Associated Builders and Contractors, which champions companies' rights to run non-union shops, says a federal court ruling for a Georgia company is a solid victory over unions that run "bannering" campaigns at contractors' job sites.

"The merit shop construction industry won a victory" in a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling March 29 that upheld a lower court's $1.7 million damage award to Fidelity Interior Construction of Suwanee, Ga., and against the Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council.

"Fidelity submitted ample evidence that the union picketed with an unlawful purpose when the union threatened to picket or continued to picket neutral employers until they promised to stop working with Fidelity," the three-judge panel's opinion said.

Fidelity's award included money it argued that it would not have a chance to make because the union's campaign scared off potential customers.