National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.

Case Overview

The federal government created the National Labor Relations Board to protect workers' right to unionize, and a major steel company argued that Congress had no power to regulate its labor practices. The Supreme Court upheld the law, ruling that Congress can regulate activities that have a substantial effect on interstate commerce, even if the activity itself is local. This decision ended the Court's resistance to New Deal economic legislation and dramatically expanded federal regulatory power.