International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 70 v. National Labor Relations Board

940 F. Supp. 1439, 152 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2862, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18913
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedJune 17, 1996
DocketCivil No. 3-96-10
StatusPublished

This text of 940 F. Supp. 1439 (International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 70 v. National Labor Relations Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 70 v. National Labor Relations Board, 940 F. Supp. 1439, 152 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2862, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18913 (mnd 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION & ORDER

KYLE, District Judge.

Introduction

Before the Court is Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s Motion will be granted.

Background

Plaintiff International Union of Operating Engineers Local 70 (“the Union”) is the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the food service workers employed by the Farmington, Minnesota School District (“the District”). Compl. ¶ V. On June 14, 1993, the District entered into a contract with ARAMARK Corporation (“ARAMARK”), under which ARAMARK would provide management services for the District’s food service program. Id. KVIIL After the contract was executed, any job vacancy that occurred through attrition of District food service workers was posted as an “ARAMARK” job. Id. ¶ X. Such ARAMARK workers are not currently covered under the collective bargaining agreement between the District and the Union. Id. ¶ XI. At the time of the filing of the Complaint, fourteen employees were classified as “District” food service workers, down from twenty-four at the time of the contract’s implementation. Id. ¶¶ IX, XXIII.

On March 13, 1995, the Union sought to accrete the food service workers employed directly by ARAMARK to the unit of food service workers already represented by the Union. Id. ¶ XXIV. At the hearing conducted before the Bureau of Mediation Services in August 1995, ARAMARK petitioned to intervene in the action and was successful in removing the case to the National Labor Relations Board (“the Board”). Id. ¶XXIV. On October 18, 1995, the Regional Director for Region 18 of the Board determined that ARAMARK was an “employer” of the food service employees on its payroll under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) and asserted jurisdiction. Id. ¶ XXVI. The Union’s request for review of this determination was denied. Id. ¶¶ XXVII, XXVIII. In an election held among the ARAMARK workers [1441]*1441on December 13, 1995, a majority did not vote for union representation, and the Regional Director certified that the ARAMARK workers were not to be represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes. See Def.’s Mem. of Law in Supp. of Mot. to Dismiss 5 & n. 4.

The Union filed its Complaint in this Court on January 4, 1996. It alleges that the Board improperly exercised its jurisdiction over employees of a state subdivision (the District), since the workers “employed” directly by ARAMARK are in reality employed by the District. Id. ¶¶ XXX-XXXII.1 The Union also alleged that the Board’s assertion of jurisdiction over the ARAMARK workers violated the District’s Eleventh Amendment immunity. Id. ¶¶ XXXV-XXXVIII. The Union has since withdrawn its claim of Eleventh Amendment violations in Count II of the Complaint. Pl.’s Mem. of Law in Opp’n to Mot. to Dismiss 4.

Analysis

I. Motion to Dismiss Standards

On a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, the pleadings are construed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, and the allegations in the complaint must be taken as true. Dover Elevator Co. v. Arkansas State Univ., 64 F.3d 442, 445 (8th Cir.1995) (citing Ruge v. City of Bellevue, 892 F.2d 738, 739 (8th Cir.1989)); see also Ossman v. Diana Corp., 825 F.Supp. 870, 879-80 (D.Minn.1993) (and cases cited therein). The Court must resolve any ambiguities concerning the sufficiency of the claims in favor of Plaintiff, and give them the benefit of “every reasonable inference” drawn from the “well-pleaded” facts and allegations in the Complaint. Ossman, 825 F.Supp. at 880 (quoting Retail Clerks Int'l Ass'n v. Schermerhorn, 373 U.S. 746, 753 n. 6, 83 S.Ct. 1461, 1465 n. 6, 10 L.Ed.2d 678 (1963)).

However, when considering a challenge to its subject matter jurisdiction, a court must distinguish between a “facial attack” and a “factual attack.” Osborn v. United States, 918 F.2d 724, 729-30 n. 6 (8th Cir.1990). A facial attack questions the sufficiency of the pleading itself — a court reviews such an attack by examining only the pleadings, and utilizes the same standards favorable to the non-moving party as on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. Id.; Ohio Nat'l Life Ins. Co. v. United States, 922 F.2d 320, 325 (6th Cir.1990). A factual attack is based on a factual controversy which must be resolved in order to determine whether subject matter jurisdiction does or does not exist. Id. In reviewing a factual attack, a court must normally go outside of the pleadings, and the protections granted to the non-moving party under Rule 12(b)(6) do not apply. Smith v. Babbitt, 875 F.Supp. 1353, 1359 (D.Minn.1995). The current situation is akin to a facial attack, as the primary question for jurisdictional purposes is whether the Board has violated a clear and mandatory provision of the NLRA, as observed below.

II. District Court Jurisdiction

A. The General Rule

The Board’s representation proceedings are governed by 29 U.S.C. § 159. Under this section, the Board has authority to investigate election petitions, hold evidentiary hearings to determine employer and employee status, and the like. If the Board determines that the NLRA’s prerequisites for holding a representation election have been satisfied, the Board is directed to conduct an election and certify the results. 29 U.S.C. § 159(c)(1). However, the NLRA’s provisions may not be applied to those exempted from the definition of “employer” — this includes all states and their political subdivisions. 29 U.S.C. § 152(2). The Union notes that the District is a political subdivision of [1442]*1442Minnesota and thus is exempt from the NLRA2 The Union claims that, in asserting jurisdiction over the ARAMARK workers, the Board was in fact asserting jurisdiction over public employees in violation of the NLRA.

Both parties acknowledge that, as a general rule, Board orders regarding representation proceedings are not directly reviewable by district courts. Pl.’s Mem. in Opp’n 4; Def.’s Mem. 6-8. Orders concerning representation issues are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Board. See Minn-Dak Farmers Coop. Employees Org. v. Minn-Dak Farmers Coop., 3 F.3d 1199, 1201 (8th Cir.1993) (citing International Bhd. of Elec. Workers v. Iowa Elec. Light & Power Co.,

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Bluebook (online)
940 F. Supp. 1439, 152 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2862, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18913, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/international-union-of-operating-engineers-local-70-v-national-labor-mnd-1996.