United Steelworkers v. American Manufacturing Co.
- Decided
- June 20, 1960
- Docket
- 360
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 2,750 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- concluding that when parties have agreed to arbitrate, courts "have no business weighing the merits of the grievance" — Sakyi v. Estée Lauder Cos. (2018)
- concluding that when parties have agreed to arbitrate, courts “have no business weighing the merits of the grievance” — Sakyi v. Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. (2018)
- holding that because the parties bargained for the "arbitrator’s judgment,” the underlying “question of contract interpretation” is for the arbitrator, and the courts have “no business weighing the merits of the grievance” — Brandon Chapman v. United Auto Workers Local 1005 (2012)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
Opinion of the Court by Mr. Justice Douglas, announced by Mr. Justice Brennan.
This suit was brought by petitioner union in the District Court to compel arbitration of a “grievance” that petitioner, acting for one Sparks, a union member, had filed with the respondent, Sparks’ employer. The employer defended on the ground (1) that Sparks is estopped from making his claim because he had a few days previously settled a workmen’s compensation claim against the company on the basis that he was permanently partially disabled, (2) that Sparks is not physically able to [*565] do the work, and (3) that this type of dispute is not arbitrable under the collective bargaining agreement in question.
The agreement provided that during its term there would be “no strike,” unless the employer refused to abide by a decision of the arbitrator. The agreement sets out a detailed grievance procedure with a provision for arbitration (regarded as the standard form) of all disputes between the parties “as to the meaning, interpretation and application of the provisions of this agreement.” [1]
Statutes cited
Cite this
United Steelworkers v. American Manufacturing Co., 363 U.S. 564 (1960)Read the full opinion
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