Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants
489 U.S. 426 · Decided February 28, 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
Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants was decided on February 28, 1989 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Labor-management employee discharge” in the Unions area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 489 U.S. 426 · 109 S. Ct. 1225 · 103 L. Ed. 2d 456 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 1197
- Docket number
- 87-548
- Decided
- February 28, 1989
- Argued
- November 7, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Labor-management employee discharge
- Issue area
- Unions
- Legal provision
- Railway Labor 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 | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-046, docket 1988-046-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Labor-management employee discharge”
- Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants
- Arthur Groves v. Ring Screw Works
- National Labor Relations Board v. City Disposal Systems, Inc.
- National Labor Relations Board v. Transportation Management Corp.
- Eastern Associated Coal Corporation v. United Mine Workers of America
- Golden State Bottling Co., Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board
Cases on the same legal provision: Railway Labor Act
- Consolidated Rail Corporation v. Railway Labor Executives' Association
- Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Co. v. Railway Labor Executives' Association
- Landers v. National Railroad Passengers Corporation
- Burlington Northern Railroad Co. v. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes
- Ellis v. Brotherhood of Railway
- Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. v. Grant T. Norris
Same Term, same area (Unions)
- Reed v. United Transportation Union
- Sheet Metal Workers' International Assn. v. Lynn
- 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