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What is the significance of the Supreme Court case SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD v. NIEROTKO?

The case involved Joseph Nierotko, who was found by the National Labor Relations Board to have been wrongfully discharged from his job at the Ford Motor Company for union activity.

Nierotko was reinstated to his job and awarded "back pay" for the period he was wrongfully discharged, from February 2, 1937 to September 25, 1939.

The key issue was whether this "back pay" awarded under the National Labor Relations Act should be considered "wages" for the purposes of determining Nierotko's quarters of coverage under the Social Security Act.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Nierotko, holding that the "back pay" award should be considered "wages" under the Social Security Act.

The Court reasoned that the purpose of the Social Security Act was to provide benefits based on a worker's total wages earned, not just wages earned from actual work performed.

The Court rejected the Social Security Board's argument that "service" under the Social Security Act required the actual performance of work, finding this interpretation too narrow.

The decision expanded the definition of "wages" under the Social Security Act to include not just actual earnings, but also certain types of back pay awards.

This ruling was significant as it helped ensure that workers who were wrongfully terminated could still accrue quarters of coverage under Social Security based on their back pay awards.

The case highlighted the interplay between labor law statutes like the NLRA and social welfare programs like Social Security.

It established an important precedent that the scope of "wages" under the Social Security Act should be interpreted broadly to effectuate the Act's remedial purposes.

The decision has continued to be cited and relied upon in subsequent cases interpreting the scope of "wages" for Social Security purposes.

Overall, the Nierotko case was an important victory for workers' rights and the protection of Social Security benefits.

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