Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. v. National Labor Relations Board
338 U.S. 355 · Decided December 5, 1949 · 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
Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. v. National Labor Relations Board was decided on December 5, 1949 by a vote of 6–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Sherman Minton 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
- 338 U.S. 355 · 70 S. Ct. 166 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 161 · 1949 U.S. LEXIS 2920
- Docket number
- 47
- Decided
- December 5, 1949
- Argued
- November 17, 1949
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–2
- Majority opinion
- Sherman Minton
- Opinion assigned by
- Hugo L. Black
- 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)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: William O. Douglas.
Full case caption
Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. v. National Labor Relations Board et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1949-018, docket 1949-018-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Union or closed shop”
- Lincoln Federal Labor Union v. Northwestern Iron & Metal Co.Altered precedent
- American Federation of Labor v. American Sash & Door Co.
- 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: National Labor Relations Act
- National Labor Relations Board v. Mexia Textile Mills, Inc.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Pool Manufacturing Co.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Crompton-Highland Mills, Inc.
- Algoma Plywood & Veneer Co. v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board
- National Labor Relations Board v. E. C. Atkins & Co.
Same Term, same area (Unions)
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