Associated General Contractors of California, Inc. v. California State Council of Carpenters et al. (459 U.S. 519)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided February 22, 1983 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 459 U.S. 519 · 103 S. Ct. 897
- Decided
- February 22, 1983
- Term
- October Term 1982
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority author
- Justice Stevens
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court. This case arises out of a dispute between parties to a multi-employer collective-bargaining agreement. The plaintiff unions allege that, in violation of the antitrust laws, the multi-employer association and its members coerced certain third parties, as well as some of the association's members, to enter into business relationships with nonunion firms. This coercion, according to the complaint, adversely affected the trade of certain unionized firms and thereby restrained the business activities of the unions. The question presented is whether the complaint sufficiently alleges that the unions have been “injured in [their] business or property by reason of anything forbidden in the antitrust laws” and may therefore recover treble damages under §4 of the Clayton Act. 38 Stat. 731, 15 U. S. C. § 15. Unlike the majority of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, we agree with the District Court’s conclusion that the complaint is insufficient. I The two named plaintiffs (the Union)&emdash;the California State Council of Carpenters and the Carpenters 46 Northern Counties Conference Board&emdash;are affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL-CIO. The Union represents more than 50,000 individuals employed by the defendants in the carpentry, drywall, piledriving, and related industries…
Excerpt of a 74,197-character opinion. The full text and citation network load in the interactive viewer above.