United States v. United Mine Workers

The United States (plaintiff), which had taken control of the coal mines, sued United Mine Workers and its president, John L. Lewis (defendants), after Lewis terminated the union's labor contract. The government sought an injunction barring a strike, and the court issued a temporary restraining order. The miners struck anyway, and after the union challenged the court's jurisdiction under the Norris-LaGuardia Act (NLA), the judge held the NLA did not apply to the United States and kept the order in place. The union was convicted of criminal and civil contempt and fined, and appealed on the ground that the NLA deprived the court of jurisdiction to issue the order in the first place.