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Democracy NowNov 26, 2022
SCOTUS Deals Blow to Unions in Truckers Strike Case
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The Facts
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Thursday ruled 8-1 against truck drivers who went on strike while their vehicles were full of wet concrete. The lawsuit involved Washington's ready-mix concrete seller Glacier Northwest and a local affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
The ruling overturns that of a lower court which, referring to the right to strike enshrined in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), found in favor of the truckers and blocked Glacier Northwest's lawsuit against the union.
The Spin
Right narrative
This ruling sets a precedent that unions can't evade responsibility for taking deliberately harmful actions. Had SCOTUS ruled against Glacier Northwest, the court would've been granting immunity to union bosses from state lawsuits, even when ordering the deliberate destruction of property.
Left narrative
SCOTUS' decision is the latest in a string of cases suppressing the right to organized labor. The ruling risks opening unions to a barrage of lawsuits from employers, effectively stifling union freedoms and eventually bankrupting workers.
