Intl. Bd. of Electrical Workers 8 v. Vaughn Indus., Wd-07-026 (6-20-2008)

2008 Ohio 2992
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 20, 2008
DocketNo. WD-07-026.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2008 Ohio 2992 (Intl. Bd. of Electrical Workers 8 v. Vaughn Indus., Wd-07-026 (6-20-2008)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Intl. Bd. of Electrical Workers 8 v. Vaughn Indus., Wd-07-026 (6-20-2008), 2008 Ohio 2992 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
{¶ 1} This is the second time that this cause is before the court. In the prior appeal, we reversed a judgment of the Wood County Court of Common Pleas and remanded this case to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with our decision. See Internatl. Bhd. ofElectrical Workers, Local Union No. 8 v. Vaughn Industries, Inc.,156 Ohio App.3d 644, 656, 2004-Ohio-1655 ("IBEW I"). *Page 2

{¶ 2} Briefly, appellee/cross-appellant, Vaughn Industries, Inc. ("Vaughn"), is a private construction contractor whose employees performed work on two public projects at Bowling Green State University in Wood County, Ohio. Id. at ¶ 4. These projects are known as the Electrical Distribution System Project and the Psychology Building Project. Id. Appellant/cross-appellee, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union No. 8 ("IBEW"), is a labor union that "represents over 2,000 electrical workers in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan." Id. at ¶ 5. In 2001, IBEW filed two complaints against Vaughn with the Administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, raising alleged violations of R.C. Chapter 4115, which governs the prevailing wages and hours for employees who work on public projects. Id. When the administrator failed to rule on the merits of IBEWs complaint within the time period mandated by R.C. 4115.16(B), IBEW filed a civil action in the Wood County Court of Common Pleas. Id. at ¶ 10.

{¶ 3} Each party subsequently submitted a motion for summary judgment. Id. at ¶ 15 and ¶ 16. Vaughn's motion for summary judgment alleged that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to entertain IBEWs complaint. Id. at ¶ 15. IBEWs motion asked the lower court to grant it summary judgment on its claims involving alleged violations of R.C. 4115.05, R.C. 4115.071(C), and "the gross underpayment of the total prevailing wage package prescribed by law." Id. at ¶ 16. As to this last issue, IBEW focused on the method used to determine the fringe benefits credit received by Vaughn as part of the prevailing wage calculation. Id. at ¶ 44. *Page 3

{¶ 4} On February 3, 2003, the common pleas court granted Vaughn's motion for summary judgment and denied IBEW's motion for summary judgment. Id. at ¶ 17. IBEW appealed1 . Id. at ¶ 20. On appeal, we first determined that the trial court had the jurisdiction to consider IBEW's civil action. Id. at ¶ 33. We then addressed the proper method for calculating the fringe benefits credit, see id. at ¶ 61. We declined to consider IBEW's other assignments of error because they were not decided by the lower court, id. at ¶ 63, and remanded this cause to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with our judgment, id. ¶ 65.

{¶ 5} Upon our remand, IBEW filed a second motion for summary judgment in which it asked the trial court to declare that Vaughn violated R.C. 4115.05 by not providing written notice to each of its employees that were not covered under a collective bargaining agreement of the identity of the prevailing wage coordinator appointed for the two public projects on which Vaughn employees worked. IBEW further requested summary judgment for Vaughn's alleged violation of R.C. 4115.071(C) by "failing to submit certified payroll reports enumerating the fringe benefit payments made for each employee" on these projects and that this violation was done intentionally within the meaning of R.C. 4115.13(H). Finally, IBEW asserted that it was entitled to summary judgment on the question of whether Vaughn violated R.C. 4115.10 by failing to pay the prevailing wage on the two projects. *Page 4

{¶ 6} Vaughn filed a memorandum in opposition and its own motion for summary judgment on the same four issues. As to the fourth issue, Vaughn pointed out that it calculated its fringe benefit credits pursuant to the method set forth by this court in IBEW I. Specifically, Vaughn claimed that for the purpose of determining compliance with Ohio's Prevailing Wage Law, it calculated the fringe benefits credit "on an hour-for-hour basis by dividing [its] total contribution to fringe benefits on public projects by the total number of hours worked by [its] employee[s] on public projects." Id. at ¶ 61.

{¶ 7} On November 7, 2007, the common pleas court entered a judgment in which it denied both IBEW's and Vaughn's motions for summary judgment on the issues raised relative to R.C. 4115.05 and 4115.10. The court did, however, grant, in part, IBEW's motion for summary judgment as it related to R.C. 4115.071(C), by finding that Vaughn did violate this statute. The court denied the motion on the question of whether that violation was intentional. Vaughn then filed a combined motion for reconsideration/motion for summary judgment of the court's ruling on the violation of R.C. 4115.071(C) claim based upon our decision inVaughn Industries, Inc. v. Dimech Serv., 167 Ohio App.3d 634,2006-Ohio-3381. On September 8, 2006, the court below granted the motion for reconsideration, determined that Vaughn was entitled to summary judgment on the R.C. 4115.071(C) claim, and held that the question of intentionality was, consequently, moot.

{¶ 8} On October 10, 2006, the court held a trial to the bench on the remaining claims alleging violations of R.C. 4115.05 and 4115.10. It subsequently entered a *Page 5 judgment in favor of Vaughn. IBEW then filed a timely motion for findings of fact and conclusions of law; Vaughn requested attorney fees per R.C. 4115.16(D). The court entered a judgment containing its findings of fact and conclusions of law on March 26, 2007. It entered a judgment denying the motion for attorney fees on April 3, 2007.

{¶ 9} IBEW appeals the trial court's judgment and asserts that the following errors occurred in the proceedings below:

{¶ 10} "I. The trial court committed reversible error when it denied appellant/cross-appellee's (`Local 8') second motion for summary judgment.

{¶ 11} "II. The trial court committed reversible error when it granted Vaughn's Civ. R. 54(B) motion for reconsideration.

{¶ 12} "III. The trial court committed reversible error when it ruled in favor of Vaughn in its March 26, 2007 trial order.

{¶ 13} "IV. The trial court committed reversible error by failing to hold that Vaughn violated R.C. 4115.05

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2008 Ohio 2992, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/intl-bd-of-electrical-workers-8-v-vaughn-indus-wd-07-026-6-20-2008-ohioctapp-2008.