steelworkers american mfg argued april decided june suit labor management relations act compel arbitration dispute pursuant collective bargaining agreement providing arbitration disputes parties meaning interpretation application provisions agreement function confined ascertaining whether party seeking arbitration making claim face governed contract business weighing merits grievance considering whether equity particular claim determining whether particular language written instrument support claim pp reversed david feller argued cause petitioner brief arthur goldberg elliot bredhoff james clowes carney layne john carriger argued cause respondent brief john fletcher harold humphreys opinion justice douglas announced justice brennan suit brought petitioner union district compel arbitration grievance petitioner acting one sparks union member filed respondent sparks employer employer defended ground sparks estopped making claim days previously settled workmen compensation claim company basis permanently partially disabled sparks physically able work type dispute arbitrable collective bargaining agreement question agreement provided term strike unless employer refused abide decision arbitrator agreement sets detailed grievance procedure provision arbitration regarded standard form disputes parties meaning interpretation application provisions agreement agreement reserves management power suspend discharge employee cause also contains provision employer employ promote employees principle seniority ability efficiency equal sparks left work due injury work brought action compensation benefits case settled sparks physician expressing opinion injury made permanently partially disabled september two weeks later union filed grievance charged sparks entitled return job virtue seniority provision collective bargaining agreement respondent refused arbitrate action brought district held sparks accepted settlement basis permanent partial disability estopped claim seniority employment rights granted motion summary judgment appeals affirmed different reasons reviewing evidence held grievance frivolous patently baseless one subject arbitration collective bargaining agreement case writ certiorari section labor management relations act stat final adjustment method agreed upon parties hereby declared desirable method settlement grievance disputes arising application interpretation existing agreement policy effectuated means chosen parties settlement differences collective bargaining agreement given full play state decision held contrary announced principle crippling effect grievance arbitration case international assn machinists app div aff held meaning provision contract sought arbitrated beyond dispute anything arbitrate contract said provide arbitration app lower courts instant case like preoccupation ordinary contract law collective agreement requires arbitration claims courts might unwilling entertain context plant industry grievance may assume proportions judges ignorant yet agreement submit grievances arbitration merely may deem meritorious exception strike clause none therefore read grievance clause since one quid pro quo question whether mind equity claim arbitration stabilizing influence serves vehicle handling disputes arise agreement collective agreement calls submission grievances categories describes irrespective whether may deem meritorious role developing meaningful body law govern interpretation enforcement collective bargaining agreements think special heed given context collective bargaining agreements negotiated purpose intended serve see lewis benedict coal function limited parties agreed submit questions contract interpretation arbitrator confined ascertaining whether party seeking arbitration making claim face governed contract whether moving party right wrong question contract interpretation arbitrator circumstances moving party deprived arbitrator judgment judgment connotes bargained courts therefore business weighing merits grievance considering whether equity particular claim determining whether particular language written instrument support claim agreement submit grievances arbitration merely deem meritorious processing even frivolous claims may therapeutic values part plant environment may quite unaware union claimed case company violated specific provision contract company took position violated clause therefore dispute parties meaning interpretation application collective bargaining agreement arbitration ordered judiciary undertakes determine merits grievance guise interpreting grievance procedure collective bargaining agreements usurps function regime entrusted arbitration tribunal reversed justice whittaker believing district lacked jurisdiction determine merits claim parties validly agreed submit exclusive jurisdiction board arbitrators textile workers lincoln mills concurs result opinion justice black took part consideration decision case footnotes disputes misunderstandings differences grievances arising parties meaning interpretation application provisions agreement adjusted herein provided may submitted board arbitration decision arbitrator may interpret agreement apply particular case consideration shall however authority add subtract modify terms agreement disputes relating discharges matters might involve loss pay employees may carry award back pay whole part may determined board arbitration decision board arbitration shall final conclusively binding upon parties parties agree observe abide management works direction working force plant layout routine work including right hire suspend transfer discharge otherwise discipline employee cause cause infraction company rules inefficiency insubordination contagious disease harmful others ground reason tend reduce impair efficiency plant operation lay employees lack work reserved company provided conflict agreement provision provides relevant part company union fully recognize principle seniority factor selection employees promotion transfer filling vacancies ability efficiency equal policy company promote employees basis cf structural steel ornamental iron assn shopmens local union supp employer sued breach strike agreement see new bedford defense products division local cox current problems law grievance arbitration rocky mt rev writes typical arbitration clause written words cover without limitation disputes concerning interpretation application collective bargaining agreement words restrict scope meritorious disputes disputes still less limited disputes judge consider frivolous cases often taken expected taken arbitration one man considers frivolous another may find meritorious common knowledge industrial relations circles grievance arbitration often serves safety valve troublesome complaints circumstances seems proper read typical arbitration clause promise arbitrate every claim meritorious frivolous complainant bases upon contract objection equity order party useless act outweighed cathartic value arbitrating even frivolous grievance dangers excessive judicial intervention join opinions nos add word nos two cases issue concerns enforcement one promise promise arbitrate context agreement dealing particular subject matter industrial relations employers employees promises contained collective bargaining agreements beside point unless terms arbitration promise made relevant interpretation emphasize arbitration promise contract parties free make promise broad narrow wish compulsion law requiring include promises agreement meaning arbitration promise found simply reference dictionary definitions words parties use reference interpretation commercial arbitration clauses words collective bargaining agreement rightly viewed charter instrument system industrial like words statute understood reference background gave rise inclusion therefore avoids prescription inflexible rules enforcement arbitration promises guidance given identifying various considerations take account construing particular clause considerations milieu clause negotiated national labor policy particularly underscored arbitral process collective bargaining presupposes parties wanted informed judgment arbitrator precisely reason judges provide therefore asked enforce promise arbitrate ordinarily refrain involving interpretation substantive provisions contract sure since arbitration creature contract must always inquire party seeks invoke aid force reluctant party arbitration table whether parties agreed arbitrate particular dispute sense question whether dispute arbitrable inescapably examining arbitration clause may conclude commits arbitration dispute difference disagreement controversy nature character finding exhausted function except order reluctant party arbitration similarly although arbitrator may empowered interpret apply contract parties may provided dispute whether particular claim within arbitration clause arbitrator without must send dispute arbitrator parties agreed construction arbitration promise arbitrator reluctant party breached promise refusing submit dispute arbitration american deals request enforce standard form arbitration clause one provides arbitration ny disputes misunderstandings differences grievances arising parties meaning interpretation application agreement since arbitration clause part agreement might argued dispute meaning clause arbitrator rejects position saying threshold question meaning arbitration clause judge unless parties clearly state contrary however finds meaning standard clause simply parties agreed arbitrate dispute moving party asserts involve construction substantive provisions contract dispute necessarily involve construction issue warrior case essentially different american whether company agreed arbitrate particular grievance contrast american however arbitration promise excludes particular area arbitration matters strictly function management arbitration promise different scope inquiry may broader may required examine substantive provisions contract ascertain whether parties provided contracting shall function management may delve merits extent inquiring whether parties expressly agreed whether contracting function management error lower evaluate evidence bargaining history purpose neat logical distinctions provide answer rightly concludes appropriate regard national labor policy special factors relevant labor arbitral process admonish judicial inquiry merits grievance limited search explicit provision brings grievance cover exclusion clause since exclusion clause vague arbitration clause quite broad hazard going merits amply demonstrated courts basis inconclusive evidence courts found warrior way limited implied covenants good faith fair dealing contracting pleased necessarily mean warrior free completely destroy collective bargaining agreement contracting work ambiguity warrior exclusion clause suggests parties generally concerned arbitrator render decisions meaning contract restricting arbitrator jurisdiction case might course otherwise arbitration clause narrow exclusion clause quite specific inference might permissible parties manifested greater interest confining arbitrator presumption arbitrability force somewhat freer examine merits makes reference arbitration clause quid pro quo clause understand mean application principles announced today depends upon presence clause agreement justice frankfurter joins observations opinion applies also steelworkers america warrior gulf navigation post steelworkers america enterprise wheel car post