Complete Auto Transit, Inc. v. Chauffeurs, Teamsters & Helpers Local Union No. 414

848 F. Supp. 836, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3798, 1994 WL 111426
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedJanuary 19, 1994
DocketNo. 1:93-cv-302
StatusPublished

This text of 848 F. Supp. 836 (Complete Auto Transit, Inc. v. Chauffeurs, Teamsters & Helpers Local Union No. 414) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Complete Auto Transit, Inc. v. Chauffeurs, Teamsters & Helpers Local Union No. 414, 848 F. Supp. 836, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3798, 1994 WL 111426 (N.D. Ind. 1994).

Opinion

ORDER

WILLIAM C. LEE, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on plaintiffs, Complete Auto Transit, Inc. (hereinafter: Complete), Motion for Summary Judgment filed on December 10, 1993. Complete asks this court to vacate an arbitration decision and award issued by a Board of Arbitration (hereinafter: the Board) on October 7, 1993, that determined a class grievance filed by defendant, Chauffeurs, Teamsters and Helpers Local Union No. 414, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (hereinafter: the Union), was meritorious. The Union filed its Answer, Counterclaim and Motion for Summary Judgment on December 10, 1993. The Union asks the court to uphold the decision and award of the Board. For the following reasons, Complete’s Motion for Summary Judgment will be denied, and the Union’s Motion for Summary Judgment will be granted.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). However, Rule 56(c) is not a requirement that the moving party negate his opponent’s' claim. Fitzpatrick v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, 916 F.2d 1254, 1256 (7th Cir.1990). Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery, against a party “who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and in which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The standard for granting summary judgment mirrors the directed verdict standard under Rule 50(a), which requires the court to grant a directed verdict where there can be but one reasonable conclusion. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A scintilla of evidence in support of the non-moving party’s position is not sufficient to successfully oppose summary judgment; “there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the plaintiff.” Id. at 252, 106 S.Ct. at 2512; In re Matter of Wildman, 859 F.2d 553, 557 (7th Cir.1988); Klein v. Ryan, 847 F.2d 368, 374 (7th Cir.1988); Valentine v. Joliet Township High School District No. 204, 802 F.2d 981, 986 (7th Cir.1986). No genuine issue for trial exists “where the record as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party.” Juarez v. Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., 957 F.2d 317, 322 (7th Cir.1992) (quoting Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986)).

Initially, Rule 56 requires the moving party to inform the court of the basis for the motion, and to identify those portions of the “pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admission on file, together with the affidavits, if any, which demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2553. The non-moving party may oppose the [840]*840motion with any of the evidentiary materials listed in Rule 56(c), but reliance on the pleadings alone is not sufficient to withstand summary judgment. Goka v. Bobbitt, 862 F.2d 646, 649 (7th Cir.1988); Guenin v. Sendra Corp., 700 F.Supp. 973, 974 (N.D.Ind.1988); Posey v. Skyline Corp., 702 F.2d 102, 105 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 960, 104 S.Ct. 392, 78 L.Ed.2d 336 (1983). In ruling on a summary judgment motion the court accepts as true the. non-moving party’s evidence, draws all legitimate inferences in favor of the non-moving party, and does not weigh the evidence or the credibility of witnesses. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249-251, 106 S.Ct. at 2511. Moreover, “[i]t is a gratuitous cruelty to parties and their witnesses to put them through the emotional ordeal of a trial when the outcome is foreordained” and in such cases summary judgment is appropriate. Mason v. Continental Illinois Nat’l Bank, 704 F.2d 361, 367 (7th Cir.1983).

Substantive law determines which facts are material; that is, which facts might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Id. 477 U.S. at 248,106 S.Ct. at 2510. Irrelevant or unnecessary facts do not preclude summary judgment even when they are in dispute. Id. The issue of fact must be genuine. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), (e). To establish a genuine issue of fact, the non-moving party “must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. at 1356; First National Bank of Cicero v. Lewco Securities Corp., 860 F.2d 1407, 1411 (7th Cir.1988). The non-moving party must come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. A summary judgment determination is essentially an inquiry as to “whether the evidence presents a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 251-252, 106 S.Ct. at 2512.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The essential facts are not in dispute. Complete is a Michigan corporation with its principal office and place of business located in Troy, Michigan. Complete is a major automobile carrier engaged in the transportation of new automobiles to dealers across the country. Complete operates a terminal facility in Roanoke, Indiana.

The Union is the exclusive bargaining representative for Complete’s garage employees at Complete’s Roanoke, Indiana, terminal facility. Complete and the Union are parties to a collective bargaining agreement which includes the National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement and the Central and Southern Conference Area Supplemental Agreements (collectively, the Collective Bargaining Agreement or “CBA”).

Complete opened its Roanoke, Indiana, facility in January 1987. From August 1987, to June 1991, Complete’s garage employees worked in two shifts at the Roanoke facility.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Textile Workers v. Lincoln Mills of Ala.
353 U.S. 448 (Supreme Court, 1957)
United Steelworkers v. Enterprise Wheel & Car Corp.
363 U.S. 593 (Supreme Court, 1960)
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. v. Livingston
376 U.S. 543 (Supreme Court, 1964)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
William J. Klein v. Lawrence Ryan and Frank Lombardo
847 F.2d 368 (Seventh Circuit, 1988)
Vincent Goka v. Paul Bobbitt, Officer, Acting Sergeant
862 F.2d 646 (Seventh Circuit, 1988)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
848 F. Supp. 836, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3798, 1994 WL 111426, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/complete-auto-transit-inc-v-chauffeurs-teamsters-helpers-local-union-innd-1994.