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Title 29 — LaborRelease 119-73not60

§178 Injunctions During National Emergency

Title 29 › Chapter 7— LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS › Subchapter III— CONCILIATION OF LABOR DISPUTES; NATIONAL EMERGENCIES › § 178

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a board that investigated a labor dispute reports a strike or lockout that hits a whole industry or a large part of it doing business across state lines or with other countries, or that makes goods for interstate or foreign trade, and letting it happen would threaten the nation's health or safety, the President can tell the Attorney General to ask a federal district court to stop the strike or lockout. The normal rules in chapter 6 do not apply in these cases. The court’s order can be reviewed by the U.S. court of appeals and by the Supreme Court.

Full Legal Text

Title 29, §178

Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Upon receiving a report from a board of inquiry the President may direct the Attorney General to petition any district court of the United States having jurisdiction of the parties to enjoin such strike or lock-out or the continuing thereof, and if the court finds that such threatened or actual strike or lock-out—
(i)affects an entire industry or a substantial part thereof engaged in trade, commerce, transportation, transmission, or communication among the several States or with foreign nations, or engaged in the production of goods for commerce; and
(ii)if permitted to occur or to continue, will imperil the national health or safety, it shall have jurisdiction to enjoin any such strike or lockout, or the continuing thereof, and to make such other orders as may be appropriate.
(b)In any case, the provisions of chapter 6 of this title shall not be applicable.
(c)The order or orders of the court shall be subject to review by the appropriate United States court of appeals and by the Supreme Court upon writ of certiorari or certification as provided in section 1254 of title 28.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Chapter 6 (§ 101 et seq.) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), is a reference to act Mar. 23, 1932, ch. 90, 47 Stat. 70, popularly known as the Norris-LaGuardia Act. Codification In subsec. (c), “court of appeals” substituted for “circuit court of appeals” on authority of act
June 25, 1948, as amended by act
May 24, 1949. The words “United States” immediately preceding “Court of appeals” were inserted on authority of section 43 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. In subsec. (c), “section 1254 of title 28” substituted for “section 239 and 240 of the Judicial Code, as amended (U.S.C. title 28, secs. 346 and 347)” on authority of act
June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 869, section 1 of which enacted Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

29 U.S.C. § 178

Title 29 — Labor

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60