The Montgomery Building & Construction Trades Council et al. v. Ledbetter Erection Co., Inc., case in 1952 revolved around a labor dispute between the two parties. The Montgomery Building and Construction Trades Council, along with other unions, were accused of violating Alabama's "right to work" laws by coercing Ledbetter Erection Company into signing a union-only contract for their workers - an agreement that would require all employees to be part of the union or risk losing their jobs. This was seen as infringing on the rights of non-unionized workers who wished to remain independent. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ledbetter Erection Co., stating that such agreements violated state law and infringed upon individual worker rights.

In the dissenting opinion for Montgomery Building & Construction Trades Council et al. v. Ledbetter Erection Co., Inc., it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold an injunction against a labor union picketing at a construction site was incorrect and inconsistent with previous rulings of the court. The dissenters believed that peaceful picketing by unions is protected under federal law, specifically Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act which guarantees employees' rights to engage in concerted activities for mutual aid or protection, including protesting unfair labor practices through picketing. They also disagreed with the majority's interpretation of Alabama state laws on trespassing and conspiracy as applicable in this case, arguing instead that these were misused to suppress lawful union activity. Furthermore, they contended that such use of state power interfered with federal jurisdiction over labor disputes and violated principles of federalism.