Case Citation
Legal Case Name

National Labor Relations Board v. Burns International Security Services, Inc. Case Brief

Supreme Court of the United States1972Docket #672513
32 L. Ed. 2d 61 92 S. Ct. 1571 406 U.S. 272 1972 U.S. LEXIS 105 80 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2225 Labor Law Contracts Administrative Law

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A company that took over a service contract and hired a majority of the predecessor’s unionized employees was required to bargain with the union, but was not automatically bound by the predecessor’s collective bargaining agreement.

Legal Significance: This case established the foundational successorship doctrine in labor law, bifurcating the successor’s obligations: the duty to bargain with the incumbent union is imposed by law, but assumption of the predecessor’s contract is not.

National Labor Relations Board v. Burns International Security Services, Inc. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Wackenhut Corp. provided security services for Lockheed and had a three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the United Plant Guard Workers of America (UPG), which had been recently certified by the NLRB as the employees’ representative. When the service contract expired, Burns International Security Services, Inc. outbid Wackenhut for the Lockheed contract. Burns was aware of the union’s certification and the existing CBA. Burns hired 42 guards to service the contract, 27 of whom were former Wackenhut employees, thus constituting a majority of the new workforce. Burns refused to recognize UPG or honor the terms of the Wackenhut-UPG CBA. Instead, Burns recognized a rival union. The UPG filed an unfair labor practice charge. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that Burns was a successor employer and ordered it to bargain with UPG and to honor the substantive terms of the pre-existing CBA.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a successor employer that hires a majority of its predecessor’s employees have a duty under the National Labor Relations Act to bargain with the incumbent union and to honor the substantive terms of the predecessor’s collective bargaining agreement?

Yes, as to the duty to bargain; no, as to the duty Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Does a successor employer that hires a majority of its predecessor’s employees have a duty under the National Labor Relations Act to bargain with the incumbent union and to honor the substantive terms of the predecessor’s collective bargaining agreement?

Conclusion

This landmark decision defines the modern successorship doctrine, balancing the goals of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nost

Legal Rule

A successor employer is obligated to bargain with the incumbent union representing Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatu

Legal Analysis

The Court's analysis created a two-part framework for successorship. First, it affirmed Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris

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Flash Summary

  • A successor employer has a duty to bargain with the predecessor’s
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deseru

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