The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Jan. 19 in a case involving a dispute between construction materials company Graniterock Co. and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The case centers on whether a company may sue a third party—in this case, an international union—that was not a signatory to a collective-bargaining agreement but waged a strike against the company. Graniterock, a Watsonville, Calif., supplier of rock, concrete and other materials, claims the Teamsters’ international union unlawfully interfered with the collective-bargaining agreement Graniterock had established with Teamsters Local 287.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the company’s claim in 2008, and Graniterock appealed. The Associated General Contractors has filed an amicus brief in the case, supporting Graniterock. AGC General Counsel Mike Kennedy says, “Construction contractors need to be able to rely on the terms and conditions of the collective-bargaining agreement that they have negotiated and not risk third-party interference.”