Connection lost
Server error
National Labor Relations Board v. Washington Aluminum Co. Case Brief
Audio Insights: Learn Cases on The Go
Transform downtime into productive study time with our premium audio insights. Perfect for commutes, workouts, or visual breaks from reading.
Why Top Law Students (And Those Aspiring to Be) Use LSD+ Briefs
Let's be real, law school is a marathon. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full case system is designed by Harvard Law School and MIT grads to match your pace: Quick summaries when you're slammed, detailed analysis when you need to go deep. Only LSD+ offers this kind of flexibility to genuinely fit your study flow.
Adaptive Case Views
Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.
Exam-Ready IRAC Format
We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.
Complex Cases, Clarified
We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.
Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Non-union employees walked out due to extreme cold in their workplace and were fired. The Supreme Court held the walkout was protected concerted activity under the NLRA, even without a prior specific demand, making the discharges unlawful.
Legal Significance: Established that spontaneous work stoppages by unorganized employees protesting working conditions are protected “concerted activities” under NLRA §7, even without a specific demand, and their reasonableness is largely irrelevant to protection.
National Labor Relations Board v. Washington Aluminum Co. Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Seven unorganized machinists at Washington Aluminum Co. worked in an uninsulated shop with a frequently malfunctioning heating system. They had previously complained individually about the cold. On an extremely cold January day (11°F), with the main furnace broken, the shop was “bitterly cold.” The company’s foreman remarked that if the men “had any guts at all, they would go home.” After a brief discussion amongst themselves, sparked by the foreman’s comment and the conditions, seven of the eight machinists on the day shift walked out, hoping to prompt the company to improve heating. They did not present a specific demand to the employer before leaving. The company president, upon learning of the walkout, ordered their immediate termination for leaving work without permission, citing a plant rule. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found the walkout was protected concerted activity under §7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the discharges constituted an unfair labor practice under §8(a)(1). The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit refused to enforce the NLRB’s order, reasoning the walkout was not protected because no specific demand was made to the employer prior to the stoppage.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Is a spontaneous walkout by unorganized employees protesting adverse working conditions, without first making a specific demand on the employer, a “concerted activity” protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, making their discharge for such action an unfair labor practice under Section 8(a)(1)?
Yes. The Supreme Court held that the employees’ walkout over cold working 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 i
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Is a spontaneous walkout by unorganized employees protesting adverse working conditions, without first making a specific demand on the employer, a “concerted activity” protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, making their discharge for such action an unfair labor practice under Section 8(a)(1)?
Conclusion
This landmark decision broadly interprets "concerted activities" under NLRA §7, affirming strong 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 n
Legal Rule
Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), 29 U.S.C. § 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 veli
Legal Analysis
The Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals, emphasizing the breadth 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 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 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 la
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A spontaneous employee walkout over cold working conditions is protected “concerted