Loewe v. Lawlor

Loewe v. Lawlor
Argued December 4–5, 1907
Decided February 3, 1908
Full case nameDeitrich Loewe et al. v. Martin Lawlor et al.
Citations208 U.S. 274 (more)
28 S. Ct. 301; 52 L. Ed. 488; 1908 U.S. LEXIS 1769
Case history
PriorCertiorari to the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Holding
The Sherman Antitrust Act prohibits any combination whatever to secure action which essentially obstructs the free flow of commerce between the states, or restricts the liberty of a trader to engage in business.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Melville Fuller
Associate Justices
John M. Harlan · David J. Brewer
Edward D. White · Rufus W. Peckham
Joseph McKenna · Oliver W. Holmes Jr.
William R. Day · William H. Moody
Case opinion
MajorityFuller, joined by unanimous
Laws applied
Sherman Antitrust Act

Loewe v. Lawlor, 208 U.S. 274 (1908), also referred to as the Danbury Hatters' Case, is a United States Supreme Court case in United States labor law concerning the application of antitrust laws to labor unions.[1] The Court's decision effectively outlawed the secondary boycott as a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, despite union arguments that their actions affected only intrastate commerce.[2] It was also decided that individual unionists could be held personally liable for damages incurred by the activities of their union.[3]

Facts

In 1901, D. E. Loewe & Company, a fur hat manufacturer, declared itself an open shop.[4] It was the third open shop ever established in Danbury, Connecticut, the center of the pelt industry since 1780[4] (see North American fur trade). Loewe's declaration sparked a strike and a boycott by the United Hatters of North America (UHU), which had organized 70 out of 82 firms in the hat manufacturing industry.[5] The nationwide boycott was assisted by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and was successful in persuading retailers, wholesalers and customers not to buy from or do business with Loewe.[5] The goal of the operation was for UHU to gain union recognition as the bargaining agent for employees at Loewe & Co.[5]

Loewe & Co. sued the union for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, alleging that UHU's boycott interfered with Loewe's ability to engage in the interstate commerce of selling hats.[5] The act had been adopted in 1890, with the primary purpose to control business monopolies.[6] The appellee in the case was Martin Lawlor, the business agent for the UHU, but the list of defendants included 240 union members.[7]

The case was handled in the first instance by the United States Circuit Court for the District of Connecticut, which dismissed the suit on the grounds that the alleged actions fell outside the scope of the Sherman Act. Loewe & Co. appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which certified the case to the Supreme Court.

Judgment

In a unanimous decision written by Chief Justice Melville Fuller, the UHU was found to have been acting in restraint of interstate commerce and to have violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. Fuller began the opinion by recounting the relevant provisions of the Sherman Act. The first, second, and seventh section of the act can be concisely described as follows:

1. Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is illegal.
2. Every person who monopolizes, or attempts to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is in violation of the statute.
3. Any person who is injured in his business or property by any other person or corporation by reason of anything forbidden or declared illegal by the act may sue in federal court in the district of the defendant and recover three fold damages.

Fuller concluded that the actions of the union did constitute unlawful combination of the type described in the act: "In our opinion, the combination described in the declaration is a combination 'in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States,' in the sense in which those words are used in the act, and the action can be maintained accordingly."

The union had raised a number of objections to the application of the act to its activities, all of which were found to be untenable by the Court. While the union had not interfered with the transportation of hats originating with Loewe & Co., a national boycott conceived on the initiative of the union that comprised vendees in other states was a violation of interstate commerce as proscribed by the statute:

If the purposes of the combination were, as alleged, to prevent any interstate transportation at all, the fact that the means operated at one end before physical transportation commenced, and at the other end after the physical transportation ended, was immaterial. And that conclusion rests on many judgments of this court, to the effect that the act prohibits any combination whatever to secure action which essentially obstructs the free flow of commerce between the States, or restricts, in that regard, the liberty of a trader to engage in business.

The fact that the union was not itself engaged in interstate commerce was irrelevant since the act did not distinguish between the types of associations involved but simply forbade every contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of trade. Fuller underscored that no exemption had been made for organizations of laborers or farmers, despite lobbying to include such language in the statute:

The records of Congress show that several efforts were made to exempt, by legislation, organizations of farmers and laborers from the operation of the act, and that all these efforts failed, so that the act remained as we have it before us.

Consequently, while the boycott and strike action had originated in a single state, the combination efforts had to be viewed in aggregation:

(...) [T]he acts must be considered as a whole, and the plan is open to condemnation notwithstanding a negligible amount of intrastate business might be affected in carrying it out.

The judgment of dismissal was reversed, and the case was remanded for further proceedings.

Significance

Verdict for the plaintiffs in the Loewe v. Lawlor case

In 1909, a new trial was held in the District Court to determine the outcome of the case. The presiding judge directed the jury to find for Loewe & Co., in accordance with the Supreme Court decision. The jury returned with a verdict of $74,000 in damages, which was tripled, under the Sherman Act, to $222,000.[8] The union won on appeal but then lost on retrial in 1912.[9] The case reached the Supreme Court in 1914, and in Lawlor v. Loewe (1915), the Court again held the union liable for damages. In 1917, the case was settled for slightly over $234,000 (approximately $3.9 million in 2009 currency) of which the AFL was able to obtain $216,000 in voluntary contributions from union members.[10]

The ruling deprived labor unions of an important and effective union tactic, and the decision to hold individual union members personally liable for damages had an adverse impact on union organizing efforts.[5] That led the AFL to initiate an aggressive campaign to convince Congress to address labor concerns about the Sherman Act in the reform of antitrust laws.[5] The push culminated with the passage of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, which provided that "the labor of a human being is not a commodity or an article of commerce." Section 20 of the act further stated that no injunctions should be granted by federal courts in labor disputes "unless necessary to prevent irreparable injury to property, or to a property right." The provisions, however, were narrowly interpreted by the Supreme Court, which ruled, in Duplex Printing Press Company v. Deering (1921), that the exemptions in the Clayton Act did not protect secondary boycotts from judicial control.

Prosecution of labor under antitrust laws would continue until the enactment of the Norris–La Guardia Act in 1932, which included express exemptions of organized labor from antitrust injunctions. The exemptions were upheld by the Supreme Court in United States v. Hutcheson (1941), which stated that the act should be read broadly to provide a total antitrust exemption for labor unions, "so long as [the] union acts in its self-interest and does not combine with non-labor groups." The majority opinion in Hutcheson was written by Felix Frankfurter, who, before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, had served as one of the drafters of the Norris-La Guardia Act.[11]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Loewe v. Lawlor, 208 U.S. 274 (1908). Public domain This article incorporates public domain material from this U.S government document.
  2. ^ Carter, Saalim A. Labor Unions and Antitrust Legislation: Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint from 1890-1941. Penn State University, 2006. p. 28.
  3. ^ Carter, p. 30.
  4. ^ a b Federal Writers' Project (1938). Connecticut: A Guide to Its Roads, Lore and People. Reprint: US History Publishers. ISBN 1-60354-007-5. pp. 132-133.
  5. ^ a b c d e f William H. Holley and Kenneth M. Jennings. The Labor Relations Process. South-Western, Division of Thomson Learning, 2008. p. 78.
  6. ^ Holley, p. 106.
  7. ^ Danbury Museum & Historical Society, Danbury. Arcadia Publishing, 2001. p. 79.
  8. ^ Ernst, Daniel R. Lawyers against labor: from individual rights to corporate liberalism. University of Illinois Press, 1995. p. 151.
  9. ^ Tomlins, Christopher. The United States Supreme Court: The Pursuit of Justice. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. p. 162.
  10. ^ Gould, William B. A Primer on American Labor Law. MIT Press, 2004. p. 14.
  11. ^ Dubofsky, Melvyn. The State and Labor in Modern America. University of North Carolina Press, 1994. p. 165.

References

Read other articles:

Burundi Berikut adalah daftar kota di Burundi: Bubanza Buhongo Bujumbura Bukirasazi Bururi Cankuzo Cibitoke Gitega Kabezi Karuzi Kayanza Kayero Kayogoro Kibondo Kirundo Kisozi Makamba Mukenke Muramvya Murore Musenyi Muyaga Muyinga Mwaro Ngozi Nyanza-Lac Rugari Rumonge Rutana Ruyigi lbsDaftar kota di duniaAfrika Afrika Selatan Afrika Tengah Aljazair Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Chad Eritrea Eswatini Etiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Khatulistiwa Guinea-Bissau Jibuti Kameru...

 

Canadian politician For the Canadian judge and lawyer, see Allan McEachern. The HonourableAllan MacEachenPC OCMacEachen shortly after first being elected to the House of Commons1st Deputy Prime Minister of CanadaIn officeMarch 3, 1980 – June 29, 1984Prime MinisterPierre TrudeauPreceded byhimself (1979)Succeeded byJean ChrétienIn officeSeptember 16, 1977 – June 4, 1979Prime MinisterPierre TrudeauPreceded byPosition establishedSucceeded byhimself (1980)Secretary of St...

 

Sikorsky S-38 adalah pesawat bermesin ganda amfibi 8 kursi Amerika. Itu kadang-kadang disebut The Explorer Air Yacht dan perahu terbang amfibi Sikorsky pertama yang diproduksi secara luas. Selain berhasil melayani untuk Pan American Airways dan Angkatan Darat AS, juga dimiliki banyak pemilik swasta yang menerima ketenaran untuk eksploitasi mereka. Referensi Davies, R.E.G. (1987). Pan Am: An Airline and its Aircraft. New York, NY USA: Orion Books. ISBN 0-517-56639-7.  Yenne, Bill (20...

Сен-Мартен-де-СанзеSaint-Martin-de-Sanzay   Країна  Франція Регіон Нова Аквітанія  Департамент Де-Севр  Округ Брессюїр Кантон Туар- Код INSEE 79277 Поштові індекси 79290 Координати 47°04′54″ пн. ш. 0°11′58″ зх. д.H G O Висота 32 - 73 м.н.р.м. Площа 24,69 км² Населення 1069 (01-2020[1]) Гус

 

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (ديسمبر 2018) بادي روبنز معلومات شخصية الميلاد 18 نوفمبر 1914  تاريخ الوفاة سنة 1986  الطول 5 قدم 8 بوصة (1.73 م)[1][1] مركز اللعب مهاجم الجنسية أيرلندا  المس...

 

City in California, United States Not to be confused with Woodlands, California. City in California, United StatesWoodland, CaliforniaCityCity of Woodland Clockwise: Yolo County Courthouse; Walnut Street School; Hotel Woodland FlagNickname: City of TreesLocation in Yolo County and the state of CaliforniaWoodlandLocation in the State of CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaWoodlandLocation in the contiguous United StatesShow map of the United StatesCoordinates: 38°40′43″N 121°46′24″W...

 Nota: Não confundir com Nelson Piquet Jr. (seu filho). Esta biografia de uma pessoa viva cita fontes, mas que não cobrem todo o conteúdo. Ajude a inserir fontes confiáveis e independentes. Material controverso que esteja sem fontes deve ser imediatamente removido, especialmente se for de natureza difamatória.—Encontre fontes: ABW  • CAPES  • Google (N • L • A) (Setembro de 2021) Nelson Piquet Nelson PiquetPiqu...

 

Location in south Texas and Northeast Mexico This article is about the region in Texas. For the river valley in New Mexico that is part of the same river, see Rio Grande Valley (New Mexico). Rio Grande Valley redirects here. For other uses, see Rio Grande Valley (disambiguation). RegionLower Rio Grande ValleyRegion Images, from top down, left to right: Skyline of South Padre Island; McAllen Performing Arts Center; Interior of the Quinta Mazatlan; Entrance to McAllen Public Library; Cameron Co...

 

Protein-coding gene in humans MLK3 redirects here. For the American activist, see Martin Luther King III. MAP3K11IdentifiersAliasesMAP3K11, MEKK11, MLK-3, MLK3, PTK1, SPRK, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 11External IDsOMIM: 600050 MGI: 1346880 HomoloGene: 37618 GeneCards: MAP3K11 Gene location (Human)Chr.Chromosome 11 (human)[1]Band11q13.1Start65,597,756 bp[1]End65,615,382 bp[1]Gene location (Mouse)Chr.Chromosome 19 (mouse)[2]Band19 A|19 4....

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Shockwave TV series – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) American TV series or program ShockwaveA screenshot of the title in the introduction of Shockwave.GenreDocumentaryCreate...

 

Mexican-American baseball player (born 1960) Not to be confused with Carlos Valenzuela. For the Spanish marquis and grandee, see Fernando de Valenzuela, 1st Marquis of Villasierra. In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Valenzuela and the second or maternal family name is Anguamea. Baseball player Fernando ValenzuelaValenzuela with the Dodgers in 1981PitcherBorn: (1960-11-01) November 1, 1960 (age 63)Etchohuaquila, MexicoBatted: LeftThrew: LeftMLB debutSeptember 1...

 

2023 Finnish television film EstoniaGenreDramaCreated byMiikko OikkonenScreenplay byMiikko OikkonenDirected by Måns Månsson Juuso Syrjä Starring Jussi Nikkilä Claes Hartelius Seidi Haarla Kaspar Velberg Pertti Sveholm Country of originFinland, Sweden, Belgium, EstoniaOriginal languagesFinnish, Swedish, Estonian, EnglishNo. of series1No. of episodes8ProductionExecutive producers Matti Halonen Johannes Lassila CinematographyJ-P PassiEditors George Cragg Sam Hodge Kenneth Klaile Moonika Põd...

San Andrés y Providencia Flagge Wappen Daten Hauptstadt San Andrés Gouverneur Everth Julio Hawkins (2020–2023) Fläche 44 km² Einwohner (Gesamt)  – Volkszählung 2018  – Bevölkerungsdichte  61.280  1.392 Einwohner/km² Urbanisierung 73,25 % Alphabetisierungsrate 94,2 % Gemeindeanzahl 2 Volksbezeichnung sanandresano Wichtige Städte Providencia Karte KarteLage von San Andrés y Providencia in Kolumbien San Andrés y Providenci...

 

Action of 8 April 1740Part of the War of Jenkins' EarBattle between the Spanish 70-gun Princesa (right foreground) and HMS Lenox, Orford and Kent, 8 April 1740, Museo Naval de MadridDate8 April 1740Location300 miles south-west of The Lizard off Cape FinisterreResult British victoryBelligerents  Great Britain SpainCommanders and leaders Captain Colvill MayneCaptain Thomas DurellCaptain Lord Augustus Fitzroy Don Pablo Augustín de Gera.Strength 3 third-rates 1 third-rateCasualties and loss...

 

Vie at Home Ltd.TypeLimited companyIndustrycosmeticsFounded1997FounderVirgin GroupDefunct2011HeadquartersTangmere, England, UK, United KingdomProductsskin care, make up, bath & body, aromatherapy, jewellery, homewareRevenue£10 millionNumber of employees4,000 consultants, approx. 50 head office employeesParentNetwork World Alliance GmbH Vie at Home (trademarked VIE at home), formerly The Virgin Cosmetics Company and Virgin Vie At Home, was a retailer and distributor of cosmetics. The comp...

Village in Illinois, United StatesBartlett, IllinoisVillageVillage of BartlettThe Bartlett gazebo in Bartlett Park SealMotto(s): History, Harmony, Pride[1]Location of Bartlett in DuPage, Cook, and Kane Counties, Illinois.Location of Illinois in the United StatesBartlettLocation in IllinoisShow map of IllinoisBartlettBartlett (the United States)Show map of the United StatesBartlettBartlett (North America)Show map of North AmericaCoordinates: 41°59′43″N 88°11′8″W ...

 

Unincorporated community in Delaware, United StatesCentreville, Delaware CentervilleUnincorporated communityCentervilleShow map of DelawareCentervilleShow map of the United StatesCoordinates: 39°49′17″N 75°37′00″W / 39.82139°N 75.61667°W / 39.82139; -75.61667CountryUnited StatesStateDelawareCountyNew CastleElevation436 ft (133 m)Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)Area code302GNIS feature ID213782[1] Centerv...

 

Gneis, batuan metamorf berfoliasi Artikel ini perlu diterjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia. Artikel ini ditulis atau diterjemahkan secara buruk dari Wikipedia bahasa selain Indonesia. Jika halaman ini ditujukan untuk komunitas berbahasa tersebut, halaman itu harus dikontribusikan ke Wikipedia bahasa tersebut. Lihat daftar bahasa Wikipedia. Artikel yang tidak diterjemahkan dapat dihapus secara cepat sesuai kriteria A2. Jika Anda ingin memeriksa artikel ini, Anda boleh menggunakan mesin penerjemah. ...

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1918 and since 1922 For other constituencies of the same name, see Belfast West. Belfast WestBorough constituencyfor the House of CommonsBoundary of Belfast West in Northern IrelandDistricts of Northern IrelandBelfast, LisburnElectorate60,817 (March 2011)BoroughBelfastMajor settlementsBelfastCurrent constituencyCreated1922Member of ParliamentPaul Maskey (Sinn Féin)Seats1Created fromBelfast Falls, Belfast St Anne's and Belfast Woodvale1...

 

Jean DaussetJean Dausset en 2005 (photo studio Harcourt).BiographieNaissance 19 octobre 1916ToulouseDécès 6 juin 2009 (à 92 ans)Palma de MajorqueNationalité françaiseFormation Faculté de médecine de ParisLycée MicheletActivités Médecin, professeur, professeur des universités, hématologue, chimiste, physiologiste, immunologiste, chercheurAutres informationsA travaillé pour Collège de France (1977-1987)Faculté de médecine de ParisInstitut national de la santé et de la rech...

 

Strategi Solo vs Squad di Free Fire: Cara Menang Mudah!