District Court of the State of California, 4th District, 4th Civil No. 5592, Oct. 15, 1957. This case questions the legality of a "right to work" ordinance enacted by a municipality in a state where such legislation does not exist. The case in point, Walter L. Stephenson vs. the City of Palm Springs. California, was initially entered before the Superior Court of the State of California. The Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff that the City could not enforce the ordinance. The City thereupon appealed the decision to the District Court of Appeals, which sustained the lower court. Among the questions posed by the appellant were: may municipalities within the State of California enact right to work ordinances?, does the Taft-Hartley Act apply despite the fact that interstate commerce cannot be shown?, does the pre-emption of Sec 14(b) to state and territorial law apply to municipalities as well?, and can the ordinance be applied to employees dealing strictly in intrastate commerce? The answers to these questions are dealt with in depth throughout the testimony.
