Spielberg Doctrine Law and Legal Definition
Spielberg Doctrine is a principle of Labor law. It is a policy of the National Labor Relations Board to defer to an arbitrator's decision regarding a contract dispute provided the arbitrator's decision is not repugnant to the National Labor Relations Act, the arbitration proceedings provided a fair hearing, and the contract is one that requires binding arbitration. The standard was set in the case, Spielberg Mfg. Co., 112 NLRB Dec. (CCH) 86 (1955) where the Board announced its policy of dismissing an unfair labor practice complaint in deference to an arbitration award already rendered, provided the arbitral procedures were fair and the award was not repugnant to the policies of the Labor Act. The doctrine was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in several cases, noting that the Board has discretion to respect an arbitration award and that arbitration of disputes contributes to industrial peace and stability.
