American Chain & Cable Co. v. United Steelworkers of America

74 Pa. D. & C. 590, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 111
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County
DecidedFebruary 16, 1950
Docketno. 5
StatusPublished

This text of 74 Pa. D. & C. 590 (American Chain & Cable Co. v. United Steelworkers of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Chain & Cable Co. v. United Steelworkers of America, 74 Pa. D. & C. 590, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 111 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1950).

Opinion

Valentine, P. J.,

The controlling legal question presented is whether section 9 of the Act of June 2, 1937, P. L. 1198, which prohibits the granting of any restraining or temporary injunction in any case involving or growing out of a “labor dispute” until after designated findings have been made, is applicable to the present case. The amending Act of June 9, 1939, P. L. 302, provides that the earlier act shall not apply in any case (a) involving a labor dispute “which is in disregard, breach, or violation of, or which tends to procure the disregard, breach, or violation of, a valid subsisting labor agreement arrived at between an employer and the representatives designated or selected by the employes for the purpose of collective bargaining.”

Plaintiff contends that the refusal of its employes to work was in violation of the terms of a contract of employment between it and defendant union, and that the action of the employes in picketing and refusing to work amounts to a breach and violation of such labor agreement. The officers and members of the local union assert that there is no valid subsisting labor agreement between plaintiff company and the members of the union.

If plaintiff’s position is correct, the proper basis for an injunction exists: Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp. v. [592]*592United Steelworkers of America et al., 353 Pa. 420; Westinghouse Electric Corporation v. United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, etc., 353 Pa. 446; Wilbank et ux. v. Chester and Delaware Counties Bartenders, 360 Pa. 48. On the other hand, if defendants’ contention is well founded, no injunctive relief should be granted.

Before the taking of testimony on the motion to continue the preliminary injunction, defendants’ counsel moved to dissolve the injunction for the reason that the bill was defective. At the time fixed for argument an amended bill, correcting the defects complained of, was allowed to be filed. The question of the sufficiency of the original bill is now unimportant, for even if the conclusion was reached that it formed an insufficient basis for the granting of a preliminary injunction, the amended bill would justify the granting of a new injunction, if the evidence warranted such action.

We conclude, therefore, that the case should be disposed of on the merits. The essential facts are not seriously controverted, and may be summarized as follows:

Individual defendants are employed at the West Pittston plant of plaintiff company and are members of Local Union No. 4150 of the United Steelworkers of America. The application for membership in this organization was in the following form:

“I hereby request and accept membership in the United Steelworkers of America and of my own free will hereby authorize the United Steelworkers of America, its agents or representatives, to act for me as a collective bargaining agency in all matters pertaining to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment, and to enter into contracts with my employer covering all such matters, including contracts which may require the continuance of my [593]*593membership in the United Steelworkers of America as a condition of my continued employment.”

On September 1, 1948, a written agreement was entered into “between the Automotive and Aircraft Division, American Chain & Cable Co., Inc., West Pitts-ton, Pa. Plant, and the United Steel Workers of America, C. I. 0. on behalf of itself and the members of Local Union #4150.”

This contract was signed by Philip Murray, international president, USA-CIO; Van A. Bittner, international assistant president, USA-CIO; James G. Thimmes, international assistant president, USA-CIO; David J. McDonald, international secretary-treasurer, USA-CIO; C. B. Newell, district representative, USA-CIO; Thomas J. Cann, district representative, USA-CIO; Francis J. Noone, president, local union, USA-CIO; John F. Gates, secretary, local union, USA-CIO, 4150; Joseph J. Moran, chairman of negotiating committee, USA-CIO, 4150; E. W. Van Inwegen, plant manager, American Chain & Cable Co., West Pittston plant, and provided, inter alia:

“The terms and conditions of this agreement shall continue in effect for a period of one year until September 1st, 1949, provided, however, sixty days prior to September 1st, 1949, either party may notify the other of a desire to meet in conference in W. Pittston, Pa., within 30 days following such notice the parties shall meet for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of new agreement.”

On August 25, 1949, a supplemental or extension agreement was executed between the American Chain & Cable Company (automotive and aircraft division) (hereinafter referred to as the company) and the United Steelworkers of America, CIO (hereafter referred to as the union), which provided:

“The agreement dated Sept. 1, 1948, between the Company and the Union is hereby extended from and [594]*594after Sept. 1, 1949 until modified or until terminated by either party with 15 days written notice to the other party.”

This agreement was signed as follows:

“C. B. Newell, Director District #9, USA-CIO; Thomas J. Cann, Staff Representative #9, USA-CIO; David J. Williams, Jr., Chairman, Local Union #4150, USA-CIO;' John F. Gates, Recording Sec’y., Local Union, #4150, USA-CIO; Girard Donnelly, Grievance Committee Chairman, Local Union #4150, USA-CIO; E. W. Van Inwegen, American Chain & Cable Co., Inc.”

In November 1949 a strike occurred in the Page Steel and Wire Division of plaintiff company’s plant, located at Pittsburgh. In effecting a settlement of this strike it was agreed that contracts, similar to the one executed for that plant, should be entered into for each of the other plants of plaintiff company. The agreement, in settlement of the strike at Pittsburgh, was entered into on November 17,1949, and was signed by Philip Murray, international president, for the union, and the manager of the Pittsburgh Plant, for the company. Following the execution of this contract, the understanding that identical contracts would be entered into for the different plants of plaintiff company was confirmed in writing by E. J. Williams, vice president, in charge of production for plaintiff company, and Philip Murray, international president for the union. An agreement, dated December 8, 1949, covering the employes at the West Pittston plant, was prepared. This contract, which was never executed by any one, contained lines for the signatures of the following:

Philip Murray, international president, USA-CIO; Van A. Bittner, international assistant president, USA-CIO; James G. Thimmes, international assistant president, USA-CIO; David J. McDonald, interna[595]*595tional secretary-treasurer, USA-CIO; C. B. Newell, district representative, USA-CIO; Thomas J. Cann, district representative, USA-CIO; president local union, USA-CIO, 4150; secretary, local union, USA-CIO, 4150; chairman of negotiating committee, USA-CIO, 4150, and American Chain & Cable Co., West Pittston plant, E. W. Van Inwegen, plant manager.

On December 15, 1949, Thomas J. Cann, staff representative of the United Steelworkers of America, CIO, wrote David Williams, president of Local Union 4150, as follows:

“This is to advise you that the contracts have been received from Mr. Van Inwegen, on the old age pension and social insurance, for your signature and the signature of the official family.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 Pa. D. & C. 590, 1950 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-chain-cable-co-v-united-steelworkers-of-america-pactcomplluzern-1950.