On Oct. 3, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear the case Glacier Northwest, Inc v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which will determine if employers can sue unions over damage to their property.
In June, ABC joined the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and four other employer organizations in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to request review of the Washington Supreme Court’s decision in Glacier Northwest, which stated that the National Labor Relations Board preempts state tort suits, allowing unions and their supporters to intentionally destroy an employer’s property while claiming to be engaged in protected concerted activity.
The brief states that the decision “leaves employers without a remedy for the intentional destruction of their private property” and “encourages the intentional destruction of employer property.” The brief also states that the decision “upsets the balance of power in labor disputes in favor of unions willing to engage in lawless acts and against law-abiding businesses,” and will result in harm to local communities and workers. The CDW and the other organizations argued that the Washington ruling conflicts with past U.S. Supreme Court precedents and rulings issued by multiple federal circuits and state high courts.
Continue to monitor Newsline for updates on this case.