Supreme Court of the United States
Medo Photo Supply Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board
April 10, 1944321 U.S. 678
Summary
The Supreme Court affirmed the National Labor Relations Board’s order that Medo Photo Supply Corp. violated §§8(1) and (5) of the NLRA by bargaining directly with employees and inducing them to abandon their union, emphasizing the employer’s exclusive duty to bargain with the designated representative. Justice Rutledge’s dissent argued that the employees had the right to revoke the union’s authority and that the employer’s conduct was not an unfair labor practice.
Holding
- Whether Medo’s direct negotiations with its employees and the granting of wage increases conditioned on union abandonment constitute an unfair labor practice under §8(1) of the NLRA.. Yes; such conduct is an unfair labor practice because it interferes with employees’ right to bargain collectively through their designated representative.
- Whether Medo’s refusal to bargain with the union after such conduct violates §8(5) of the NLRA.. Yes; the refusal to bargain is an additional unfair labor practice because the employer must bargain exclusively with the designated representative.
Docket 265
Cited authorities
- 29 U.S.C. §§ 158
- 29 U.S.C. § 160
- 29 U.S.C. § 157
- 29 U.S.C. § 159