Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. San Diego County District Council of Carpenters

Decided May 15, 1978. John Paul Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 76-750 · 436 U.S. 180 (1978) · Cited 689 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“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.

• San Diego Building Trades Council v. Garmon · 359 U.S. 236 (1959)
• Farmer v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America, Local 25 · 430 U.S. 290 (1977)
• Amalgamated Ass'n of Street, Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees of America v. Lockridge · 403 U.S. 274 (1971)
• Hudgens v. National Labor Relations Board · 424 U.S. 507 (1976)
• Garner v. Teamsters, Chauffeurs & Helpers Local Union No. 776 · 346 U.S. 485 (1953)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Babcock & Wilcox Co. · 351 U.S. 105 (1956)
• International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft & Agricultural Implement Workers v. Russell · 356 U.S. 634 (1958)
• Linn v. United Plant Guard Workers of America, Local 114 · 383 U.S. 53 (1966)
• Youngdahl v. Rainfair, Inc. · 355 U.S. 131 (1957)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Nash-Finch Co. · 404 U.S. 138 (1971)
• Lodge 76, International Ass'n of MacHinists & Aerospace Workers v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission · 427 U.S. 132 (1976)
• United Construction Workers v. Laburnum Construction Corp. · 347 U.S. 656 (1954)
• Weber v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. · 348 U.S. 468 (1955)
• Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen, Local No. 427 v. Fairlawn Meats, Inc. · 353 U.S. 20 (1957)
• Capital Service, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board · 347 U.S. 501 (1954)
• Vaca v. Sipes · 386 U.S. 171 (1967)
• Amalgamated Food Employees Union Local 590 v. Logan Valley Plaza, Inc. · 391 U.S. 308 (1968)
• Allen-Bradley Local No. 1111 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board · 315 U.S. 740 (1942)
• Guss v. Utah Labor Relations Board · 353 U.S. 1 (1957)
• Central Hardware Co. v. National Labor Relations Board · 407 U.S. 539 (1972)
• Myers v. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. · 303 U.S. 41 (1938)
• Smith v. Evening News Assn. · 371 U.S. 195 (1962)
• Republic Aviation Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board · 324 U.S. 793 (1945)
• National Labor Relations Board v. J. Weingarten, Inc. · 420 U.S. 251 (1975)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. · 306 U.S. 240 (1939)
• Bethlehem Steel Co. v. New York State Labor Relations Board · 330 U.S. 767 (1947)
• Local 20, Teamsters, Chauffeurs & Helpers Union v. Morton · 377 U.S. 252 (1964)
• International Ass'n of MacHinists v. Gonzales · 356 U.S. 617 (1958)
• International Union, U. A. W. A., A. F. of L., Local 232 v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board · 336 U.S. 245 (1949)
• Amalgamated Utility Workers v. Consolidated Edison Co. · 309 U.S. 261 (1940)

Cited by

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

• Local 926, International Union of Operating Engineers v. Jones · 460 U.S. 669 (1983)
• Lechmere, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board · 502 U.S. 527 (1992)
• New York Telephone Co. v. New York State Department of Labor · 440 U.S. 519 (1979)
• Belknap, Inc. v. Hale · 463 U.S. 491 (1983)
• Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. Teamsters · 598 U.S. 771 (2023)
• International Longshoremen's Ass'n v. Davis · 476 U.S. 380 (1986)
• Eastex, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board · 437 U.S. 556 (1978)
• Bill Johnson's Restaurants, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board · 461 U.S. 731 (1983)
• Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles · 493 U.S. 103 (1989)
• Brown v. Hotel & Restaurant Employees & Bartenders International Union Local 54 · 468 U.S. 491 (1984)
• Chamber of Commerce of United States v. Brown · 554 U.S. 60 (2008)

Official text

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

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). 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).