Legal Definitions - Machinists preemption

Machinists preemption is a legal doctrine that prohibits state regulation of an area of labor activity or management-union relations that Congress has intentionally left unregulated. This means that the federal government has the right to buy or purchase something before others, and this right can supersede or supplant any inconsistentstate law or regulation.

• If a state passes a law that regulates the wages of machinists, but Congress has intentionally left this area unregulated, the law will be preempted by the federal government.
• If a state passes a law that conflicts with a federal law, the federal law will preempt the state law.

These examples illustrate how the federal government has the power to preempt state laws in certain areas, including labor relations and management-union activities.