Supreme Court Hearing to Focus on Suits Over Damage From Strikes

A Washington state concrete company will try to convince the US Supreme Court to let employers sue unions for alleged intentional destruction of property during strikes, a move that could chill organized labor’s use of a key tactic to gain leverage over management.

The justices will question lawyers during oral argument Tuesday about whether to overturn a Washington Supreme Court ruling that threw out Glacier Northwest Inc.’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.