Hooks v. International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Local 8

72 F. Supp. 3d 1168, 202 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3025, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173459, 2014 WL 7186868
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedDecember 16, 2014
DocketCase No. 3:12-cv-01088-SI
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 72 F. Supp. 3d 1168 (Hooks v. International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Local 8) 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
Hooks v. International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Local 8, 72 F. Supp. 3d 1168, 202 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3025, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173459, 2014 WL 7186868 (D. Or. 2014).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

MICHAEL H. SIMON, District Judge.

This matter is one of five separate but related actions arising from a labor dispute at Terminal 6 at the Port' of Portland. Briefly stated, the dispute concerns who is entitled to perform the work of plugging in, unplugging, and monitoring refrigerated shipping containers (the “reefer work”) at the container facility at Terminal 6 (“Terminal 6”).1 The International Long-shore and Warehouse Union (“ILWU”) and the Pacific Maritime Association (“PMA”) contend that their collective bargaining agreement — the Pacific Coast [1171]*1171Longshore Contract Document (“PCLCD”) — requires ICTSI Oregon, Inc. (“ICTSI”), the operator of Terminal 6 and a PMA member, to assign the reefer work to ILWU members. ICTSI, the Port of Portland (the “Port”), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“IBEW”) Local 48 contend that other contracts — including the Terminal 6 Lease Agreement between the Port and ICTSI, and the District Council of Trade Unions’ (“DCTU”)2 bargaining agreement with the Port require that the reefer work be assigned to IBEW members. Petitioner Ronald K. Hooks (“Petitioner”) brought this action under § 10(Z) of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”), 29 U.S.C. § 160(2), in response to allegations that ILWU, ILWU Local 8 (“Local 8”), and ILWU' Local 40 (“Local 40”) (collectively “Respondents”), were engaging in work slowdowns and stoppages at Terminal 6.

On July 19, 2012, on Petitioner’s petition, Dkt. 1, the Court issued a preliminary injunction under § 10(2), enjoining Respondents from engaging in certain work slowdowns and stoppages at Terminal 6. Dkt. 50 (“July 19 Injunctive Order”). The Court also ordered Respondents to notify their members and officials of the preliminary injunction and provide “a clear written directive to refrain from engaging in any conduct inconsistent with this Order.”

Petitioner alleges that Respondents have continued to engage in work slowdowns and stoppages from July 20, 2012, in violation of the Court’s preliminary injunction. Petitioner also alleges that Respondents failed properly to notify their officials and members, as required in the July 19 Injunctive Order. Before the Court is Petitioner’s motion for an order to show cause and petition for civil contempt. Dkt. 65. For the reasons stated below, the Court finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that the ILWU and Local 8 violated the Court’s preliminary injunction by engaging in unlawful secondary boycott activities from July 20, 2012 through August 13, 2013. The Court finds that Petitioner fails to meet its burden to show a violation of the Court’s Injunction Order by Local 40 during any relevant time period, by the ILWU and Local 8 from August 14, 2013 through September 15, 2014, and by all Respondents with respect to compliance with that portion of the Court’s order regarding the required notification. Accordingly, Petitioner’s motion for contempt is granted in part and denied in part.3

FINDINGS OF FACT

The Court has considered the decisions of Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Jeffrey D. Wedekind and ALJ William L. Schmidt,4 the administrative record before ALJ Wedekind, the admissible evidence filed with this Court, the arguments and briefs by counsel, and the record in this case. The Court has considered the admissible portions of the declarations of Petitioner’s witnesses5 Shawn Ball, Stevedore Manager for ICTSI; Dan Pippenger, General Manager of Marine Operations for the Port; Kelly Roby, former Assistant Terminal Manager and cur[1172]*1172rent Terminal Manager for ICTSI; Bill Wyatt, Executive Director for the Port; and Brian Yockey, former Terminal Manager and current Director of Labor Relations for ICTSI. The Court has also considered the declarations of Respondent’s witnesses Craig Bitz, former lead crane mechanic at Terminal 6 and member of Local 8; Michael Gardner, longshoreman, crane operator, and member of Local 8; Steve Hennessy, Senior Vice President of Labor Relations and Chief Operating Officer for the PMA; Dane Jones, Secretary-Treasurer/Business Agent of Local 40; John Miken, steady mechanic and member of Local 8; John Mulcahy, longshoreman, crane operator, and member of Local 8; Michael Palmer, registered walking boss and member of ILWU Local 92; John Gregory Phillips, steady vessel planner and member of Local 40; Stuart Strader, longshoreman, crane mechanic, and Labor Relations Committee representative for Local 8; and Leal Sundet, Coast Committeeman of the Coast Longshore Division for the ILWU. The Court makes the following findings of fact.

A. Procedural Background

1. On June 18, 2012, Petitioner filed a petition for a temporary restraining order pursuant to § 10(Z) of the NLRA, 29 U.S.C. § 160(i). Dkt. 1. Petitioner claimed that Respondents were engaging in acts and conduct that violated §§ 8(b)(4)(i) and (ii)(B) of the NLRA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 158(b)(4)® and (ii)(B).

2. Petitioner alleged that “Respondents have been engaged in a labor dispute with the Port regarding the performance of the plugging, unplugging and monitoring of refrigerated containers on the dock at Terminal 6.” Petitioner further alleged that Respondents engaged in unlawful conduct in support of Respondents’ position in their labor dispute with the Port and to ensure that the disputed reefer work was assigned to ILWU workers.

3. On June 21, 2012, Petitioner filed a motion for a preliminary injunction. Dkt. 10. This motion was based on the same alleged facts and violations of law as described in Petitioner’s motion for a temporary restraining order.

4. On July 3, 2012, the Court issued a temporary restraining order. Dkt. 25. The Court’s Order enjoined Respondents from engaging in work stoppages and slowdowns at Terminal 6 with an object to force or require ICTSI to stop or cease doing business with the Port.

5. On July 6, 2012, Petitioner filed a petition' for civil contempt, alleging that on July 4, 2012, Respondents engaged in a work slowdown that violated the temporary restraining order. Dkt. 26.

6. On July 19, 2012, the Court issued the requested preliminary injunction. The Court’s preliminary injunction enjoined Respondents from

engaging in slowdowns, stoppages, withholding of services, or threatening, coercing, or restraining ICTSI Oregon, Inc., or any other person engaged in commerce ... where in any case an object thereof is to force or require ICT-SI Oregon, Inc., or any other person engaged in commerce ... to cease handling, using, selling, transporting, or otherwise dealing in the products of, or to cease doing business with the Port of Portland, or any other person engaged in commerce ... or with each other.

Dkt. 50 at 3.

7. As part of the Court’s Order on July 19, 2012, the Court ordered Respondents to, “within five (5) days, provide to each of their officers, representatives, employees, agents, affiliated locals, and members involved with work performed at Terminal 6 a copy of this Order and a clear written directive to refrain from engaging in any [1173]

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72 F. Supp. 3d 1168, 202 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3025, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173459, 2014 WL 7186868, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hooks-v-international-longshore-warehouse-union-local-8-ord-2014.