Liberty Mutual Insurance v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

**Union Work Assignment Dispute** This case involved a conflict between two labor unions - Local 104 and Sheet Metal Workers Local 28 - over who should perform certain work at ACMAT Corporation. Local 104 threatened to pull their workers from other job sites to pressure the company into giving them work that was being done by Sheet Metal Workers Local 28. The Sheet Metal Workers union had an ownership interest in ACMAT Corporation. The court sided with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and enforced the National Labor Relations Board's decision against Local 104. The court ruled that Local 104 violated federal labor law by threatening work stoppages to force a change in work assignments. Local 104 had challenged the NLRB's decision by arguing that Sheet Metal Workers Local 28 shouldn't get the work because of their ownership stake in the company, but the court rejected this argument. **What this means for workers:** This ruling clarifies that unions cannot use threats or coercive tactics like work stoppages to grab work assignments from other unions. It helps ensure that work assignment disputes between unions are resolved through proper legal channels rather than disruptive tactics that could harm workers and workplaces.