Jun 1, 2023 - Majority Report - All Things SCOTUS - The Supreme Court ruled on
Thursday in favor of a concrete company that wanted to sue a union because a
strike cost them money. The 8-1 decision means that companies can now sue
unions for damages caused by strikes, even if those damages are not directly
caused by the union's actions.
The case involved Glacier Northwest Inc., a concrete company in Washington
state. In 2017, truck drivers for Glacier went on strike. The drivers left
wet concrete in their trucks, which hardened and rendered the concrete
unusable. Glacier sued the union, alleging that the drivers had
intentionally damaged the concrete.
The ruling is a major victory for companies and a major setback for unions.
The ruling could make it harder for unions to protect workers, and it could
make it more difficult for workers to win strikes.
The dissenting judge, Ketanji Brown Jackson, argued that the majority is
inserting itself into an assessment of labor disputes that is lawfully the
purview of the National Labor Relations Board, and that the court is
overstepping here.
Brown also argued that the court is putting the onus on workers and their
union, when it is actually incumbent on Glacier, the company, to take steps
to negotiate with the union and mitigate their losses.
The ruling is a reminder that the Supreme Court is increasingly hostile to
unions. The Court has a conservative majority, and it is likely to continue
to issue rulings that make it harder for unions to protect workers.
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