Lincoln Federal Labor Union v. Northwestern Iron & Metal Co.
335 U.S. 525 · Decided January 3, 1949 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Lincoln Federal Labor Union v. Northwestern Iron & Metal Co. was decided on January 3, 1949 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union or closed shop” in the Unions area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 335 U.S. 525 · 69 S. Ct. 251 · 93 L. Ed. 2d 212 · 1949 U.S. LEXIS 3023
- Docket number
- 47
- Decided
- January 3, 1949
- Argued
- November 8, 1948
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Hugo L. Black
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union or closed shop
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Frank Murphy | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Majority | |
| Justice Wiley B. Rutledge | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority |
Full case caption
Lincoln Federal Labor Union et al. v. Northwestern Iron & Metal Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1948-018, docket 1948-018-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Union or closed shop”
- American Federation of Labor v. American Sash & Door Co.
- Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. v. National Labor Relations Board
- Local Union No. 10 v. Graham
- Railway Employes' Department v. Hanson
- Pennsylvania Railroad Co. v. Rychlik
- Felter v. Southern Pacific Co.
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Kovacs v. Cooper
- Giboney v. Empire Storage & Ice Co.
- Terminiello v. ChicagoLaw held unconstitutional
- Saia v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Winters v. New YorkLaw held unconstitutional
- Donaldson v. Read Magazine, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- Vermilya-Brown Co., Inc. v. Connell
- American Federation of Labor v. American Sash & Door Co.
- International Union, U. A. W. A., A. F. of L. v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board
- Foley Bros., Inc. v. Filardo
- National Labor Relations Board v. Crompton-Highland Mills, Inc.
- Farmers Reservoir & Irrigation Co. v. McComb
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