June 8, 2023
The Supreme Court ruled last Thursday against striking workers who conspired to damage their employer’s property, the latest setback for organized labor at the high court and one that could make unions more liable for economic losses attributable to work stoppages.
The Court’s 8-1 opinion held that the actions of striking truck drivers at Glacier Northwest concrete company in Washington state were not protected by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Drivers walked off the job at Glacier after their trucks had been filled with wet concrete causing a mad scramble to protect the trucks and dispose of the rapidly hardening material.
The NLRA requires unions to take reasonable precautions to protect an employer’s property when workers go on strike. In this case, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote, “the Union took affirmative steps to endanger Glacier’s property … the NLRA does not arguably protect its conduct.”
If you have any questions about this or any other employment law matter, please contact Dean Leazenby or any of the other attorneys at Warrick & Boyn, LLP.