K. P. S. Restaurant Corp. v. Browne

22 Misc. 2d 593, 194 N.Y.S.2d 761, 45 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2287, 1959 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2527
New York Supreme Court·Decided November 30, 1959·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Bernard S. Meyer, J.

Plaintiff employer moves for a temporary injunction. The action seeks a permanent injunction and damages against defendant union, hereafter referred to as ‘ ‘ Local 164 ”. In a companion action, another union, hereafter referred to as “ Local 51 ”, is the plaintiff. That action is based on the same set of facts, and in it Local 51 seeks a permanent injunction and damages and has moved for a temporary injunction. Local 164 cross-moves in each proceeding on the complaint alone for dismissal of the respective complaints. The motions for temporary injunction and the cross motions to dismiss the complaints are denied.

The motions to dismiss will be considered' first. While the respective complaints may be defective with respect to the claim for money damages (see Martin v. Curran, 303 N. Y. 276; Atlantic-Pacific Mfg. v. Quinnonez, 10 Misc 2d 1019, 1028, affd. without opinion 6 A D 2d 803; General Iron Corp. v. Livingston, 12 Misc 2d 451, 455), each states a sufficient cause of action for an injunction. Goodwins, Inc. v. Hagedorn (303 N. Y. 300) establishes that where an employer has a valid and existing contract with one union, picketing by a rival union may be enjoined notwithstanding the provisions of section 876-a of the Civil Practice Act (see Benetar, Picketing and Injunctions, N. Y. U. 11th Annual Conf. on Labor, p. 127 [1958]). The complaint alleges such a contract and the motion is made on the complaint alone. The court, therefore, may not consider the affidavits submitted in opposition to the main motion and must deny the motion to dismiss. (Beisner v. Kelly, 9 A D 2d 789 [2d Dept.].) The denial is, however, without prejudice to a further motion, under rule 107 of the Rules of Civil Practice, or to the allegation of facts in the answer setting up the defense that a labor dispute exists and that section 876-a of the Civil Practice Act has not been complied with.

Turning now to the motion for a temporary injunction, the court finds that after Local 164 began organizing activities and had signed up some of the employees, a conference between the employer and representatives of Local 164 was arranged. At the request of the employer that conference was postponed, and during the period of postponement the employer signed a con[595] tract with Local 51. Local 51 has not, however, been certified by the State Labor Relations Board, and apparently has not sought such certification. On'the day on which the adjourned conference between the employer and Local 164 was to have taken place, Local 164 learned that a contract had been made with Local 51. Local 164 immediately filed charges with the State Labor Relations Board that the employer had violated subdivisions 3, 4, 5 and 10 of section 704 of the Labor Law, called out the four employees who had become members of Local 164, and began picketing. The signs used in picketing stated that:

“ The employer signed a contract with an independent UNION WITH WAGES AND CONDITIONS AND WELFARE FAR BELOW THE STANDARD CONDITIONS OF LOCAL 164 AFL-CIO. LOCAL 164 FILED AN UNFAIR LABOR CHARGE AT THE NEW YORK STATE LABOR RELATIONS BOARD. ’ ’

It was contended in the moving papers that the sign was false, . but it has not been shown that the contract terms are not below the standard conditions of Local 164, and on the oral argument it was admitted that charges were filed with the State Labor Relations Board on October 26, 1959, though at the time the affidavits were sworn to, the affiants were not aware of that fact. There is no contention in the papers that there was any violence from the time picketing began until it was stayed under the order to show cause. There is, therefore, no factual basis for the issuance of a temporary injunction restraining the picketing because of violence or the use of false or misleading signs. Consequently, if an injunction is to be issued, it must be based on the doctrine of Goodwins, Inc. v. Hagedorn (303 N. Y. 300, supra).

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K. P. S. Restaurant Corp. v. Browne, 22 Misc. 2d 593, 194 N.Y.S.2d 761, 45 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2287, 1959 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2527 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1959).

22 Misc. 2d 593 (K. P. S. Restaurant Corp. v. Browne) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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