However, the decision is much better known today for its obiter dicta in which the Court said that an employer may hire strikebreakers and is not bound to discharge any of them if or when the strike ends. The Mackay doctrine, as the striker replacement portion of the ruling is known, is one of the most significant Supreme Court rulings in American labor law, and has defined collective bargaining in the United States since its publication. "Mackay Radio was more than a decision that provided an instrumental method for a firm to replace economic strikers and to resist their return to employment after a strike.
Today, the decision is better known for its dictum indicating that an employer can hire replacement workers without being required to terminate them if or when a strike ends. The Mackay principle, which deals with striker replacements in the ruling, is one of the most significant Supreme Court rulings in American labor law and has defined collective bargaining practices in the United States since it was issued. "Mackay Radio" went beyond merely providing a method for firms to replace economic strikers during a strike.