PITTSBURGH (Aug. 27, 2013) — After action by the United Steelworkers (USW) union, the U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Va., issued an injunction on Aug. 23 against a Virginia trucking firm over a contractual agreement.
The USW said the court has cited Covington, Va.-based Team Carriers for failing to live up to its contractual obligation to require the company that is taking over its business to hire its USW employees and bargain with the union.
Citing a seldom-used legal doctrine known as a reverse Boys Market injunction, the USW said it has successfully enjoined Team Carriers from directly or indirectly selling any of its trucking equipment to Garten Trucking LC. The sale was scheduled for Aug. 26.
That sale is now on hold, according to the USW, pending arbitration over whether Team Carriers was contractually required to condition sale of the equipment upon Garten's hiring of the USW-represented employees as well as its recognition of the USW as the workers' bargaining representative. Team Carriers' loss of MeadWestVaco's trucking business to Garten precipitated the equipment sale.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard said "nobody should ever underestimate the depth of our union's commitment to protect our hard-working members. We dedicated the resources necessary to go into a court of law and prevail.
"And we were more than able and willing to post a bond for $250,000 to secure the injunction."
The USW represents some 850,000 members in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean in a range of industries including metals, mining, rubber, paper and forestry, oil, healthcare, security, hotels, municipal governments and agencies.
The union recently concluded contract negotiations with Bridgestone Americas, Goodyear and Michelin North America Inc.