American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees v. State

263 N.W.2d 643, 200 Neb. 171, 1978 Neb. LEXIS 666, 98 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2882
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1978
Docket41179 and 41180
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 263 N.W.2d 643 (American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees v. State, 263 N.W.2d 643, 200 Neb. 171, 1978 Neb. LEXIS 666, 98 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2882 (Neb. 1978).

Opinions

White, C. Thomas, J.

This is an appeal from a Court of Industrial Relations’ determination that the Department of Roads is subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Industrial Relations; that the department should be divided into two separate units for bargaining purposes, namely, a construction unit and a maintenance unit; and, finally, that the Court of Industrial Relations has authority to order a run-off election when neither of the two organizations seeking to represent [173]*173the units received a majority of the votes cast, al-. though a majority voted to be represented.

The State argues that sections 48-801 et seq., R. R. S. 1943, are unconstitutional insofar as they might apply to the Department of Roads.

The Department of Roads is not one of the executive departments named in Article IV, section 1, of the Nebraska Constitution. It was created by the Legislature, sections 81-701.01 et seq., R. R. S. 1943, and designated as an executive department pursuant to Article IV, section 1, and Article IV, section 27, of the Nebraska Constitution.

The State directs our attention to three related provisions of the Nebraska Constitution. Article II, section 1, reads: “The powers of the government of this state are divided into three distinct departments, the legislative, executive and judicial, and no person * * * shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, * * *.”

Article IV, section 1, states: “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the heads of the various executive * * * departments shall have power to appoint and remove all subordinate employees * *

Article IV, section 6, provides: “The supreme executive power shall be vested in the Governor, who shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed and the affairs of the state efficiently and economically administered.”

The State argues that the exercise of the executive power will be hampered by the action of the Court of Industrial Relations because the decisions of the court will infringe on the right of the various departments to hire and fire subordinates. We shall discuss this contention later.

The constitutional justification for the creation of the Court of Industrial Relations and its jurisdiction over governmental bodies and their employees has been the subject of litigation before this court on a number of occasions.

[174]*174In School Dist. of Seward Education Assn. v. School Dist. of Seward, 188 Neb. 772, 199 N. W. 2d 752, the major issue was whether the Court of Industrial Relations violated the separation of powers provision of Article II, section 1, Constitution of Nebraska. A divided court determined that it did not, and affirmed. The rationale of the majority was that Article XV, section 9, providing: “Laws may be enacted providing for the investigation, submission and determination of controversies between employers and employees in any business or vocation affected with a public interest, * * *. An Industrial Commission may be created for the purpose of administering such laws, and appeals shall lie to the Supreme Court * * was intended to be an exception to Article II of the Constitution of Nebraska. (Emphasis supplied.) By implication the majority suggested that the phrase “employees in any * * * vocation affected with a public interest” included employees of the State of Nebraska. In two separate dissenting opinions, three judges of this court disagreed with that interpretation. Judge Clinton, in his dissent, said: “There would, however, seem to be no question that the Legislature may enact independently of Article XV, section 9, labor legislation applicable to public employees, but in so doing the provisions of Article II on the separation of powers must be observed.” The Department of Education is not an executive department, but exists pursuant to present Article VII, sections 1 through 13, of the Constitution. The constitutional grant is dependent upon implementing legislative action. School Dist. No. 8 v. State Board of Education, 176 Neb. 722, 127 N. W. 2d 458.

In Orleans Education Assn. v. School Dist. of Orleans, 193 Neb. 675, 229 N. W. 2d 172, this court again passed on the constitutionality of the Court of Industrial Relations against the assertions that sections 48-818 et seq., R. R. S. 1943, delegated judicial pow[175]*175ers to an administrative body in violation of Article II, section 1, and Article V, section 1, of the Nebraska Constitution, and that the act further delegated legislative authority in violation of Article III, section 1. Judge Clinton, writing for the majority, held that the jurisdiction of the Court of Industrial Relations is limited to clearly legislative concerns and the power to establish rates and conditions of employment in accordance with the standards prescribed by the act are not unconstitutional as violative of the last above-cited Articles of the Nebraska Constitution.

The majority opinion in Orleans Education Assn. v. School Dist. of Orleans, supra, proceeding from the rationale set out in Judge Clinton’s dissent in School Dist. of Seward Education Assn. v. School Dist. of Seward, supra, declined to base its holding on Article XV, section 9. Relying on Dwyer v. Omaha-Douglas Public Building Commission, 188 Neb. 30, 195 N. W. 2d 236, the court held: “The Legislature has plenary legislative authority except as limited by the state and federal Constitutions.” Finding no barriers in the state and federal Constitutions subjecting the employees of the Orleans School District to the jurisdiction of the Court of Industrial Relations, and, finding no unlawful delegation of legislative and judicial power, the court affirmed. The majority, however, noted that since the Legislature had plenary power and control over school districts, “ ‘ * * * it follows, by the enactment of L.B. 15, Laws 1969, chapter 407, page 1405 (section 48-810, R. R. S. 1943), it was exercising that control.’ ” See, also, School Dist. of Seward Education Assn. v. School Dist. of Seward, supra.

Judge Newton dissented, in Orleans, suggesting that an implied restriction existed in the state Constitution by reason of the deliberate refusal of the drafters to include employees of the government within the provisions of Article XV, section 9, Consti[176]*176tution of Nebraska. Judge Boslaugh concurred in the result without an opinion.

In American Fed. of S., C. & M. Emp. v. Department of Public Institutions, 195 Neb. 253, 237 N. W. 2d 841, the court, in a Per Curiam plurality opinion, again upheld the constitutionality of sections 48-801 et seq., R. R. S. 1943, against an assertion that Article II, section 1, and Article IV, section 1, Constitution of Nebraska, prohibited the exercise of the power, granted to the Court of Industrial Relations, to certify a bargaining agent within the department. The Per Curiam opinion found that the words at the beginning of Article IV, section 1, “ ‘Subject to the provisions of this Constitution * * */ ” qualified the power of the executive department in light of Article IV, section 19, which provides: “ ‘The general management, control and government of all state charitable, mental, reformatory, and penal institutions shall be vested as determined by the Legislature.’ ” (Emphasis supplied.) This court further said: “By delegating the actual day-by-day administration to the Department of Public Institutions, the Legislature did not lose its constitutionally mandated power

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American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees v. State
263 N.W.2d 643 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1978)

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Bluebook (online)
263 N.W.2d 643, 200 Neb. 171, 1978 Neb. LEXIS 666, 98 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2882, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-federation-of-state-county-municipal-employees-v-state-neb-1978.