National Labor Relations Board v. Crompton-highland Mills, Inc. (337 U.S. 217)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 31, 1949 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 337 U.S. 217 · 69 S. Ct. 960
- Docket
- No. 197
- Argued
- January 31, 1949
- Decided
- May 31, 1949
- Term
- October Term 1948
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Burton
- Issue area
- Unions
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Burton (wrote), Justice R. H. Jackson, Justice Frankfurter, Justice Reed, Justice Black
- Concurring in the judgment
- Justice Douglas (wrote), Justice Rutledge (wrote), Justice Murphy (wrote)
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Burton delivered the opinion of the Court. In this case a collective bargaining representative was certified, under the National Labor Relations Act, to represent all employees working in a certain appropriate bargaining unit. Their employer engaged in extended negotiations with this representative as to many matters-, including rates of pay. December 19, 1945, the negotiations reached something of an impasse. The question here presented is whether this employer engaged in an unfair labor practice when, on January 1, 1946, it put into effect as of December 31, 1945, without prior consultation with the bargaining representative, a general -increase in the rates of pay applicable to most of the employees who had- been represented in thé negotiations. This increase was a substantially greater one than any which the employer had offered during the negotiations. For the reasons to be stated, we hold that, under the circumstances, this action constituted an unfair labor practice and that a decree should be entered enforcing an order prohibiting such conduct. The case also raises questions as to the nature of the-impasse which was reached and as to the proper scope and terms of the enforcement decree. August 13,1945, the Textile Workers Union of America, Congress of Industrial Organizations, following an election under the statute, was certified as the exclusive…
Excerpt of a 29,824-character opinion. The full text and citation network load in the interactive viewer above.