American Airlines, Inc. v. Air Line Pilots Ass'n

187 F. Supp. 643, 46 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2989, 1960 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3637
District Court, N.D. Illinois·Decided September 15, 1960·No. No. 60 C 1162·Published

Opinion

LA BUY, District Judge.

This cause coming on to be heard on plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction, upon the pleadings, upon affidavits in support of the motion, an affidavit in opposition thereto, upon evidence received in open court and upon representations of respective counsel and it appearing that there is danger of immediate and irreparable injury being caused plaintiffs by defendants for which plaintiffs have no adequate administrative or legal remedy, and the Court finding:

(1) That for something more than 100 days immediately preceding this date employees, or former employees, of Southern Airways have conducted a strike against Southern Airways but not against plaintiffs or any of the airports which Southern Airways serves; that at various airports at which Southern Airways operates such striking Southern Airways employees or former employees have regularly engaged in patrolling at or in the immediate vicinity of the specific facilities such as ticket counters, loading ramps or gates, hangars, and office areas at the sundry airports which are used exclusively by Southern Airways or its prospective patrons, suppliers and other persons doing or desiring to do business with it; that at loading ramps or gates which are used intermittently by Southern Airways and other carriers such patrolling has been permitted and carried on during times such facility was being used by Southern Airways; that the evidence is convincing that except for instances in which pickets or patrolmen may have failed of their volition to so picket or patrol, no person has been able to do business with Southern Airways at any of the airports at which it customarily operates without coming into immediáte proximity with a picket carrying such banner or sign as has seemed suitable to the striking employees or ex-employees advising of the existence or of the asserted facts involved in the dispute between such employees or former employees and Southern Airways; that the evidence is fully convincing that should the strike continue indefinitely such patrolling -or picketing and giving of publicity -to the existence of, or the facts asserted in, the dispute between Southern Airways and its employees or ex-employees will not be interfered with.

(2) That the evidence is fully convincing that defendants have no labor dispute with plaintiffs or any of them nor with the various municipal authorities or bodies corporate which operate or control the sundry airports named in the complaint.

(3) That commencing at least as early as June 20, 1960 and at various times thereafter defendants devised a plan or scheme by which they would “designate” all airports at which Southern Airways was certificated by the Civil Aeronautics Board to operate as “picketed airports”; that on September 9, 1960 defendants issued a written so-called recommendation to all members of Air Line Pilots Association that flights not be originated or terminated at any of the airports named in the complaint herein and that if members of Air Line Pilots Association were required to land or take off from one of such airports as an intermediate stop that he inform his employer that he would not land or take off from that airport, but would operate the remainder of his flight. The Court finds that unless defendants are enjoined the affected pilots will carry the said recommendation into effect and that the result thereof will be to terminate and bring to a stop (a) all commercial airline service into or out of and (b) use of the adjacent air spaces of the United States at, over and about airports located at Huntsville, Alabama, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dothan, Alabama, Albany, Georgia, - Panama City, Florida, Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, Monroe, Louisiana, Columbus, Georgia, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Meridian, Mississippi, Natchez, Mississippi, [645]*645Spartanburg, South Carolina, Valdosta, Georgia, Knoxville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, Charlotte, North Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, Memphis, Tennessee, New Orleans, Louisiana, save for flights operated by Southern Airways which, although the only employer disputant to a labor dispute will nevertheless continue to operate.

(4) That the said threatened course of conduct is tantamount, and would amount to a blockade by indirect means of the aforesaid airports to the air transportation for which they principally exist and is not the giving of publicity to the existence of or the facts involved in a labor dispute by means of advertising, speaking or patrolling within the meaning of 29 U.S.C.A. § 104(e). The Court further finds that to denominate or “designate” an entire airport as “picketed” when such is not and cannot lawfully be done is a method involving fraud within the meaning of said subsection.

(5) The said proposed and threatened course of conduct is contrary to the declaration of the Act (1949, 18 U.S.C. § 1304) that there is a public right of freedom of transit through navigable air space of the United States.

(6) That defendants have threatened knowingly and willfully to obstruct or retard the passage of the mail contrary to Title 18 U.S.C. § 1701.

(7) That defendants are threatening to, and unless enjoined will, interfere with plaintiffs’ duties to render service under their certificates of public necessity.

(8) That defendants’ threatened activities, unless restrained, will wreak incalculable damage upon innocent parties other than plaintiffs, in that all air mail traffic into or out of the Southeastern portion of the United States will be eliminated to the great detriment of the general public; that thousands of plaintiffs’ employees other than pilots will be involuntarily thrown out of work; that thousands of air travelers will be prevented from exercising their lawful rights of free movement to and from the Southeastern portion of the United States; and that the military bases served by plaintiffs will be adversely affected, and in particular defendants’ proposed stoppage of commercial air traffic at Huntsville, Alabama, airport would affect in a seriously adverse manner the missile program of the United States at Redstone Arsenal and related facilities.

(9) That defendants’ threatened course of conduct is not a major or minor dispute within the meaning of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C.A. § 151 et seq., but is a non-privileged threat to interfere with or induce breaches of the lawful performance of its pilot members’ contracts of employment with plaintiffs, and similarly to interfere with plaintiffs’ existing and potential contracts for the transportation of goods and passengers.

(10) That the allegations of fact of the complaint are true and the facts are as stated in the complaint.

(11) That the Court has jurisdiction of the cause and the parties.

Because of the foregoing findings the Court concludes that plaintiffs are entitled to the issuance of a preliminary injunction.

Wherefore, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed, until further order of the Court:

1. That the defendants, Air Line Pilots Association, International, C. N. Sayen, and D. J.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

American Airlines, Inc. v. Air Line Pilots Ass'n, 187 F. Supp. 643, 46 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2989, 1960 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3637 (N.D. Ill. 1960).

187 F. Supp. 643 (American Airlines, Inc. v. Air Line Pilots Ass'n) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related