Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty Imageson Thursday ruled in favor of a concrete company in Washington state seeking to revive a lawsuit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters alleging that a strike damaged its product.
Barrett, one of the court's six conservatives, wrote that a state court was wrong to dismiss the claims at such an early stage in proceedings based on its concern that the claims conflicted with the National Labor Relations Act , a federal law that protects union activity. Organized labor advocates had raised concern that a ruling in favor of the company could stifle strike actions by putting unions on the hook for a broad range of potential losses employers can face a result of such activities.
Jackson pointed to the fact that the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint after the state court ruling, charging the company with unfair labor practices and saying that the drivers' actions were "arguably protected."