El Mundo, Inc. v. Puerto Rico Newspaper Guild, Local 225

346 F. Supp. 106, 81 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2597
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedJune 20, 1972
DocketCiv. 167-72
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 346 F. Supp. 106 (El Mundo, Inc. v. Puerto Rico Newspaper Guild, Local 225) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
El Mundo, Inc. v. Puerto Rico Newspaper Guild, Local 225, 346 F. Supp. 106, 81 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2597 (prd 1972).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

TOLEDO, District Judge.

This is an action for injunctive relief and damages filed by plaintiffs, a newspaper publisher and certain individuals, 1 against defendant labor organization, pursuant to Sections 1983 and 1985. of Title 42, United States Code and their jurisdictional counterpart, Section 1343 of Title 28, United States Code. The aforesaid remedies are sought on the alleged basis that defendant has engaged in mass picketing, violence and coercion during the course of a labor dispute with plaintiff, El Mundo, Inc., and has prevented the individually named plaintiffs, 2 and others, from ingress and egress to the physical premises of El Mundo, Inc. It is further alleged that the mass picketing, violence and coercion practiced by the defendant, its officers, members and others, are acts “under color of the Laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”, 3 which have caused and are causing plaintiffs and others to be subjected to deprivation of rights secured to them by the Constitution and Laws of the United States, specifically the right to liberty, property and livelihood, without due process of law, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1983. It is finally alleged that the defendant, together with its members, officers and agents, have conspired to deprive the plaintiffs of the equal protection of the law in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1985. 4

On February 16, 1972, a Temporary Restraining Order was issued and the *108 case was set for hearing on February-18, 1972. At the hearing, defendant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and vacate the temporary restraining order. Said motion basically alleged, inter alia, that: the facts alleged in the complaint do not support a cause of action under Title 42, United States Code, Sections 1983 and 1985; the complaint fails to allege an official state action under color of the Constitution and Laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the National Labor Relations Board has primary jurisdiction to remedy the alleged conduct charged to defendant, under Section 8(b) (1) (A) of the National Labor Relations Act; the Court lacks jurisdiction to issue temporary or permanent injunctive relief as the complaint alleges a labor dispute covered by the Norris La Guardia Act; the complaint fails to state a proper class action. At the hearing, the parties stipulated into evidence certain documents showing that El Mun-do, Inc. has filed certain unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the commission by defendant of unfair labor practices in violation of Section 8(b) (1) (A) of the National Labor Relations Act. Other documents stipulated into evidence indicate El Mundo, Inc. has filed various petitions seeking clarification, from the National Labor Relations Board, of certain job classifications which are in controversy between the parties. Oral argument was heard and the parties were granted additional time for the filing of briefs.

On the basis of the foregoing and after having fully considered plaintiffs’ verified petition, defendant’s motion to vacate the temporary restraining order and to dismiss the complaint, the briefs filed by counsel and the entire record of the ease, the Court makes the following:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff, El Mundo, Inc., is a corporation existing under and by virtue of the Laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where it is engaged in the publication and circulation of a newspaper under the name “El Mundo”.

2. Plaintiffs Daniel Rigau and others named in Appendix A to the complaint are individuals employed in various jobs and positions by El Mundo.

3. Defendant is a labor organization representing various employees of El Mundo with respect to wages, hours and other working conditions and is so certified by the National Labor Relations Board.

4. On February 10, 1972, the defendant called a strike at the premises of El Mundo, placed pickets in the area and there has been mass picketing and violence. The strike and picketing is currently being carried on and various individual employees have been prevented from entering and leaving the premises of their employer, El Mundo, to carry on their regular duties and functions.

5. The complaint also states that the mass picketing and violence carried on by the defendant, its officers, agents and members is under color of the laws of, and specifically, under Article II, Section 18, of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Plaintiffs complain such action deprives them of rights secured by the Constitution of the United States and deprives them of liberty, property and livelihood without due process of law in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1983.

6. The complaint finally states that the defendant, together with its members, officers and agents, has conspired to deprive the plaintiffs of the equal protection of the laws in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1985.

In view of the foregoing findings of fact, the Court makes the following :

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

Section 1983 of Title 42, United States Code, provides:

“Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or usage, of any State or Territory, subjects, or causes to be sub *109 jected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.”

In the case of Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970), the Supreme Court was confronted with an action by a white school teacher against respondent, S. H. Kress, to recover damages under Title 42, United States Code, Section 1983. The petitioner complained that the respondent had violated her constitutional rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by refusing to service her in respondent’s luncheon when she was accompanied by six negro students. In relation to the elements of a Section 1983 action, the Court, at page 150, 90 S.Ct. at page 1604 expressed the following:

“The terms of § 1983 make plain two elements that are necessary for recovery. First, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant has deprived him of a right secured by the ‘Constitutions and laws’ of the United States. Second, the plaintiffs must show that the defendant deprived him of this constitutional right ‘under col- or of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory.’ This second element requires that the plaintiff show that the defendant acted “under color of law.” (cited cases are omitted by this Court).

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Bluebook (online)
346 F. Supp. 106, 81 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2597, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/el-mundo-inc-v-puerto-rico-newspaper-guild-local-225-prd-1972.