Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union

336 F. Supp. 1149, 79 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2051, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10258, 67 Lab. Cas. (CCH) 12,364
District Court, N.D. Illinois·Decided December 22, 1971·No. 69 C 2401·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

PERRY, District Judge.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND DECREE

This cause comes on for final judgment; and the Court, having heard the evidence and considered the briefs and arguments of counsel, hereby makes its findings of fact and conclusions of law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff Chicago and North Western Railway Company is a corporation engaged in the transportation by rail of passengers and freight in interstate commerce and a “carrier” within the meaning of Section One (1) of the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. § 151) and will hereinafter be referred to as “CNW”. At the time of the commencement of this action the CNW consisted *1151 of separate corporations which had been merged into the CNW as districts thereof; the CNW Railroad Company as it existed prior to such mergers had become known as the “CNW, Proper”; the former Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad Company had become the “Omaha District” of the CNW; the former Milwaukee & St. Louis Railroad Company had become the “M & St. L.” District of the CNW; the former Litchfield & Madison Railroad Company had become the “L & M” District of the CNW and the former Chicago Great Western Railroad Company became the Missouri District of the CNW in August 1969.

2. Prior to January 1, 1969 the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen was a voluntary union labor organization and the representative under the Railway Labor Act of train and yard service employees of some of the CNW and some of the other railroads which were merged into and became districts of the CNW; the Order of Railway Conductors & Brakemen was the representative under the Railway Labor Act of some train service employees of the CNW and other railroads which were merged into the CNW and the Switchmen’s Union of North America was the representative under the Railway Labor Act of yard service employees of railroads which were merged into the CNW. Each of those labor organizations was represented on each such railroad by separate General Chairmen and separate collective agreements which existed between each such General Chairman and each such railroad with respect to rates of pay, rules and working conditions were retained after such railroads were merged into and became districts of the CNW. On January 1, 1969 the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Order of Railway Conductors & Brakemen and the Switch-men’s Union of North America were merged into and became a part of Defendant United Transportation Union which became a party to each separate collective agreement theretofore existing between the separate railroads and the several labor organizations as the representatives of employees of the CNW and the other railroads which were merged into and have become districts of the CNW.

3. The Award of Arbitration Board 282 which was made in pursuance of Public Law 88-108, 45 U.S.C. § 157 (1971 Supp.) became effective June 24, 1964 for a period of two years. It prohibited changes in main line crews consisting of a conductor and two trainmen in road service but did authorize changes in main line crews consisting of a conductor and either more than two or less than two trainmen. It also authorized changes in branch line and yard crews irrespective of the number of persons theretofore employed in such crews. Px 1, p. 14 paragraph A(2), A(3). It also provided for the arbitration of disputes not resolved by agreement with respect to the number of persons to be employed in crews in which changes were authorized in accordance with certain specified guide lines; one of which was “practices regarding the consist of crews in comparable situations where such practices are not in dispute”. Px 1, pp. 15-19. It also provided for protection of the employment of certain persons. Px 1, 19-20.

4. The CNW employs a total of 808 crews; 245 in main line service, passenger, or through freight service; 165 in branch line or local or way freight service and 398 in yard service. The Award of Arbitration Board 282 did not authorize any reduction in the 245 main line crews, although it did authorize changes in the branch line and yard crews, 67 main line crews, 52 branch line crews and 102 yard crews for a total of 221 crews were not subject to reduction under the law of Wisconsin. Thus, at the commencement of the dispute involved in this case there were a total of 587 crews employed by CNW outside the State of Wisconsin; 178 in main line passenger or through freight service, 113 in branch line or way freight service and 296 in yard service.

*1152 5. Under the Award of Arbitration Board 282 CNW had obtained authority to employ a conductor and less than two trainmen in 72 out of a total of 113 branch line or way freight and local service which were employed outside the State of Wisconsin and to reduce to a foreman and less than two helpers 143 out of a total of 296 yard crews employed outside the State of Wisconsin, or a total of 215 crews and yard crews which were employed outside the State of Wisconsin. Tr. 220-224, 258, 289, 326-327, 353, 368, S.Tr. 226-233.

6. In July 1965 in pursuance of Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act the Union served on the CNW notice of its desire for an agreement to become effective on January 25, 1966, the day following the expiration of the Award of Arbitration Board 282, to provide for a minimum crew consist of not less than a conductor and two or in some instances three trainmen in all road service and of not less than a foreman and two helpers in yard service. Px 9, 10, Tr. 89, 226-227.

7. CNW refused to meet, confer, discuss or negotiate with the Union with respect to the Union’s notices, on the ground they were legally ineffective, (J. R. Wolfe Aff. p. 11, Tr. 230,) after which, on October 4, 1965 the National Mediation Board, hereinafter “NMB”, assumed jurisdiction of the dispute arising from the Union’s notices, J. R. Wolfe Aff. p. 12.

8. On December 24, 1965 in pursuance of Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act, CNW served notice on the union of its desire for an agreement for CNW to have the unrestricted right to determine when and if trainmen should be used in each crew in road and yard service and if used, the number and classification of employees to be used and for the elimination of all contrary agreements, rules, regulations and practices. Px 12.

9. CNW also proposed that if no agreement should be reached that the dispute arising from the union’s July 1965 and CNW’s December 1965 notices be referred by the unions’ representatives on the CNW to a committee to be established by the union to handle those notices concurrently with other notices served by the union and by other railroads on the union for further handling on a national basis with a committee representing the railroads. Px 12.

10. The unions’ representatives on the CNW met with representatives on CNW on January 18, 1966, discussed CNW’s notice but declined to discuss the union’s notice concurrently with and declined to agree to refer the dispute to a national committee to be handled on a national basis concurrently with committees representing the CNW and other railroads which had served the same notice on the union in December 1965.

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Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union, 336 F. Supp. 1149, 79 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2051, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10258, 67 Lab. Cas. (CCH) 12,364 (N.D. Ill. 1971).

336 F. Supp. 1149 (Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. United Transportation Union) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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