Gotham Logistics, Inc. v. Local 917 International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Plaintiffs, Gotham Logistics, Inc., Bestway Services, Inc., and Bestway Logistics Transportation, Inc., trucking companies, initiated an action against Defendant Local 917 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and its Secretary-Treasurer under the Labor Management Relations Act, alleging an unfair labor practice and tortious interference with contract. The dispute arose after the Union negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement with SWS, an employer of the plaintiffs' services, leading SWS to hire more in-house unionized employees and consequently reducing its need for plaintiffs' external trucking services. Plaintiffs argued this constituted an unlawful secondary boycott. The court, presided over by District Judge Wexler, granted the Defendants' motion to dismiss, finding the Union's actions to be lawful primary activity directed at SWS concerning its own employees, rather than an unlawful secondary boycott aimed at the plaintiffs. As the federal claim was dismissed, the court declined to exercise jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims, dismissing the entire action.