Airlines Stewards & Stewardesses Ass'n v. Caribbean Atlantic Airlines, Inc.

289 F. Supp. 841, 69 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2375, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8666
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedSeptember 23, 1968
DocketCiv. No. 585-68
StatusPublished

This text of 289 F. Supp. 841 (Airlines Stewards & Stewardesses Ass'n v. Caribbean Atlantic Airlines, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Airlines Stewards & Stewardesses Ass'n v. Caribbean Atlantic Airlines, Inc., 289 F. Supp. 841, 69 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2375, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8666 (prd 1968).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

HIRAM R. CANCIO, Chief Judge.

This cause came to be heard upon a verified complaint requesting the issuance of a temporary restraining order, [843]*843thereafter a preliminary injunction, and finally a permanent injunction.

Plaintiff, a labor organization, claims that defendant on or about September 9, 1968 unilaterally changed the open time scheduling provisions of the existing collective bargaining agreement by assigning flights, rather than offering them, on the basis of seniority.

Plaintiff sought relief from this Court under Title 28 U.S.C. Section 1337, and under the Railway Labor Act, Title 45 U.S.C. Sections 151 through 188.

A temporary restraining order was issued by the Court on September 11, 1968, and a hearing was to be held on September 20, 1968. The order enjoined and restrained defendant from changing the manner and method of scheduling the “open time” flights as was in existence prior to September 9, 1968.

Defendant filed an Answer to the Complaint and a Motion for Dissolution of Temporary Restraining Order. The hearing on this motion and the hearing scheduled originally for September 22, 1968 was advanced and held on September 16, 1968.

Defendant raised in its motion for dissolution of the temporary restraining order technical and jurisdictional defenses. The technical defenses include that the complaint was not verified, that it shows no facts to establish immediate and irreparable injury, and that the plaintiff’s certification does not show valid grounds for not giving notice to defendant. The jurisdictional issues are as follows:

1. The Court lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter under the provisions of the Norris La Guardia Act, 29 U.S.C. Sections 101-115.

2. The temporary restraining order causes a change in the present operations of the defendant since defendant’s operations have not changed since or before September 9, 1968.

3. The grievance and arbitration procedures of the collective bargaining agreement provide an adequate remedy for the actions complained of by plaintiff.

4. The defendant is willing to submit the merits of the controversy to arbitration, and damages, if any, can be subject to monetary calculations.

5. The issuance of the temporary restraining order causes irreparable damages to defendant.

Testimonial and documentary evidence was produced for both sides, and the Court, being duly advised, makes the following:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff is a labor organization and local Union of the Transport Workers of America, AFL-CIO, and represents the Stewardesses employed by defendant, with its principal office located in Chicago, Illinois.

2. Defendant, commonly referred to as CARIBAIR, is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with its principal office at the Internationl Airport, Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, and is a common carrier by air engaged in interstate commerce.

3. A collective bargaining agreement is now in effect between plaintiff and defendant, entered into in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, which agreement governs, among other items, rates of pay, rules and working conditions. Plaintiff’s Exhibit A.

4. The collective bargaining agreement incorporates a Flight Stewardesses Scheduling Policy Manual which provides for the method and manner for scheduling open time flights. “Open time” is defined in paragraph G of said Manual as “all flying which is not included in a bid run.” “Bid run” is defined in Section 2(f) of the contract as “a monthly assignment of flying.” Paragraph G of the Manual provides that “open time shall be offered in order of seniority to Flight Stewardesses,” and by virtue of paragraph 4G of said Manual, “open time shall be offered to stand-by in order of [844]*844seniority. Such open time flights shall be offered and posted on the daily schedule at least thirty (30) minutes before the schedule departure of the flight.” The term “stand-by duty” is defined in Section 2(i) to mean “the time during which the Company requires a flight stewardess to be available at the airport. Such stand-by duty will commence and end at the times designated by the Company.”

5. The Introduction to the Flight Stewardess Scheduling Policy Manual provides as follows: “Changes may be made with the mutual consent of ALSSA and the Company. The purpose is to provide a systematic and equitable method of scheduling Flight Stewardesses.” Section 26(J) of the contract reads:

The Stewardess Scheduling Manual shall be considered part of this Agreement. Changes or amendments may be made to the Stewardess Scheduling Manual at any time by written mutual agreement between the Airline Stewards and Stewardesses Association and the Company designated representative.”

6. Prior to September 1, 1968, the practice and procedure observed and followed by defendant in scheduling open time was to offer it to Stewardesses on stand-by duty on an individual flight basis according to seniority, and not on a group or package basis, and at least thirty minutes prior to departure of the flight. This practice followed and was in conformity with the contract and the manual. Starting on September 1, 1968, defendant changed that practice and procedure by assigning, rather than offering, open time on a group or package basis instead of on an individual basis. The end result was that a senior girl was unable to take individual flights if she refused to take the whole pattern of flights, as was the practice prevailing before September 1, 1968. This practice of take it' or leave it basis affected adversely the voluntary and optional choice that the stewardesses had to select individual flights at least 30 minutes before the departure of the flight.

7. On September 3, 1968, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the. plaintiff’s Local requested a meeting with Mr. Harry D. Bickford, Vice-President of Operations of defendant, to discuss the above indicated change. Mr. Bickford took the position that no change had been introduced to the open time scheduling policy. The Local’s union representatives contacted the plaintiff’s union headquarters in Chicago, and Mr. Frederick A. Simpson, a Vice-President, was sent to Puerto Rico to discuss the matter. The defendant held in abeyance the instituted changes until the parties discussed and negotiated the changed flying schedules. The negotiations produced no results and the defendant went ahead with the changes, making them permanently effective on September 9, 1968, as outlined in a memorandum circulated to the employees, which is contained in plaintiff’s Exhibit 2. As a result of the change, and subsequent to September 9, 1968, several senior stewardesses who refused to take the whole series of) open flights were prevented and unable to take individual open flights within the package and within thirty (30) minutes before departure of flight, since the defendant proceeded to assign the whole series of flights to less senior or junior stewardesses.

8. Both parties are willing to submit the issue to arbitration.

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Bluebook (online)
289 F. Supp. 841, 69 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2375, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/airlines-stewards-stewardesses-assn-v-caribbean-atlantic-airlines-inc-prd-1968.