Court Opinion

ID: 9450949
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:01:17.564279+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:30.235696
License: Public Domain

BURGER, Circuit Judge
(dissenting) :
I dissent because the Court declines to reach the central issue which brings this case here, i. e., whether Congress authorized the Secretary of Labor to fix more than one minimum wage for an industry covered by the Walsh-Healey Act. Rather than reach this central issue the Court remands the problem to the Secretary to ask the reasons why the Secretary fixed two minima, rather than one. Since the Court remands to ask the Secretary his reasons for two minima rather than one it might be well to inquire whether three, five or seven minima are, in the Secretary’s view, permissible under the Act.
This central question is not a “speculative” or “abstract question” as the majority suggests; on the contrary it is the only reason why the case is here. The Secretary’s argument that the purposes of the Walsh-Healey Act would be frustrated as to some industries by establishing a single minimum wage rate demonstrates what he thinks the appeal involves. If the Secretary does not have the challenged power under the statute our inquiry as to his reasons is irrelevant and we ought not temporize on an important issue which inevitably will return here for decision.