Union or closed shop: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Union or closed shop,” part of the Unions area.

Legal provisions most often involved

All 26 decisions, newest first

• Janus v. American Federation of StateAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  138 S. Ct. 2448Decided June 27, 20185–4Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association
  578 U.S. 1Decided March 29, 20164–4
• Daniel B. Locke v. Edward A. Karass
  555 U.S. 207Decided January 21, 20099–0Stephen G. Breyer
• Gary Davenport v. Washington Education Association
  551 U.S. 177Decided June 14, 20079–0Antonin Scalia
• Naomi Marquez v. Screen Actors Guild, Inc.
  525 U.S. 33Decided November 3, 19989–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• James P. Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association
  500 U.S. 507Decided May 30, 19915–4Harry A. Blackmun
• Communications Workers of America v. Beck
  487 U.S. 735Decided June 29, 19885–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson
  475 U.S. 292Decided February 26, 19869–0John Paul Stevens
• Ellis v. Brotherhood of Railway
  466 U.S. 435Decided April 25, 19848–1Byron R. White
• Abood v. Detroit Board of Education
  431 U.S. 209Decided May 23, 19779–0Potter Stewart
• Retail Clerks International Association v. Schermerhorn
  373 U.S. 746Decided June 3, 19638–0Byron R. White
• Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks v. Allen
  373 U.S. 113Decided May 13, 19638–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• International Association of Machinists v. Street
  367 U.S. 740Decided June 19, 19617–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Local 60 v. National Labor Relations Board
  365 U.S. 651Decided April 17, 19617–1William O. Douglas
• Local 357 v. National Labor Relations Board
  365 U.S. 667Decided April 17, 19616–2William O. Douglas
• National Labor Relations Board v. News Syndicate Co., Inc.
  365 U.S. 695Decided April 17, 19616–2William O. Douglas
• International Typographical Union v. National Labor Relations Board
  365 U.S. 705Decided April 17, 19616–2William O. Douglas
• System Federation No. 91 v. Wright
  364 U.S. 642Decided January 16, 19615–3John M. Harlan II
• Local Lodge No. 1424 v. National Labor Relations Board
  362 U.S. 411Decided April 25, 19607–2John M. Harlan II
• Felter v. Southern Pacific Co.
  359 U.S. 326Decided April 27, 19596–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Pennsylvania Railroad Co. v. Rychlik
  352 U.S. 480Decided February 25, 19578–0John M. Harlan II
• Railway Employes' Department v. Hanson
  351 U.S. 225Decided May 21, 19569–0William O. Douglas
• Local Union No. 10 v. Graham
  345 U.S. 192Decided March 16, 19537–2Harold H. Burton
• Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. v. National Labor Relations Board
  338 U.S. 355Decided December 5, 19496–2Sherman Minton
• Lincoln Federal Labor Union v. Northwestern Iron & Metal Co.Altered precedent
  335 U.S. 525Decided January 3, 19499–0Hugo L. Black
• American Federation of Labor v. American Sash & Door Co.
  335 U.S. 538Decided January 3, 19498–1Hugo L. Black

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