Editor's Choice
What was the significance of the Commonwealth v. Hunt ruling in Massachusetts?
Quick answer:
The Commonwealth v. Hunt ruling in Massachusetts was significant because it established the legality of labor unions in the United States. Before this decision, unions were often deemed illegal under English common law, seen as conspiracies disrupting economic contracts. The Massachusetts Supreme Court overturned a lower court's conviction of a union for conspiracy, ruling that unions were lawful as long as their objectives were legal and achieved through legal means, paving the way for the future of labor rights in America.
This case helped set the precedent on the legality of labor unions in America. Before this ruling was made, any organization created to protect the rights of workers was assumed to be illegal. Prosecutors often argued that such unions were conspiracies meant to hurt the economy by raising the standards of living through demanding higher salaries. Other times, the attorneys hired by employers would claim that unions are illegal according to English common law—at the time, American laws were not clear on the legality of labor unions, so new decisions relied on common law as a precedent.
In this case, a bootmaker refused to pay a fine for going against the rules of his labor union. The labor union, the Boston Society of Journeymen Bootmakers, urged the employer to fire the member for breach of rules. However, the member saw the union as a threat and took them to court...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
for conspiring against him. The Boston Municipal court believed that what the member was saying was true, and they found the union guilty of conspiracy. However, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts overturned the decision, declaring that labor unions are legal as long as they are not created with ill intentions.
References
The significance of this case was that it set up a way of legal reasoning that would allow the creation of labor unions. This case helped to make it more possible for labor unions to exist in the US.
Before this case, American law followed British law in thinking of unions as illegal groups. They were seen as conspiracies that affected the rights of workers and employers to make contracts with one another. This was a matter of common law (made through court cases) not of statutory law (made by legislatures). In Commonwealth v. Hunt, the court rejected this line of reasoning and held, instead, that unions were legal so long as they did not either A) try to accomplish an illegal goal or B) try to accomplish a legal goal by illegal means.