Donnell v. General Motors Corp.

665 F. Supp. 748, 44 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 691, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6844
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedJuly 28, 1987
DocketNo. 84-3002C(6)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 665 F. Supp. 748 (Donnell v. General Motors Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Donnell v. General Motors Corp., 665 F. Supp. 748, 44 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 691, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6844 (E.D. Mo. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

GUNN, District Judge.

This action brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seq., was tried to the Court sitting without a jury. The Court, having considered the pleadings, the testimony and evidence presented by the parties at trial, and the applicable law, now enters judgment for defendants and makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law as required by Rule 52, Fed.R.Civ.Pro.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Most of the facts are not in dispute. The following findings of fact are intended to resolve any differences, based on the credible evidence presented at trial:

1. Plaintiff is a black male, first employed by defendant General Motors Corporation (GM) in 1966 at its Shell plant in St. Louis where he worked into 1970. In 1970, plaintiff commenced working at GM’s St. Louis Chevrolet Motor Division plant.

2. During all times pertaining to the matters which are the subject of this lawsuit, plaintiff was a member of defendant United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, Local 25 (U.A.W.). Local 25 of the U.A.W. specifically represents plaintiff and other workers in the production and maintenance unit employed at GM’s Chevrolet Motor Division plant in St. Louis as collective bargaining representative.

3. GM is an employer within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(b), and U.A.W. is a labor organization within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(b) and (e). All parties were bound by the terms of the collective bargaining agreements negotiated between GM and the U.A.W.

4. On April 29, 1971 plaintiff filed a charge of discrimination against GM with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), alleging employment discrimination in its apprenticeship program. This was followed by two additional charges with the EEOC against GM and U.A.W. In each case the EEOC issued a right-to-sue letter. Plaintiff then filed a complaint with the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, alleging employment discrimination'against GM' and discrimination by U.A.W. in its representation of him.

5. Judgment in the District Court action was in favor of defendants, Donnell v. General Motors Corp., 430 F.Supp. 668 (E.D.Mo.1977), but on appeal the judgment was reversed and remanded. Donnell v. General Motors Corp., 576 F.2d 1292 (8th Cir.1978). On remand, plaintiff was denied relief against defendants GM and U.A.W. Donnell v. General Motors Corp., 500 F.Supp. 176 (E.D.Mo.1980), aff'd, 676 F.2d 705 (8th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 844, 103 S.Ct. 97, 74 L.Ed.2d 88 (1982).

[750]*7506. During the pendency of the above litigation, on July 1, 1977, plaintiff filed further charges of discrimination against GM on the basis that he was denied light duty work in retaliation for his filing prior charges of discrimination. The EEOC issued a right-to-sue letter on those charges, but plaintiff did not bring suit in District Court.

7. On June 19,1984, plaintiff again filed charges with the EEOC alleging discriminatory denial of light duty work. The EEOC issued a right-to-sue letter and plaintiff filed the instant action on December 31, 1984.

8. Paragraph 72 of the National Agreement between GM and U.A.W. governs situations in which an employee is unable to perform his regular duties because of on-the-job injuries and seeks to do other work:

Any employee who has been incapacitated at his regular work by injury ... while employed by the Corporation, will be employed in other work on a job that is operating in the plant which he can do without regard to any seniority provisions of this Agreement, except that such employee may not displace an employee with longer seniority, provided, however, that by written agreement between Local Management and the Shop Committee; any such employee may be placed or retained on a job he can do without regard to seniority rules.

9. During 1972 and 1973 plaintiff’s union committeeman, William Huff, filed grievances at plaintiff’s behest alleging Paragraph 72 violations by GM in failing to provide light work assignments by reason of plaintiff’s disabilities. . The grievance procedures followed by Huff for plaintiff were in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

10. In 1972, during the course of processing plaintiff’s Paragraph 72 grievances, Huff accompanied plaintiff throughout the GM assembly plant and indicated to him each of the various jobs and their requirements. Plaintiff was asked whether he could perform any of the work assignments, but he rejected each without any attempt at performance.

11. Plaintiff was then assigned the most unexacting job in the plant — sweeping with a broom. Plaintiff worked at the sweeping job for about 15 to 20 minutes, then left the plant without explanation to anyone. Plaintiff thereafter did not return to work.for several weeks.

12. From 1973 to 1977, plaintiff did no work for GM except for eighty-five hours in 1973 and three hours in 1974. In 1977, plaintiff performed in a variety of jobs for GM. Acknowledging that it was easy to do, plaintiff next worked primarily at putting grease on car doors on the assembly line. His working time in 1977 was 1700 hours. This continued until a board fell off a shelf and struck him on the neck and shoulders. Plaintiff again claimed time off for injury. When he returned he refused to work, asserting that he was afraid that another board might fall on him. In January 1978, plaintiff was again assigned light duty work, including a job which required him only to sit and observe as an inspector. He left the plant after being given the inspector’s work and did not return to work again.

Since January 1978 plaintiff has not sought or received any light duty work, and he has not returned to work.

13. Plaintiff has been unable to identify any employee performing any light duty job who has less seniority than he.

14. U.A.W. representatives have fully and to the best of their ability processed each grievance filed by plaintiff.

Workers’ Compensation and Disability Pension Claims

15. On January 27, 1972, plaintiff contended that he was injured on the job at GM, and on June 2, 1972, he filed a workers’ compensation claim. GM disputed the claim, asserting that the injuries were not work-related but were the result of previous non-work accidents. The U.A.W. was not a party to the workers’ compensation proceedings.

16. Over ten years later, on November 24, 1982, the Missouri Administrative Law Judge issued an award which plaintiff appealed to the Missouri Labor and Industrial [751]*751Relations Commission. The award was affirmed by the Commission. Plaintiff appealed, first to the Missouri Circuit Court, then to the Missouri Court of Appeals, both of which affirmed the award. The final decision was rendered on March 19, 1985 without opinion.

17.

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Related

Donnell v. General Motors Corp
873 F.2d 1445 (Eighth Circuit, 1989)

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Bluebook (online)
665 F. Supp. 748, 44 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 691, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6844, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/donnell-v-general-motors-corp-moed-1987.