Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Altshuler

361 F. Supp. 1293, 5 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1105, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13417, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8992
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMay 31, 1973
DocketCiv. A. 72-3410
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 361 F. Supp. 1293 (Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Altshuler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Altshuler, 361 F. Supp. 1293, 5 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1105, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13417, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8992 (D. Mass. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

FREEDMAN, District Judge.

Introduction:

This matter was commenced before the Court on November 7, 1972 by virture of plaintiffs’ complaint requesting permanent injunctive relief against the defendants from soliciting bids or proposals in connection with the construction of a library, cafeteria, auditorium and classrooms for use by Boston State College, or in connection with any other public building construction contract *1295 which may include § IB of the contract drafted by the Commonwealth for the Boston State College project. Plaintiffs also seek a declaration that § IB of that contract is both unconstitutional and inconsistent with existing Massachusetts law for the following reasons: (1) it imposes on the contractor securing the bid for said contract obligations to have minimum minority manhour quotas without regard to qualifications and other requirements inconsistent with obligations under federal bid conditions and the federal equal employment opportunity clause found in all federally assisted construction programs, and therefore violates the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the Constitution of the United States; 1 (2) it requires the contractor to hire fixed minimum minority man-hour quotas in each job category without regard to qualifications and hence violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as well as Articles I, X and XII of the Declaration of Rights of the Constitution of Massachusetts; (3) it permits the imposition of sanctions upon the contractor without affording him notice and the opportunity to be heard and/or defend himself with the use of witnesses and making a record for review in violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Articles X and XII of the Declaration of Rights of the Constitution of Massachusetts; 2 (4) it vests in the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (hereinafter called MCAD) the power to summons records in connection with the employment practices of the contractors involved, and allows the imposition of sanctions without any specific finding by MCAD of an unlawful practice, and is thus in direct conflict with M.G.L. c. 15B and Articles X, XII, and XXX of the Declaration of Rights of the Massachusetts Constitution; 3 and (5) it requires bidders to agree to assess a backcharge of Vio of 1% of the filed subcontract award price against a noncomplying subcontractor in contravention of the Massachusetts Payments Statute (M.G.L. c. 30 § 39F). 4

The United Community Construction Workers, Inc. (a Massachusetts charitable corporation existing as a labor union representing workers in the construction trades and as an employment referral center for unemployed minority construction trades workers) and one Michael Williams (an unemployed black sheet rock worker and a member of United Community Construction Workers, Inc.) were allowed to intervene as defendants in this case on November 29, 1972. On December 15, 1972, the Court denied plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order, and at the same time, denied defendants’ motion to dismiss. It was also acknowledged at this time that the matter before the Court would not proceed further on temporary injunctive relief, but would proceed on the permanent injunction and the substantive legal challenges to § IB of the Boston State College Contract. On January 5, 1973 plaintiffs’ motion for protective order, seeking to prevent the taking of some 23 depositions of various trade union officials in the City of Boston, was denied by the Court. At that time, plaintiffs were given leave to file additional evidentiary materials after defendants’ final discovery materials were filed. Plaintiffs’ further motion to strike portions of affidavits already filed by the defendants was denied. Defendants’ latest affidavits^ of the 23 various labor unions previously mentioned were ordered filed by January 15, 1973.

Procedural Posture:

The question was raised during argument as to what procedural posture the *1296 Court was taking with regard to determining the issues raised in the case. The parties were unclear whether the case was proceeding under Rule 65(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure — i. e., by the Court considering an advancement of the trial on the merits and a consolidation with the hearing on the motion of an application for a preliminary injunction, (although it was agreed the application for a preliminary injunction would be bypassed) or whether the case was proceeding under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as a motion for summary judgment (although neither party had ever, in fact, filed a motion for summary judgment). This was clarified by the Court when it asserted that it was proceeding with the case as a civil non-jury ease and would consider all evidence submitted for purposes of deciding the controversy as to the legality of § IB of the Boston State Contract. On February 9, 1973 the plaintiffs and original defendants, Altshuler and Poitrast, filed a written stipulation in which they agreed that both parties had completed all evidence they wished to submit to the Court, that neither sought further opportunity to introduce evidence whether by testimony, deposition or affidavit, and that the case was ripe for the Court to make a determination on the merits. The stipulation was approved by the Court on February 15, 1973. On that day, defendant-intervenors filed a statement with the Court asserting that they had submitted all the evidence they wished to submit against plaintiffs’ position and, on the question of law at hand, there was no need for further evidence, and that the case was ripe for judgment at this time.

The parties, therefore, being in basic agreement as to the procedural status of the case, the Court moves along to consider the issues presented, and for that purpose submits its basic findings of fact and conclusions of law pertaining thereto.

Findings of Fact:

1. Plaintiff, Associate General Contractors of Massachusetts, Inc., is a Massachusetts corporation organized under the provisions of M.G.L. e. 180, with its usual place of business in Brookline, Massachusetts (hereinafter called the “Association”).

2. Said plaintiff Association is a membership corporation comprised of 145 general contracting firms which together perform approximately eighty (80) percent of all commercial, industrial and public building construction in Massachusetts.

3. Plaintiffs, E. C. Blanchard Co., Conti and Donahue, Inc., James Farina Corporation, Franchi Construction Co., Inc., Granger Bros., Inc., Loranger Construction Corporation, F. W. Madigan Company, Inc., Gerald E. McNally Construction Co., Inc., Northgate Construction Company, Inc., Park Construction Co., Inc., Vappi & Company, Inc., S. Volpe & Co., Inc.

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361 F. Supp. 1293, 5 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1105, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13417, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8992, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/associated-general-contractors-of-massachusetts-inc-v-altshuler-mad-1973.