Longshoremen v. Ariadne Shipping Co., Ltd., 397 U.S. 195 (1970)

International Longshoremen’s Association, Local 1416, AFL-CIO

v. Ariadne Shipping Co., Ltd.
No. 231

Argued January 13, 1970
Decided March 9, 1970
397 U.S. 195

CERTIORARI TO THE DISTRICT CORT OF APPEAL

OF FLORIDA, THIRD DISTRICT

Syllabus

Respondents, a Liberian corporation and a Panamanian corporation, employed foreign crews to operate cruise ships to the Caribbean from Florida. When the vessels berthed at Florida ports, the ships’ crews in part and outside labor in part performed the loading, which the petitioner union picketed, protesting that the longshore work was being done at substandard wage rates. Respondents obtained injunctive relief against the picketing from the Florida courts, which held that the picketing was beyond the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and could be enjoined as violative of Florida law.

Held: Since this dispute centered on wages to be paid American longshoremen working on American docks, and did not concern the ships’ "internal discipline and order," it was not within the scope of "maritime operations of foreign-flag ships," which are outside the jurisdiction of the NLRB. Petitioner’s peaceful primary picketing arguably constituted protected activity under § 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, and, thus, the NLRB’s jurisdiction was exclusive, and preempted that of the Florida courts. Pp. 198-201.

215 So.2d 51, reversed.