In the case of National Labor Relations Board v. United Insurance Co. of America, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The issue at hand was whether insurance agents working for United Insurance were employees or independent contractors under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). If classified as employees, they would have certain rights to collective bargaining not afforded to independent contractors. The NLRB had determined that these individuals were indeed employees and thus protected by NLRA provisions; however, this decision was overturned by a lower court which deemed them independent contractors instead. Upon reaching the Supreme Court, it held that there is substantial evidence supporting NLRB's initial classification and therefore reinstated its determination. This ruling clarified an important aspect regarding labor law - namely how workers are classified can significantly impact their legal protections and rights.

In the dissenting opinion for the National Labor Relations Board v. United Insurance Co. of America case, Justice Harlan argued that insurance agents should be classified as independent contractors rather than employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). He reasoned that these agents operate their own businesses and bear entrepreneurial risk, which are key characteristics of an independent contractor status. Furthermore, he pointed out that Congress did not intend to include such individuals within NLRA's scope when it was enacted in 1935 because at that time, most insurance agents were considered self-employed businessmen rather than employees. Therefore, according to Justice Harlan’s interpretation of legislative intent and historical context surrounding this law's enactment, these insurance agents should not be covered by NLRA protections designed for traditional employer-employee relationships.