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Supreme Court · Decisions

Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation et al. v. Secretary of Labor

471 U.S. 290 · No. 83-1935 · 1984 term · Burger Court

Decided Apr 23, 1985 · argued Mar 25, 1985

Unions · Fair Labor Standards Act

Majority opinion: Byron White

The voteMajority

9–09 in the majority, 0 in dissent

No dissent (9–0)

Affirmed. Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation et al. lost.

What this ruling means

Affirmed: the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, so it stands (sometimes with changes the Court made to it).

Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation et al. was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Lost” means the Court did not give that side the result it asked for.

From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.

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Summary

The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.

Wikipedia has no article on this case, so there is no summary.

Data notes

The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.

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How the justices voted

Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 1984 term. Filled: the 9 in the majority. Hollow: the 0 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.

More liberalMore conservativeMedianMarshallBrennanStevensBlackmunPowellWhiteO'ConnorBurgerRehnquist

Majority(9)

Dissent(0)

  • None.
Data notes

Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.

Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.

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The parties

Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.

Petitioner
Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation et al.Religious organization, institution, or person
Respondent
Secretary of LaborDepartment or Secretary of Labor
Reached the Court by
Certiorari (the Court chose to hear it)
Data notes

The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.

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The law at issue

The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.

Provision
Fair Labor Standards
Kind of law
Federal Statute
Decided by
Statutory construction
Data notes

The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.

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Timeline

What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.

  1. Apr 23, 1985DecidedDecided · Decided 9–0: affirmed. Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation et al. lost.
  2. Mar 25, 1985ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
  3. Not datedTaken upTaken up · The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case (certiorari).
  4. Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit: affirmed.
  5. Not datedBeganBegan · The case began in the Arkansas Western U.S. District Court.
Data notes

From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.

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Other decisions on the same issue

57 other argued cases since 1946 on fair Labor Standards Act, newest first.

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  10. Michael Shane Christopher, et al., Petitioners v. Smithkline Beecham Corporation dba Glaxosmithkline567 U.S. 142Jun 18, 2012 · 567 U.S. 142Unions5–45–4 band

  11. Kevin Kasten, Petitioner v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation563 U.S. 1Mar 22, 2011 · 563 U.S. 1Unions6–27–2 band

  12. Long Island Care at Home, Ltd., et al. v. Evelyn Coke551 U.S. 158Jun 11, 2007 · 551 U.S. 158Unions9–0Unanimous band
  13. Ibp, Inc. v. Gabriel Alvarez, Individually and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, et al.546 U.S. 21Nov 8, 2005 · 546 U.S. 21Unions9–0Unanimous band
  14. Edward Christensen, et al. v. Harris County, et al.529 U.S. 576May 1, 2000 · 529 U.S. 576Unions6–36–3 band

  15. Francis Bernard Auer, et al. v. David A. Robbins et al.Landmark · Administrative law519 U.S. 452Feb 19, 1997 · 519 U.S. 452Unions9–0Unanimous band

  16. Lynwood Moreau, etc., et al. v. Johnny Klevenhagen, Sheriff, Harris County, Texas, et al.508 U.S. 22May 3, 1993 · 508 U.S. 22Unions9–0Unanimous band
  17. McLaughlin, Secretary of Labor v. Richland Shoe Co.486 U.S. 128May 16, 1988 · 486 U.S. 128Unions6–36–3 band
  18. Citicorp Industrial Credit, Inc. v. Brock, Secretary of Labor483 U.S. 27Jun 22, 1987 · 483 U.S. 27Unions7–27–2 band
  19. Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority et al.Landmark · Federalism469 U.S. 528Feb 19, 1985 · 469 U.S. 528Unions5–45–4 band

  20. National League of Cities et al. v. Usery, Secretary of Labor426 U.S. 833Jun 24, 1976 · 426 U.S. 833Unions5–45–4 band

  21. Falk et al. v. Brennan, Secretary of Labor414 U.S. 190Dec 5, 1973 · 414 U.S. 190Unions5–45–4 band
  22. Employees of the Department of Public Health and Welfare of Missouri et al. v. Department of Public Health and Welfare of Missouri et al.411 U.S. 279Apr 18, 1973 · 411 U.S. 279Unions8–18–1 band
  23. Brennan, Secretary of Labor v. Arnheim & Neely, Inc., et al.410 U.S. 512Feb 28, 1973 · 410 U.S. 512Unions8–18–1 band
  24. Maryland et al. v. Wirtz, Secretary of Labor, et al.392 U.S. 183Jun 10, 1968 · 392 U.S. 183Unions6–27–2 band
  25. Idaho Sheet Metal Works, Inc. v. Wirtz, Secretary of Labor383 U.S. 190Feb 24, 1966 · 383 U.S. 190Unions9–0Unanimous band
  26. Goldberg, Secretary of Labor, v. Whitaker House Cooperative, Inc., et al.366 U.S. 28Apr 24, 1961 · 366 U.S. 28Unions6–36–3 band
  27. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. H. B. Zachry Co.362 U.S. 310Apr 4, 1960 · 362 U.S. 310Unions5–45–4 band
  28. Arnold v. Ben Kanowsky, Inc.361 U.S. 388Feb 23, 1960 · 361 U.S. 388Unions8–18–1 band
  29. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. Robert Demario Jewelry, Inc., et al.361 U.S. 288Jan 18, 1960 · 361 U.S. 288Unions6–36–3 band
  30. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. Kentucky Finance Co., Inc., et al.359 U.S. 290Apr 20, 1959 · 359 U.S. 290Unions8–0Unanimous band
  31. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. Lublin, McGaughy & Associates et al.358 U.S. 207Jan 12, 1959 · 358 U.S. 207Unions7–27–2 band
  32. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. Bekins Van & Storage Co.352 U.S. 1027Mar 11, 1957 · 352 U.S. 1027Unions6–27–2 band
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  36. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. Myrtle Grove Packing Co.350 U.S. 891Nov 14, 1955 · 350 U.S. 891Unions9–0Unanimous band
  37. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, v. C. W. Vollmer & Co., Inc.349 U.S. 427Jun 6, 1955 · 349 U.S. 427Unions6–27–2 band
  38. Maneja et al. v. Waialua Agricultural Co., Ltd.349 U.S. 254May 23, 1955 · 349 U.S. 254Unions6–36–3 band
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  40. United States v. Binghamton Construction Co., Inc.347 U.S. 171Mar 8, 1954 · 347 U.S. 171Unions9–0Unanimous band
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  55. Levinson v. Spector Motor Service330 U.S. 649Mar 31, 1947 · 330 U.S. 649Unions6–36–3 band
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Data notes

Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.

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Official record

Read the full opinion on Justia and the argument audio on Oyez. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.