Georgia Power Co. v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 84

707 F. Supp. 531, 1989 CCH OSHD 28,437, 13 OSHC (BNA) 2047, 130 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2419, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1758, 1989 WL 15671
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedJanuary 10, 1989
DocketCiv. A. 1:87-CV-2148-JOF
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 707 F. Supp. 531 (Georgia Power Co. v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 84) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Georgia Power Co. v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 84, 707 F. Supp. 531, 1989 CCH OSHD 28,437, 13 OSHC (BNA) 2047, 130 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2419, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1758, 1989 WL 15671 (N.D. Ga. 1989).

Opinion

ORDER

FORRESTER, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on the parties’ cross motions for summary judgment. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56.

I. PRELIMINARY CONCERNS.

Plaintiff Georgia Power Company’s “Complaint Requesting Order Vacating Arbitration Award” was filed September 29, 1987. Pursuant to consent order entered April 21, 1988, the parties were allowed up to and through April 22, 1988 in which to file cross motions for summary judgment. Both motions were filed on this date. Plaintiff’s motion was accompanied by the requisite statement of material facts and a supporting brief consisting of over sixty- *532 five pages. The defendant union’s motion was likewise filed in compliance with the Local Rules and was accompanied by a supporting brief consisting of exactly twenty-five pages. The parties’ respective responses properly included statements of material fact and were timely filed on or before May 16, 1988. Pursuant to Local Rule 220-1, reply briefs were timely filed on or before May 26, 1988.

Five days after the filing of its reply brief, the defendant union apologetically filed a brief captioned, “Supplemental Reply in Support of the Defendant Union’s Motion for Summary Judgment.” Similarly, on June 23, 1988, the defendant union filed its “Second Supplemental Brief in Support of Defendant Union’s Motion for Summary Judgment.” Predictably, plaintiff felt compelled to respond to the defendant union’s supplemental briefs and, on June 28, 1988, filed its own supplemental brief. Finally, on July 18 and December 27, 1988 the parties filed their motions for leave to file additional supplemental briefs in connection with their motions for summary judgment.

Because the parties’ motions for leave to file are unopposed and seek only to call to the court’s attention previously unavailable authority relevant to this action, they are GRANTED. The parties’ May 31, June 23 and June 28, 1988 briefs are hereby STRICKEN, however, as having been filed without leave of court. Local Rule 220-1. Also filed without leave of court is plaintiff’s voluminous brief in support of its motion for summary judgment. The court’s case instructions — which are issued as a standing order in each case — require that no brief be filed exceeding twenty-five pages “unless leave to exceed the limit is granted in advance (emphasis supplied).” Case Instructions, 112. As just noted, plaintiff neither requested nor was granted leave before or after the filing of the brief in question. This fact is particularly troublesome in light of the size of plaintiff’s brief 1 and the fact that lead counsel for plaintiff is presently involved in at least one other case before this court 2 and is therefore well aware of the court’s pretrial instructions. Under such circumstances the court ordinarily would strike plaintiff’s brief without hesitation. Nevertheless, in view of the length of time the parties’ cross motions have been pending, 3 and because plaintiff’s brief is adequately indexed, the court will reluctantly exercise its discretion to waive its page limitation nunc pro tunc and will consider plaintiff’s brief in passing on the parties’ cross motions.

II. STATEMENT OF FACTS.

The parties to this action are plaintiff Georgia Power Company, a public utility and corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Georgia, and defendant International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 84 (hereinafter “the defendant union”), an unincorporated association and labor organization. At all times relevant to this action, the defendant union was engaged in the collective representation of plaintiff’s employees. Plaintiff invokes the jurisdiction of the court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(c), 9 U.S.C. § 10 and 29 U.S.C. § 185.

Plaintiff and the defendant union are parties to a collective bargaining agreement. Under the terms of this agreement, employees within the collective bargaining unit may be discharged only for “sufficient and reasonable cause” and disciplinary actions against employees are subject to the grievance and arbitration procedures outlined therein. The agreement also provides that all decisions of the arbitrator are final *533 and binding on the parties. The present dispute arises from an arbitration decision favorable to the defendant union which plaintiff seeks to vacate pursuant to 9 U.S. C. § 10. The defendant union has counterclaimed to compel plaintiff’s compliance with the arbitrator’s decision and for attorney’s fees. See 9 U.S.C. § 9. The facts giving rise to this action are as follows.

Warren G. Watson began his employment with plaintiff as a laborer in January of 1975. Until his February 21,1986 termination for violation of plaintiff’s company anti-drug policy, Watson was employed as an auxiliary equipment operator (AEO) at plaintiff’s plant in McDonough-Atkinson. As an AEO, Watson’s primary responsibility was to ensure that the high pressure equipment in the plant did not overheat and that all valves were in the proper position. Watson’s duties included the reading of meters and pressure gauges, the checking of temperatures, bearings pump, and ash handling equipment.

In 1982, plaintiff implemented the aforementioned anti-drug policy thereby making the possession, sale, or use of illegal drugs during working hours or on company property or reporting to work under the influence of illegal drugs dischargeable offenses. In a letter dated November 12, 1984 and mailed to all of plaintiff’s employees, plaintiff’s chief executive officer restated and clarified the policy, asserting that from that point on, “[T]he unlawful involvement with drugs or narcotics off company property will constitute grounds for severe disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.” In addition, in October of 1985, plaintiff’s plant manager of the McDonough-Atkin-son plant issued a statement outlining the plant’s procedures for implementing plaintiff’s anti-drug policy. By this statement, plant employees were informed that (1) while on plant property, persons, property and automobiles would be subject to search; (2) any employee exhibiting symptoms or characteristics of drug use would be subject to a “fitness for duty” exam which included urinalysis; and (3) if the result of the exam indicated drug use, the employee would be discharged.

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Bluebook (online)
707 F. Supp. 531, 1989 CCH OSHD 28,437, 13 OSHC (BNA) 2047, 130 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2419, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1758, 1989 WL 15671, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/georgia-power-co-v-international-brotherhood-of-electrical-workers-local-gand-1989.