American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Writers Guild of America
437 U.S. 411 · Decided June 21, 1978 · 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
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Writers Guild of America was decided on June 21, 1978 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Union-union member disputes” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 437 U.S. 411 · 98 S. Ct. 2423 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 313 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 116
- Docket number
- 76-1121
- Decided
- June 21, 1978
- Argued
- December 5, 1977
- Reargued
- March 20, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union-union member disputes
- 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. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent |
Full case caption
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., et al. v. Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-124, docket 1977-124-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: National Labor Relations Act
- Beth Israel Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board
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- Sears v. San Diego County District Council of Carpenters
- Malone v. White Motor Corp.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Baylor University Medical Center
- National Labor Relations Board v. Local Union No. 103
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- National Labor Relations Board v. Local Union No. 103
- Federal Maritime Commission v. Pacific Maritime Assn.
- Beth Israel Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board
- Eastex, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board
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