Communications Workers of America v. Beck
487 U.S. 735 · Decided June 29, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Communications Workers of America v. Beck was decided on June 29, 1988 by a vote of 5–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union or closed shop” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 487 U.S. 735 · 108 S. Ct. 2641 · 101 L. Ed. 2d 634 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 3030
- Docket number
- 86-637
- Decided
- June 29, 1988
- Argued
- January 11, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union or closed shop
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- National Labor Relations Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Communications Workers of America et al. v. Beck et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1987-150, docket 1987-150-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Union or closed shop”
- Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson
- James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
- Ellis v. Brotherhood of Railway
- Naomi Marquez v. Screen Actors Guild, Inc.
- Abood v. Detroit Board of Education
- Gary Davenport v. Washington Education Association
Cases on the same legal provision: National Labor Relations Act
- Edward J. Debartolo Corp. v. Florida Gulf Coast Building & Construction Trades Council
- National Labor Relations Board v. United Food & Commercial Workers Union
- Fall River Dyeing & Finishing Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- National Labor Relations Board v. Curtin Matheson Scientific, Inc.
- Baker v. General Motors Corp.
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- United Paperworkers International Union v. Misco, Inc.
- Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants
- Federal Labor Relations Authority v. Aberdeen Proving Ground
- Edward J. Debartolo Corp. v. Florida Gulf Coast Building & Construction Trades Council
- Regents of the University of California v. Public Employment Relations Board
- Landers v. National Railroad Passengers Corporation
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error