Fabian v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

320 F. Supp. 573, 77 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2313, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9727
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedOctober 27, 1970
DocketNo. C70-322
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 320 F. Supp. 573 (Fabian v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fabian v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, 320 F. Supp. 573, 77 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2313, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9727 (N.D. Ohio 1970).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

BEN C. GREEN, District Judge.

This action was brought by the plaintiff, an employee of the defendant The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company (hereinafter B & 0), against his employer and his union, the defendant Brotherhood of Railway, Airline and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees (hereinafter BRAC). The basis of plaintiff’s claim is that the defendants have conspired together “and by their concerted activity have wrongfully removed him from an active-duty status since October 16, 1967 until this date, except for two brief periods in 1968 and 1969”, and that the defendant BRAC “has refused to process his grievance to the effect that he has been wrongfully removed from an active-duty status.” This court is alleged to have jurisdiction over the subject matter under the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. § 151 et seq.

[575]*575Each of the defendants has moved to dismiss the complaint or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. The motion of defendant BRAC is supported by an extensive affidavit with exhibits attached.

The issue raised by defendant B & 0 is whether this court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the claim asserted against it.

Under the terms of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. § 153, subd. 1(i), it does appear that plaintiff’s claim against his employer is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the National Railroad Adjustment Board, and that this court has no authority to grant plaintiff relief thereon. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Chicago River and Indiana Railroad Co., 353 U.S. 30, 77 S.Ct. 635, 1 L.Ed.2d 622 (1957); Transcontinental and Western Air v. Koppal, 345 U.S. 653, 73 S.Ct. 906, 97 L.Ed. 1325 (1953); Pacilio v. Pennsylvania Railroad, 381 F.2d 570 (CA 2, 1967).

Plaintiff, however, contends that the decision in Czosek v. O’Mara, 397 U.S. 25, 90 S.Ct. 770, 25 L.Ed.2d 21 (1970) has created an exception to the exclusive administrative jurisdiction provided for in the Railway Labor Act, so as to permit the exercise of judicial authority herein. In that case, suit had been brought against a railroad, a union and certain union officials by a group of employees who had lost their jobs in a merger of two rail lines. The petition alleged that they had been wrongfully discharged by the employer, and that the union defendants had been “guilty of gross nonfeasance and hostile discrimination” in “arbitrarily and capriciously refusing to process claims” which alleged that the grievants had been improperly replaced by other employees in the course of the merger.

The posture of the action when it reached the Supreme Court was that:

The Court of Appeals held that the complaint was adequate to allege a breach by the union of its duty of fair representation subject to vindication in the District Court without resort to administrative remedies. Dismissal of the complaint against the railroad was affirmed; but on remand the individual respondents were to be granted leave to maintain (their action against the railroad if they should choose to amend their complaint to allege that the employer was somehow implicated in the union’s discrimination.

The Supreme Court agreed with the conclusion of the Court of Appeals that the railroad could be joined as a party to the suit if it was properly alleged that the discharges were as a consequence of the union’s discriminating conduct, or that the employer was in any other way implicated in the union’s alleged discriminatory action. However, the opinion further states that:

* * * we have no occasion to consider whether under federal law, which governs in cases like these, the employer may always be sued with the union when a single series of events gives rise to claims against the employer for breach of contract and against the union for breach of duty of fair representation or whether, as the Court of Appeals held, when there are no allegations tying union and employer together, the union is suable in the District Court foi; breach of duty but resort must be had to the Adjustment Board for a remedy against the employer.

It thus appears that the broad interpretation of Czosek v. O’Mara ascribed to it by plaintiff’s counsel is not supported by the Supreme Court’s holding. This Court agrees with the appellate ruling therein, O’Mara v. Erie Lackawanna R. Co., 407 F.2d 674 (CA 2, 1969), that the railroad may only be joined with the union based on a concert of action between the said parties bringing about the employee’s discharge.

On this basis, the complaint does not state a claim for relief against defendant B & O cognizable by this Court. Although the complaint contains the gener[576]*576al conclusory allegation that the defendants have “wrongfully conspired against plaintiff” and that his removal from active-duty status is by reason of “their concerted activity”, there are no factual allegations to support those assertions. Consequently, the complaint must be viewed as alleging independent wrongs on the part of the two defendants.

Assuming, however, that the railroad may be sued with the union when a single series of events gives rise to claims against the employer for breach of contract and against the union for breach of duty of fair representation, the record herein still requires dismissal of the complaint against defendant B & 0, for the reason that defendant BRAC’s motion for summary judgment conclusively establishes that plaintiff has no claim against his union.

Plaintiff’s claim against defendant BRAC is premised on the contention that the union was a participant in the actions which led to his being removed from active-duty status, has wrongfully prevented him from returning to active-duty status, and has refused to process his grievance to the effect that he has been wrongfully removed from an active-duty status.

As defendant’s BRAC’s motion is supported by an affidavit, with exhibits attached, under Rule 12(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, it must be treated as a motion for summary judgment. Rule 56(e) of the Federal Rules provides that:

* * * When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported [by affidavits] as provided in this rule, an adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If he does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be entered against him.

Plaintiff has submitted no opposing affidavit to that of defendant BRAC.

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Related

Lowe v. Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union, Local 705
193 N.W.2d 376 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
320 F. Supp. 573, 77 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2313, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9727, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fabian-v-baltimore-ohio-railroad-ohnd-1970.