Burlington Northern Railroad Co. et al. v. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes et al.

Decided April 28, 1987. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 86-39 · 481 U.S. 429 (1987) · Cited 208 times

Holding

Under the Norris-LaGuardia Act, a federal court does not have JURISDICTION to enjoin secondary picketing in railway labor disputes.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Jacksonville Terminal Co. · 394 U.S. 369 (1969)
• Virginian Railway Co. v. System Federation No. 40 · 300 U.S. 515 (1937)
• Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co. v. Burley · 325 U.S. 711 (1945)
• United States v. Hutcheson · 312 U.S. 219 (1941)
• Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad v. United Transportation Union · 396 U.S. 142 (1969)
• International Ass'n of MacHinists v. Street · 367 U.S. 740 (1961)
• Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union · 402 U.S. 570 (1971)
• Graham v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen · 338 U.S. 232 (1949)
• Jacksonville Bulk Terminals, Inc. v. International Longshoremen's Ass'n · 457 U.S. 702 (1982)
• Order of Railroad Telegraphers v. Chicago & North Western Railway Co. · 362 U.S. 330 (1960)
• Sosna v. Iowa · 419 U.S. 393 (1975)
• Weinstein v. Bradford · 423 U.S. 147 (1975)
• Steele v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad · 323 U.S. 192 (1944)
• Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Chicago River & Indiana Railroad · 353 U.S. 30 (1957)
• National Woodwork Manufacturers Ass'n v. National Labor Relations Board · 386 U.S. 612 (1967)
• Allen Bradley Co. v. Local Union No. 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers · 325 U.S. 797 (1945)
• Buffalo Forge Co. v. United Steelworkers · 428 U.S. 397 (1976)
• Local Union No. 189, Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen v. Jewel Tea Co. · 381 U.S. 676 (1965)
• Local 1976, United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners v. National Labor Relations Board · 357 U.S. 93 (1958)
• United States v. Heirs of Boisdoré · 49 U.S. 113 (1849)
• New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co. · 303 U.S. 552 (1938)
• Bedford Cut Stone Co. v. Journeymen Stone Cutters' Ass'n · 274 U.S. 37 (1927)
• Marine Cooks & Stewards v. Panama Steamship Co. · 362 U.S. 365 (1960)
• Brotherhood of Railway & Steamship Clerks v. Florida East Coast Railway Co. · 384 U.S. 238 (1966)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Independent Federation of Flight Attendants · 489 U.S. 426 (1989)
• Rockwell International Corp. v. United States · 549 U.S. 457 (2007)
• Honig v. Doe · 484 U.S. 305 (1988)
• Lewis v. Continental Bank Corp. · 494 U.S. 472 (1990)
• Consolidated Rail Corporation v. Railway Labor Executives' Assn. · 491 U.S. 299 (1989)
• Norfolk & Western Railway Co. v. American Train Dispatchers' Ass'n · 499 U.S. 117 (1991)
• Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad v. Railway Labor Executives' Ass'n · 491 U.S. 490 (1989)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

Explore from here

William Joseph Brennan Jr.’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1987). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).