722 ees. Opinion of the Court. compensation agreement, might work for their own advantage on the premises of another." Walling v. Portland Terminal Co., 330 U. S. 148, 152, decided February 17, 1947. In the same opinion, however, we pointed out that "This Act contains its own definitions, comprehensive enough to require its application to many persons and working relationships which, prior to this Act, were not deemed to fall within an employer-employee category." 330 U. S. 148, 150. We have said that the Act included those who are compensated on a piece rate basis. United States v. Rosenwasser, 323 U. S. 360. We have accepted a stipulation that station "redcaps" were railroad employWilliams v. Jacksonville Terminal Co., 315 U. S. 386, 391. There may be independent contractors who take part in production or distribution who would alone be responsible for the wages and hours of their own employees. See United States v. Silk, supra; compare Roland Electrical Co. v. Walling, 326 U. S. 657; Martino v. Michigan Window Cleaning Co., 327 U. S. 173. We conclude, however, that these meat boners are not independent contractors. We agree with the Circuit Court of Appeals, quoted above, in its characterization of their work as a part of the integrated unit of production under such circumstances that the workers performing the task were employees of the establishment. Where the work done, in its essence, follows the usual path of an employee, putting on an "independent contractor" label does not take the worker from the protection of the Act. The District Court was of the view that: 8 "The right to contract is not only an inherent right but a constitutional right, and independent contracts, as a method of quantity production of 8 See Walling v. American Needlecrafts, 139 F. 2d 60; United States v. Vogue, Inc., 145 F. 2d 609; Walling v. Twyeffort, Inc., 158 F. 2d 944. boned beef, have not been uncommon in the packing business, generally. . . . The plan under which boners share equally in the boning money is commonly employed in Kansas City and elsewhere, and most of the boners who have worked in the Kaiser plant have worked at various times and in various plants under independent contractors. There is nothing inequitable in the sharing method under which compensation is divided equally among the group. It gives each man an interest in the amount of work being done by the other members of the group. It also gives no advantage to the man who is boning the fleshier parts of the carcass. Under this plan beginners and casual boners can be equitably taken care of by payment on an hourly basis out of the boning money." We think, however, that the determination of the relationship does not depend on such isolated factors but rather upon the circumstances of the whole activity. Viewed in this way, the workers did a specialty job on the production line. The responsibility under the boning contracts without material changes passed from one boner to another. The premises and equipment of Kaiser were used for the work. The group had no business organization that could or did shift as a unit from one slaughterhouse to another. The managing official of the plant kept close touch on the operation. While profits to the boners depended upon the efficiency of their work, it was more like piecework than an enterprise that actually depended for success upon the initiative, judgment or foresight of the typical independent contractor. Upon the whole, we must conclude that these meat boners were employees of the slaughtering plant under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We therefore affirm the conclusion to that effect of the Circuit Court of Appeals and modify the direction of the judgment of that court "for the entry of a judgment substantially as prayed," so as to leave the District Court free to frame its decree in accordance with this decision. It is so ordered. MEXICAN LIGHT & POWER CO., LTD. v. TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY CO. CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS. No. 404. Argued February 6, 1947. Decided June 16, 1947. Goods destined for export by rail to Mexico were shipped from the point of origin over a series of connecting carriers under a bill of lading issued by the initial carrier and covering the shipment to the point of export on the Mexican border, the transportation charges being prepaid to that point. The last connecting carrier in the United States issued a new bill of lading which purported to cover the shipment to its ultimate destination in Mexico, but received no payment for transporting the goods other than its share of that paid to the initial carrier under the original bill of lading. Held: Under the Carmack Amendment, the second bill of lading was void and the last connecting carrier in the United States is not liable for injuries to the goods incurred on a Mexican railroad between the border and their ultimate destination in Mexico. 733-735. 145 Tex. 50, 193 S. W. 2d 964, affirmed. Pp. A Texas state court denied a judgment against an American connecting railroad for injuries sustained on a Mexican railroad to goods exported from the United States. The Texas Court of Civil Appeals reversed. 190 S. W. 2d 838. It was reversed by the Supreme Court of Texas. 145 Tex. 50, 193 S. W. 2d 964. This Court granted certiorari. 329 U. S. 697. Affirmed, p. 735. Charles W. Bell argued the cause for petitioner. With him on the brief was Carl G. Stearns. John P. Bullington argued the cause and filed a brief for respondent. MR. JUSTICE FRANKFURTER delivered the opinion of the Court. This is an action to recover damages for injury to goods in the course of an export shipment by rail. The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company delivered to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in Sharon, Pennsylvania, goods ultimately destined for the Mexican Light and Power Company. According to the bill of lading issued by the Pennsylvania Railroad the goods were consigned to The Mexican Light & Power Co. Ltd., c/o Fausto Trevino, Customs Agent, (National Railways of Mexico). The destination was Laredo, Texas, with the further notation "For Export to: El Oro, Estado de Mexico via Acambaro via Laredo." The transportation charges were prepaid at the export rate, less than the domestic, and they covered shipment not merely into Laredo but up to the international boundary. The Texas-Mexican Railway was the last of the series of connecting carriers over which the machinery was routed by the Pennsylvania. The former, having received the shipment at Alice, Texas, continued the carriage to its yards at Laredo. At Laredo, there was issued to Fausto Trevino, the agent, what formally appears to be a bill of lading consigning the shipment to petitioner at El Oro. 731 Opinion of the Court. The record is silent as to the circumstances that brought this document into existence, but it is admitted that the respondent received no payment for transporting the goods other than its share in the export rate prepaid to the Pennsylvania under the Sharon bill of lading. Trevino did use the second bill of lading for clearing the shipment with the Mexican customs, but there is no showing that the first bill of lading would not have served as documentation for this purpose. The respondent railroad then moved the goods, still in the original cars, from its yards to the international boundary. There, the shipment passed to the National Railways of Mexico and it was on its lines, in Mexico, that the machinery was injured. Petitioner brought this suit in one of the district courts of Texas. Judgment went for the railroad. The Texas Court of Civil Appeals reversed, 190 S. W. 2d 838, but was in turn reversed by the Supreme Court of Texas. 145 Tex. 50, 193 S. W. 2d 964. We granted certiorari, 329 U. S. 697, because important issues affecting the carrier's liability under the Interstate Commerce Act were pressed upon us. On full consideration of the case it falls within a very narrow compass. The goods consigned to Laredo moved on the bill of lading issued at Sharon with the indicated connections, including the Texas-Mexican. By virtue of the Carmack Amendment, 34 Stat. 584, amended, 38 Stat. 1196, that bill of lading determines the rights of the consignee. While each connecting carrier is, of course, liable for damage occurring on its line, only the initial carrier is liable for damage on any of the connections. Unless, therefore, the Texas-Mexican Railway was an initial carrier with reference to the Mexican Railroad it cannot be responsible for injuries on that road. And it did not become an initial carrier merely by force of what purported |