Elsis v. Evans

185 Cal. App. 2d 610, 8 Cal. Rptr. 565, 47 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2042, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1548
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 25, 1960
DocketCiv. 24249
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 185 Cal. App. 2d 610 (Elsis v. Evans) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elsis v. Evans, 185 Cal. App. 2d 610, 8 Cal. Rptr. 565, 47 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2042, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1548 (Cal. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

WOOD, P. J.

Plaintiffs appeal from a judgment on the pleadings.

This is an action for injunctive relief and for damages with respect to alleged unfair labor practices.

Three of the plaintiffs are officers of Office Employees International Union, Local 30, and three of the plaintiffs are members of that union. The action was also upon behalf of the union and the other members of the union. Plaintiffs dismissed the action as to all defendants except defendant Evans.

A preliminary injunction was granted. On appeal, the order granting that injunction was reversed. (Elsis v. Evans, 157 Cal.App.2d 399 [321 P.2d 514].)

After the decision on the former appeal, the action was set for jury trial as an action for damages. At the trial on October 16, 1958, the defendant Evans made a motion for judgment on the pleadings, and after arguments were made thereon, the trial was continued to December 29, 1958. On December 24, 1958, the order of continuance was rescinded and the motion for judgment on the pleadings was submitted and granted. A memorandum opinion of the trial judge indicates that one of the grounds upon which the motion was granted was that the state courts did not have jurisdiction to award damages in this action for the reason that the National Labor Relations Board had exclusive jurisdiction.

Appellants contend that, in determining that motion for judgment on the pleadings, the trial court could consider only the allegations of the complaint; and that no facts are alleged in the complaint to show, or from which it can be inferred, that respondent Evans’ business activities come within the realm of interstate commerce.

The allegations of the complaint are stated in detail in the opinion on the former appeal (Elsis v. Evans, 157 Cal.App.2d 399, 400-403 [321 P.2d 514]), and it is not necessary to repeat them here. A general statement of those allegations (excluding the allegations regarding the legal capacity of the plaintiffs *612 and excluding the allegations regarding the defendants as to whom the action was dismissed) is as follows: Defendant Evans, under the firm name of Thrifty Telephone Answering Service, is engaged in the business of conducting a telephone answering service for his customers and clients. He interfered with the rights of employees to organize and bargain collectively; discharged employees for union membership and activities; refused to recognize the union as the employees ’ bargaining agent; and blacklisted employees who had been discharged. The acts of defendant “are contrary” to the provisions of sections 920, 921, 922, 923, 1050, 1051, 1052, 1053 and 1054 of the Labor Code and to the Fourteenth Amendment of the federal Constitution and to article I, sections 1, 9, 10 and 13 of the state Constitution. Plaintiffs sustained damages by reason of the activities and conduct of defendant.

On the former appeal it was held that Evans ’ business activities were within the realm of interstate commerce; that “the acts and conduct in which appellant [Evans] is prohibited from engaging, and the acts which he is compelled to do by the preliminary injunction constitute acts and conduct either protected or prohibited by the National Labor Management Relations Act”; and that the National Labor Relations Board had exclusive jurisdiction to grant injunctive relief from such acts and conduct; and that the state courts had no jurisdiction to grant injunctive relief therefrom. (Elsis v. Evans, 157 Cal.App.2d 399 [321 P.2d 514].) In San Diego Bldg. Trades Council v. Garmon, 359 U.S. 236 [79 S.Ct. 773, 3 L. Ed. 2d 775], it was held that, in cases in which the National Labor Relations Board has jurisdiction to grant relief, the state courts do not have jurisdiction to award damages for activities which are within the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board.

It therefore appears that in the event the National Labor Relations Board had jurisdiction to grant relief with respect to the alleged acts and conduct of Evans the state courts had no jurisdiction in the matter and the order granting the motion for judgment on the pleadings was proper.

Appellants argue that there are no facts alleged in the complaint which show, or from which it can be inferred, that Evans’ business activities were within the realm of interstate commerce. In other words, it seems to be appellants’ argument that the allegations of the complaint are insufficient to show that Evans is engaged in interstate commerce, and for that reason there are no allegations to show that the Labor *613 Relations Board had jurisdiction to grant relief from the acts and conduct of Evans as alleged in the complaint. The allegations of the complaint, with respect to such activities, are as follows; Evans “is engaged in a business of conducting a telephone answering service for his customers and clients, who are considerable in number. Said service is conducted and operated by having an extension line of the customer’s or client’s telephone wired and installed through a telephone switchboard maintained and operated by defendant Evans and his employees. When the client or customer does not answer his telephone or is away from his place of business, defendant Evans’ employees answers the telephone call for the client or customer, takes messages and information and on instructed occasions makes business and other appointments for said clients or customers. . . . Defendant Evans in the operation of his business as aforesaid, normally employs eight operators in his daily business. ’ ’

The trial court could reasonably infer therefrom that Evans’ answering service received interstate calls for clients and customers. On the prior appeal, it was said: “We are persuaded that appellant’s activities in a telephone answering service receiving interstate as well as intrastate communications must be held to affect interstate commerce. To hold otherwise would require the courts to shut their eyes and ears to everyday happenings of contemporary life. This they cannot do. Such a telephone answering service as here involved manifestly must be regarded as an integral part of the communications system operating throughout the United States.” (Elsis v. Evans, 157 Cal.App.2d 399, 418 [321 P.2d 514].)

It can reasonably be implied from the allegations of the complaint that Evans was engaged in interstate commerce.

On oral argument, in reply to a contention to the contrary set forth in respondent’s brief, appellants contended that the complaint states a cause of action under the Labor Code for damages for blacklisting, and that the acts alleged, which constituted blacklisting under the Labor Code, are not acts which constitute blacklisting under the Federal Labor Relations Management Act.

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

Related

Breitegger v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.
43 Cal. App. 3d 283 (California Court of Appeal, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 Cal. App. 2d 610, 8 Cal. Rptr. 565, 47 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2042, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1548, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elsis-v-evans-calctapp-1960.