Sheet Metal Workers' International Assn. v. Lynn
488 U.S. 347 · Decided January 18, 1989 · 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
Sheet Metal Workers' International Assn. v. Lynn was decided on January 18, 1989 unanimously (8–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall 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
- 488 U.S. 347 · 109 S. Ct. 639 · 102 L. Ed. 2d 700 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 432
- Docket number
- 86-1940
- Decided
- January 18, 1989
- Argued
- November 7, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Union-union member disputes
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure 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. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority |
Did not participate: Anthony M. Kennedy.
Full case caption
Sheet Metal Workers' International Assn. et al. v. Lynn
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-022, docket 1988-022-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Union-union member disputes”
- Reed v. United Transportation Union
- Lynn L. Breininger v. Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local Union No. 6
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- West v. Conrail
- International Organization of Masters v. Timothy A. Brown
- Air Line Pilots Association v. Joseph E. O'Neill
Cases on the same legal provision: Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
- Guy Wooddell, Jr. v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- United Steelworkers of America v. Sadlowski
- Hall v. Cole
- United States v. BrownAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- Reed v. United Transportation Union
- Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants
- Consolidated Rail Corporation v. Railway Labor Executives' Association
- Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Co. v. Railway Labor Executives' Association
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