Justices to Mull Labor Law Preemption of Property Damage Claims

The US Supreme Court agreed to review whether federal labor law overrides common-law claims against unions for allegedly destroying employers’ property during labor disputes.

The justices on Monday granted ready-mix concrete supplier Glacier Northwest Inc.’s request to overturn a Washington Supreme Court ruling that threw out the company’s tort claims against an International Brotherhood of Teamsters affiliate. The company accused the union of coordinating with truck drivers to time their strike so mixed concrete would harden and go to waste.

The case deals with the boundaries of National Labor Relations Act preemption under the Supreme Court’s 1959 decision in San ...