CAUSE OF DISCHARGE. Any written statement of cause of discharge, if true, when made by such agent, company or corporation, shall never be used as the cause for an action for libel, either civil or criminal, against the agent, company or corporation so furnishing same.
Acts 1907, 30th Leg., p. 142.