Francis v. Scott

72 So. 2d 98, 260 Ala. 595, 1954 Ala. LEXIS 357
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedApril 15, 1954
Docket8 Div. 720
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 72 So. 2d 98 (Francis v. Scott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Francis v. Scott, 72 So. 2d 98, 260 Ala. 595, 1954 Ala. LEXIS 357 (Ala. 1954).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from a final decree rendered in the circuit court, in equity, in which an appeal had previously been taken from a decree overruling, a motion to discharge and one to dissolve a temporary injunction and is our case numbered 684. Ala.Sup. 72 So.2d 93.1 The court at this time is dismissing that appeal for reasons there indicated. On that appeal we are holding that it had been abandoned and therefore the final decree rendered after its abandonment was not void by reason of that appeal and that-it was itself appealable in so far as the right to do so is affected by that appeal, case No. 684, in this court.

The suit is by individuals who are alleged to be members of “Florence Alabama Local Union No. 388 of Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America,” an unincorporated association and by its local No. 388 as complainants. The respondents are John F. Francis, “individually and as agent of the Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America,” alleged in an amendment to be a corporation, and V. T. Walker, individually, also certain named persons members of the general executive board of said Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America, a corporation. But it was finally shown to be unincorporated.

[597]*597In the fourth paragraph of the amended bill it is alleged in substance that on September 16, 1952, two days before the original bill was 'filed, the respondent John F. Francis, individually and as agent of the international union with the aid of respondent V. T. Walker, went to a barber shop in Florence, which was the official meeting place of the Florence union, and over the protest of its president removed from the wall the charter issued by the international union and carried it from said building and unlawfully -removed the individual place cards of all the individual members of the local union.

It is further alleged in the amended bill that this was unlawfully done by the international union and its general executive board because the local union refused to comply with the request of the general executive board to meet the prices and hours set by the local union No. 682 of Sheffield -.and Tuscumbia. And that the local at Florence was unlawfully dissolved without a hearing. That a majority of its members voted to keep the hours and prices which they had-and which were less than those of local No. 682. A clause in the constitution of the international union was quoted, which provided that every local union may . regulate its own hours, prices and wages, The bill alleges that the members of the local pay dues to the international union and have the right.to sick and death benefits which they lose by the forfeiture of their charter. That an order was made (by the .executive board) to revoke their charter and destroy the local union in order to require the complainants to join the local No. 682 and charge the amounts set up by it for the price of services in excess of those made by members of the Florence local No. 388.

. In answer to that complaint set out in paragraph XVI-a, it is alleged that William G. Birthright, general president-secretary-treasurer of ihe international union, placed the problem before the general executive board in February 1952 and the board ruled and issued an order to the effect that committees of the two locals (388 and 682) recommend to them both the price and hour regulations' for the entire area and that a majority of the combined membership would control, and further ruled that if the locals refused to accept this formula that the general president exercise his best judgment with respect to amalgamation of the two locals and take such action as he deemed necessary. The Florence barbers refused to observe that order. Jqhn F. Francis was detailed by the international to obtain compliance. He was ..authorized to remove the charter of the Florence local and recover property of the international and to transfer members of that union to local No. 682. The answer in paragraph .XVII-a alleged that Francis removed the charter as heretofore- stated and offered to transfer the members to the other local,

The prayer of the bill for relief is that (2) the court adjudge and decree “that the void or unlawful order of the' executive board of Journeymen 'Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America, a corporation, be cancelled, annulled, and held for naught by which the complainants’ charter and shop cards were removed”. (3). “.That the executive board of Journeymen, Barbers, Hairdressers, "Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America, a corporation, be restrained from unlawfully revoking the charter and taking possession of the union charter, taking possession of the union shop cards, the records of the local union, and from in anywise unlawfully diminishing the rights and benefits of the Florence' -Alabama Local No. 388 of Journeymen- Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America and by individual members thereof”. (4) “That the failure of the Florence Alabama Local No-. 388 of Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors International Union 0f America, an unincorporated- association, f,y j(-s failure to meet the prices' and hours 0f -¡-^ Sheffield and Tuscumbia Local No. gg2 0f Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America is not a just cause to revoke the charter of Florence Alabama Local No. 388 of Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprie[598]*598tors’ International Union of America. That your honor order, adjudge and decree that the constitution and by-laws of said organization gives the local union the exclusive rights to set the hours and prices in the local shops of Florence, Alabama”. (5) That the executive board of Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America, a corporation, be restrained from requiring the members of the Florence Alabama Local Union No. 388 of Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America to become members of the Sheffield and Tuscumbia Local Union No. 682 of Journeymen Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists and Proprietors’ International Union of America”. (6). “That the complainants are entitled to damages for the loss of property rights and expense of counsel as the evidence may justify against the respondents”, and (7) general relief.

A demurrer to the amended bill was overruled on January 16, 1953. But appellants’ argument seems to be addressed solely to the final decree. That decree makes a full and complete finding of the facts, based upon evidence taken orally before the trial judge.

The findings of the trial judge are substantially in accord with the allegations’ of fact in the pleadings (omitting controverted conclusions), and adding that the Florence local voted one hundred percent against consolidation. And that without further direction or special order the president of the international union sent an order to Francis to remove the charter, shop cards and membership cards of all members of the Florence local on the sole ground that it had not agreed with the other local as to prices and hours. He found further that the reason advanced was that the Muscle Shoals district is one place, and it is not its policy to lower prices.

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Related

Gulf South Conference v. Boyd
369 So. 2d 553 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1979)
Barbers' Local Union No. 715 v. Roberts
115 So. 2d 285 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1959)
United States Steel Corp. v. Wood
114 So. 2d 533 (Alabama Court of Appeals, 1958)
Francis v. Scott
72 So. 2d 93 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1954)

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Bluebook (online)
72 So. 2d 98, 260 Ala. 595, 1954 Ala. LEXIS 357, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/francis-v-scott-ala-1954.