Barkley v. Lawrence County

35 Pa. D. & C.3d 491, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 32
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County
DecidedSeptember 30, 1982
Docketno. 23 of 1980
StatusPublished

This text of 35 Pa. D. & C.3d 491 (Barkley v. Lawrence County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barkley v. Lawrence County, 35 Pa. D. & C.3d 491, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 32 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

CAIAZZA, J.,

In September, 1972, Winifred Barkley commenced her employment with the County of Lawrence. Thereafter, on July 1, 1979, she was hired by the district attorney, Donald Williams, as an assistant county detective; formerly, she had worked in the office of the public defender of Lawrence County. The relevant negotiated agreement states that in all cases of promotions, demotions, transfers, shift scheduling, and filing of vacancies, or new positions, seniority shall be the primary factor.

It is undisputed here that the position of assistant county detective was not posted for bidding at the time Winifred Barkley was hired by the district attorney; likewise, it is undisputed that the negotiated labor agreement between the County of Lawrence and the Laborer’s District Counsel of Western Pennsylvania, Local Union 964, which is the bar[493]*493gaining agent for certain employees of the Lawrence County Courthouse, does not expressly require that the position of assistant county detective be placed for bid before the job is awarded. However, it appears that although the requirement of a posted bid was not reduced to the written negotiated contract, it has been discussed during labor negotiations; and, through custom, has become an accepted practice within each individual office, separate and apart from any other office, with seniority being the criteria upon which the job was awarded. Again, seniority was practiced in each individual office separate and apart from each and every other pertinent office, again, simply by custom. Here, there apparently was another employee in the district’s attorney’s office who expressed a desire to bid on the position of assistant county detective.

On October 2, 1979, Lawrence County Commissioner, John A. Meehan, Jr., who was then chairman of the board of commissioners, forwarded a letter to plaintiff, informing her that she was not to work as the assistant county detective because she was hired directly by the district attorney in violation of the labor agreement and since the job was not placed for bid and awarded pursuant to the seniority provisions of the negotiated contract. Contrarily, the district attorney took the position that he had the power, by law, to appoint the assistant county detective. However, Winified Barkley continued to work in the position of the assistant county detective until October 18, 1979. On February 20, 1980, she tendered her formal resignation from the position of assistant county detective; she never received any compensation for the services which she rendered for the County of Lawrence.

By virtue of the power vested in him by the Act of July 28, 1953, P.L. 723, 16 P.S. §4440, the district [494]*494attorney has the right to appoint and control assistant county detectives. The detectives receive a salary fixed by the county board and “[S]hall be paid out of the treasury of the county on a certificate issued by the District Attorney directed to the controller of the County.” (Emphasis added.) See 16 P.S. §4440(c).

Pennsylvania courts have maintained that the District Attorney has the power to appoint and remove county detectives. In Hartshorn, et al v. Allegheny County, et al., 9 Pa. Commw. 132, 304 A.2d 716 (1973), appellees were appointed and served as county detectives for Allegheny County.1 There, the county detectives notified the Allegheny County Commissioners of their desire to engage in collective bargaining as provided in Act III.2 The county ignored the request and the defendant-appellees filed a complaint in mandamus seeking to compel the appellants to arbitrate. The county countered by stating that the application of Act III to the county detectives would divest the district attorney of control of his staff. The court held that control of the county detectives is vested in the district attorney pursuant to the authority derived from 16 P.S. §4440(b) and the negotiated contract can only require the district attorney to implement charges involving the terms and conditions of their employment.

Likewise, the court in Wood v. Rubino, 24 Chester Co. Rep. 250 (1976) recognized the district attorney’s power to appoint assistant detectives. “[Mjany elected county office holders . . . have appointment and personnel powers that are fixed by [495]*495statute and past judicial decision; e.g., the district attorney . . . those officials clearly have a right to be heard on matters involving their own offices and employees.” Id at 251.

In Fischer v. Rzymek, 15 Pa. Commw. 105, 324 A.2d 836 (1974), Judge Rodgers considered the question as to whether the Public Employee Relations Act, Act 170, July 23, P.L. 563, would permit the inclusion of provisions in a labor contract which were either inconsistent or violative of the provisions of other existing statutes.

There, the district attorney contended that the contract provisions of the negotiated agreement were contrary and in derogation of the powers vested in him by the Act of 1955, August 9, P.L. 323, §1440, 16 P.S. 1440. Interestingly, Article XII, B and C provided for the posting and bidding by employees for vacant positions and the filling of such vacancies by a senior qualified employee. Also, plaintiffs had been assured by one or more of the county commissioners that they would be consulted during the negotiations for a contract regarding any provision that would affect the employees of their respective offices.

In Fischer, supra, the court held that the Public Employee Relations’ Act, supra, does not permit the inclusion of provisions in a labor contract which are inconsistent with or violative of an existing statute. Also, the court held that the plaintiffs had sufficiently met their burden for the issuance of a prehminary injunction in that they were employers who may not be excluded from negotiating a new contract with respect to the employees of their offices. In so holding, the court in Fischer cited Sweet v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, 457 Pa. 456, 322 A.2d 362 (1974), which was filed July 16, 1974. The Fischer case was argued on June 3, 1974, and [496]*496the retraining order was issued on August 6, 1974.

In Sweet v. PLRB, (Sweet I), 12 Pa. Commw. 358, 316 A.2d 665 (1974), certain judges appealed a final order involving the question of who was the “employer” under Act 195 of the employees in the separate county offices, including the office of the district attorney. The court held that the judges were public employers of court-related employees and in dicta said, “[N]or may the provision of any such contract abrogate or alter existing statutory law authorizing judges or courts to employ particular personnel or otherwise prescribe their powers and duties.” Id at 365. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed the Commonwealth’s Court decision in Sweet v. PLRB, 457 Pa. 456, 332 A.2d 362 (1974). There, the court said, “The duty to pay any employee’s salary is often coincident with the status of employer but not solely determinative of that status,” citing Rodgers v. Washington County Institute District, 349 Pa. 357, 37 A.2d 610 (1944), 322 A.2d at 635. Therefore, the court held the judges were, “[A]t least an employer of some of the employees included in the bargaining unit comprised of court-related employees.” (Emphasis in original.) 322 A.2d 365 (1974). The court also maintained that the question of who employs a group of employees is not determined by Act 195, 43 P.S. §1101.101 et seq. 322 A.2d at 364. .

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Bluebook (online)
35 Pa. D. & C.3d 491, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barkley-v-lawrence-county-pactcompllawren-1982.