In the 1946 case United States v. United Mine Workers of America, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U.S. government against a labor union that had initiated a nationwide coal strike. The court held that federal courts have jurisdiction to issue an injunction (a legal order) to prevent strikes when they pose a threat to national security or public health and safety, even if such action interferes with collective bargaining rights under labor law. This decision was based on President Truman's executive order directing Secretary of Interior J.A Krug to seize control over most coal mines due to ongoing strikes which were causing severe fuel shortages across the nation during World War II. The court also found John L Lewis, president of UMWA guilty for contempt because he disobeyed temporary restraining orders issued by district courts barring him from continuing with his call for workers' strike.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. United Mine Workers of America, Justice Wiley Rutledge argued that the majority's interpretation of the Norris-LaGuardia Act was incorrect and overly broad. He contended that this case did not involve a labor dispute as defined by the Act, but rather a government seizure of private property during wartime - an extraordinary circumstance not contemplated by Congress when drafting it. Furthermore, he disagreed with their conclusion that federal courts could issue injunctions in such cases without following procedures outlined in Norris-LaGuardia. Rutledge also criticized the majority's decision to hold union leaders personally liable for violating an injunction they believed to be unlawful; he maintained this would have chilling effects on free speech and assembly rights protected under First Amendment. Lastly, he expressed concern about potential misuse of judicial power if courts were allowed to punish individuals based solely on their organizational affiliations or leadership roles within those organizations.