National Labor Relations Board v. International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, Local 10, I.L.W.U

The collective bargaining agreement between the ILWU (herein “union”) and the Pacific Maritime Association (herein “employers”), requires the employers to hire all gangs of longshoremen through a hiring hall. Generally, the membership of each gang of longshoremen remains fixed and constant; each gang works as a unit; and the members of each gang obtain employment through the hiring of the gang through the hiring hall.

In the winter of 1950, an individual by the name of True Knowledge was working as a temporary member of Gang 50, when he learned that there was a vacancy for a permanent position on that gang. He sought that position without success. A man named Richardson was the boss of that gang, and although True Knowledge was satisfactory to everyone else on that gang, he was denied a permanent position by Richardson solely because True Knowledge was not a member of the union. True Knowledge is one of the three non-union longshoremen working on the San Francisco waterfront who are registered with the Port Labor Relations Committee (which said Committee is a joint committee of the union and employers in general charge of hiring, grievances and employment.)

Membership in gangs…