The U.S. Supreme Court case Eastex, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board (1977) revolved around the issue of whether employees' distribution of a union newsletter discussing political and legislative matters on company property was protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The court ruled in favor of the National Labor Relations Board, stating that such activity fell within the scope of "mutual aid or protection" as defined by NLRA's Section 7 and thus should be protected unless it interferes with discipline or productivity in an unreasonable manner. This decision clarified that workers have a right to engage in concerted activities for mutual aid or protection including those related to politically controversial subjects relevant to their working conditions.

In the dissenting opinion of Eastex, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board (1977), it was argued that the majority's decision expanded the scope of Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act beyond what Congress intended. The dissenters believed that while employees have a right to engage in concerted activities for mutual aid or protection related to their employment conditions, this does not extend to political advocacy unrelated directly to their job circumstances and employer-employee relationship. They contended that distributing literature advocating for minimum wage increases and opposing right-to-work laws were issues too far removed from specific workplace concerns at Eastex, Inc., thus should not be protected by Section 7 rights as they do not pertain specifically enough to "employees' interests as employees." Therefore, according to this view, employers like Eastex should retain authority over regulating such non-work-related activities on company property without being accused of unfair labor practices.