Gunther v. San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Co.

192 F. Supp. 882, 47 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2887, 1961 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3791
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedMarch 27, 1961
DocketCiv. No. 2459
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 192 F. Supp. 882 (Gunther v. San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gunther v. San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Co., 192 F. Supp. 882, 47 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2887, 1961 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3791 (S.D. Cal. 1961).

Opinion

WEINBERGER, District Judge.

On November 28, 1960 defendant made a Motion for Summary Judgment on the ground that “There is no genuine issue as to any material facts in this action and that defendant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.”

Rule 3(d) (2) of the Local Rules of our District, West’s Ann.Cal.Code provides :

“There shall be served and filed with each motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law and proposed summary judgment. Such proposed findings shall state the material facts as to which the moving party contends there is no genuine issue.

“Any party opposing the motion may, not later than three days prior to the hearing, serve and file a concise ‘statement of genuine issues’ setting forth all material facts as to which it is contended there exists a genuine issue necessary to be litigated.

“In determining any motion for summary judgment, the court may assume that the facts as claimed by the moving party are admitted to exist without controversy except as and to the extent that such facts are asserted to be actually in good faith controverted in a statement filed in opposition to the motion.”

The above mentioned Rule was promulgated after due consideration by the Judges of this District, and has proven to be of great assistance in the determination of motions for summary judgment and in making clear records of the contentions of the parties and the judgments of the Courts.

Counsel for the moving party did not comply with this Rule, and this Court has experienced some difficulty in determining the actual matters intended to be urged.

It appears, however, that counsel for the defendant has put forth two or three different grounds upon which the motion is based. This we gather from the brief filed in support of the motion on November 28, 1960.

At Page 6, paragraph heading “I”, counsel states: “The Judgment in The [884]*884Prior Action In This Court Between The Same Parties On The Same Cause Of Action Constitutes A Bar To This Action”. Under such heading, Section “A” counsel states: “An action to enforce an award of the NRAB is a trial de novo on the cause of action alleged before the Board. The Award itself does not create a cause of action”. It is then urged that the petitioner is entitled to relief, if at all, not because he has an award and interpretation thereof, but because his rights under the collective bargaining agreement were violated when he was removed from service December 30, 1954. It is stated, “His cause of action arose from the events of that day.”

Counsel then contends, under “B” at Page 8, that “The principle of res judicata bars this action of petitioner after the purported interpretation, for the issues to be decided in this action have already been raised and decided in the prior action between the same parties.”

Under “C” at Page 10, counsel states: “The scope of the bar of res judicata includes not only all matters tvhich were raised in the prior proceeding but also all matters which could have been raised.”

With the heading, “II” at Page 12, it is argued: “As the October 8, 1958, Interpretation and Order are the Same Cause of Action Presented in the Prior Case, Their Presentation at This Time to This Court is Barred by the Statute of Limitations.” Under this latter section, there is quoted a portion of the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C.A. § 153, First (q)) to the effect that all actions at law based under the provisions of the section shall be begun within two years from the time the cause of action accrues under the award of the division of the Adjustment Board.

We direct attention of counsel to our Memorandum Opinion of April 15, 1958, filed in the prior ease, (D.C., 161 F.Supp. 295). Our Findings and Conclusions in such case, filed April 8, 1959, were as follows:

“Defendant San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company’s motion for summary judgment having come on regularly for hearing on February 21, 1958, before the above-entitled court, Honorable Jacob Weinberger, Judge presiding, the petitioner appearing by Hildebrand, Bills & McLeod and Charles W. Decker, by Charles W. Decker, Esq., and the defendant appearing by James W. Archer, Eugene L. Freeland, Burton Mason, W. A. Gregory and Harold S. Lentz, by James W. Archer, Esq., W. A. Gregory, Esq. and Eugene L. Freeland, Esq., and the said motion having been fully argued and the court having considered the pleadings, the admissions of the parties hereto, and the affidavits on file with the said motion, and the said motion having been submitted to the court for decision, and the court having issued its Memorandum Opinion and Order April 15, 1958 which provided, in part, for a continuance of this cause to July 14, 1958, at which time, in the absence of any cause to the contrary shown, defendant was to be permitted to present to the Court findings of fact, conclusions of law and a judgment in accordance with said Memorandum Opinion and Order, and petitioner’s motion for a stay of proceedings having been noticed and heard on July 14, 1958, and the Court having ordered a stay of the proceedings herein to February 16, 1959, and on said date having continued the defendant’s motion and the presentation of findings, etc. to March 6, 1959, and the said parties by the said attorneys having appeared on said date and said motion having been again fully argued and the court being fully advised in the premises, the court now makes its findings of fact, conclusions of law and order for summary judgment as follows, to wit:
“Findings of Fact
“It appears to the court that material facts which exist herein without substantial controversy are:
“1. Defendant at all times pertinent to this action was, and now is, a corporation organized and existing pursuant to the laws of the State of Nevada, and [885]*885was and now is a carrier by railroad subject to the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C.A. § 1 et seq.
“2. Petitioner was employed by defendant on December 18, 1916, as a fireman and was promoted to locomotive engineer on December 4, 1923, and was so employed by defendant until December 30, 1954.
“3. On December 80, 1954 the terms of petitioner’s employment with defendant were governed by the agreement by and between San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company and its locomotive engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the said agreement established the rights, duties and relationship of the parties hereto.
“4. On December 30, 1954, defendant removed petitioner from active service as a locomotive engineer on the ground that he was no longer physically qualified to remain in active service as a locomotive engineer.
“5. On November 18, 1955 petitioner submitted his claim for reinstatement to the service of defendant with compensation for time lost by reason of said removal from service to the National Railroad Adjustment Board, First Division, and said claim was assigned Docket No. 33-531 by said Board.

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Related

Gunther v. San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Co.
382 U.S. 257 (Supreme Court, 1966)
TARABOCCHIA
10 I. & N. Dec. 181 (Board of Immigration Appeals, 1963)
Gunther v. San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Co.
198 F. Supp. 402 (S.D. California, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
192 F. Supp. 882, 47 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2887, 1961 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3791, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gunther-v-san-diego-arizona-eastern-railway-co-casd-1961.