Forsberg v. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Co.

623 F. Supp. 117, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 342
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedMarch 29, 1985
DocketCiv. 84-1401-FR
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 623 F. Supp. 117 (Forsberg v. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Forsberg v. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Co., 623 F. Supp. 117, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 342 (D. Or. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

FRYE, District Judge.

This is an action on behalf of an alleged class of approximately 300 employees and former employees of the defendant, Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Co. (PNB), in the position of “Maintenance Administrator” (MA). The complaint alleges sex discrimination in wage rates and retaliatory acts after administrative discrimination complaints were filed. Violations of Title VII, the Federal Equal Pay Act, the Oregon Fair Employment Practices Act, the Oregon Equal Pay Act, and an Oregon wage claim statute are asserted.

The allegations of pay discrimination are as follows:

Plaintiff is employed by defendant as a maintenance administrator. The primary work done by maintenance administrators was previously done by an employee group that was predominantly male, who bore the title “test desk technician,” until about March 7, 1983, when the work was transferred to maintenance administrators.
Plaintiff and other maintenance administrators have requested that defendant pay them compensation equal to that previously paid to the predominantly male group of test desk technicians, and defendant has refused, thus committing an unlawful employment practice ...

Plaintiff’s Complaint, Paragraphs 15 and 17.

The matters before the court are defendant’s motion to join additional parties and motion to dismiss.

MOTION TO JOIN PARTIES

PNB moves the court pursuant to Fed.R. Civ.P. 19, 20, and 21 for an order requiring joinder of the Communication Workers of America and Communication Workers of America, Locals 9201, 9204, 9206, and 9208 (CWA) as parties defendant.

PNB contends that the wage rates of MAs alleged to be discriminatory were negotiated and agreed to by the CWA and fixed by the wage schedule in the collective bargaining agreements between the CWA and PNB. PNB argues that joinder of the CWA is mandatory under Fed.R.Civ.P. 19 because (1) if the alleged pay discrimination is proved, these unions may be liable to plaintiff and the class she seeks to represent for that discrimination; and (2) the relief plaintiff seeks conflicts with the collective bargaining agreement to which the CWA is a party, and if relief is granted it will necessarily affect the terms of the CWA contract.

Plaintiff opposes the proposed joinder on the grounds that she has no complaint against the CWA for negotiating wage rates and classifications for the MAs and the Test Desk Technicians (TDT). Plaintiff says she has no quarrel with the fact that these two classifications exist, but complains of the transfer of work from the higher paid, predominantly male group, to the lower paid predominantly female group, after the fact of the collective bar- *122 gaming. Plaintiff argues that PNB fails to allege that the CWA had anything to do with the transfer of the job task from TDTs to MAs, or had a role in populating the job classifications with predominantly female personnel. Plaintiff submits no affidavit to support her position that the transfer of job tasks occurred after the collective bargaining.

PNB submits afidavits of its staff consultant in the Employee Relations Department stating that the MA title was created in 1980 for a new job operating newly developed and newly installed computerized equipment. The CWA negotiated a wage rate for MAs in the 1980 contract and in the 1983 contract. Before the agreement on the 1980 contract, PNB staff states, CWA was informed in detail of the nature and content of the work of the new MA classification and was informed that the new classification would be filled by the promotion of G-5 clerks — a position known to be predominantly female. Knowing these facts, the affiant declares, the CWA negotiated and agreed to a clerical wage schedule for MAs at the G-8 level (a pay increase for G-5 clerks promoted to the MA positions). The staff consultant’s affidavit is supported by the affidavits of two additional PNB employees attesting to personal knowledge of the facts as presented.

During the 1980 bargaining, the affiant further states, the CWA and PNB formed a Technology Change Committee (TCC) with three members from the company and three members from the CWA which met 21 times prior to 1984 to oversee problems and recommend solutions in the area of technological change. This committee addressed issues of technological change that resulted in this lawsuit.

Further, before agreement on the 1983 contract all MA positions had been filled by promotion of the G-5 clerks, and the computer system which MAs used was in full operation. Knowing these facts — that is, the nature of the MA position work and the sexual composition of the workforce represented — CWA agreed to continue the wage schedule which is now attacked in this action. PNB contends that the CWA must now bear its share of liability, having agreed to the provisions of the contracts that are now attacked as discriminatory.

In the action before the court, a labor union can be joined with the employer for the purpose of sharing liability for discriminatory acts. See e.g., Stevenson v. International Paper Co., 14 F.E.P. 1279, 1294 (W.D.La.1977), and Myers v. Gilman Paper Corp., 14 F.E.P. 218, 225-227 (5th Cir.1977), or be joined with the employer to avoid leaving the employer subject to a substantial risk that the judgment will be inconsistent with the employer’s obligations under the collective bargaining agreement. See e.g. Hodgson v. School Bd., 56 F.R.D. 393, 394 (W.D.Penn.1972), and NOW, St. Paul Chapter v. 3M Co., 73 F.R.D. 467 (D.Minn.1977).

There is no disagreement that the wage rates alleged by plaintiff to be discriminatory were negotiated and agreed to by the CWA in the collective bargaining agreements with PNB. Plaintiff’s allegation that the job duty transfers from TDTs to MAs was after the fact of the collective bargaining agreement and entirely without the knowledge and acquiescence of the CWA is not supported by any fact.

Under these circumstances, the court finds that it is proper to join the CWA and the named locals as defendants under Fed. R.Civ.P. 19 in order to establish any potential liability of the unions as well as to avoid the possibility of inconsistent obligations of PNB.

DEFENDANT’S MOTION AGAINST THE COMPLAINT

Plaintiff asserts five claims for relief under the following statutes: (1) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (2) the Federal Equal Pay Act, (3) Oregon’s Fair Employment Practices Act, (4) Oregon’s Equal Pay Act, and (5) an Oregon wage claim statute. PNB’s motion seeks an order dismissing each of these claims, or, in the alternative, striking portions of them. The court will *123 discuss each of the asserted grounds for relief in turn.

1. Title VII

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
623 F. Supp. 117, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/forsberg-v-pacific-northwest-bell-telephone-co-ord-1985.