Kettner v. Albertsons, Inc.

839 F. Supp. 1432, 144 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2760, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16168, 1993 WL 539500
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedNovember 4, 1993
DocketCiv. No. 93-714-FR
StatusPublished

This text of 839 F. Supp. 1432 (Kettner v. Albertsons, Inc.) 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
Kettner v. Albertsons, Inc., 839 F. Supp. 1432, 144 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2760, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16168, 1993 WL 539500 (D. Or. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

FRYE, District Judge:

The matter- before the court is the motion of defendant, Albertsons, Inc. (Albertsons) to dismiss the complaint of plaintiff, Michael J. Kettner (#8).

UNDISPUTED FACTS

Michael J. Kettner was hired by Albertsons on or about September 15, 1991. Upon being hired, Kettner became a member of Teamsters Local 305. As a member of Teamsters Local 305, Kettner was subject to a collective bargaining agreement (the CBA) between Albertsons’ and Kettner’s bargaining representative, the Teamsters Union.1 The CBA was effective from December 4, 1991 through September 6, 1992. The CBA established the terns and conditions of employment for Kettner in Article 1.

Only Articles XIV, XV, XXI and XXIV of the CBA are relevant to this action. Article XXIV of the CBA contains a provision regarding leaves of absence for union employees and specifically requires that all leaves of absence be requested in writing and granted in writing. Paragraph 14.1 of Article XIV provides that Albertsons can only discharge an employee based on “just cause.” Articles XIV and XV provide a grievance and final binding arbitration mechanism for an em[1434]*1434ployee who challenges his discharge. . Article XXI prohibits any agreements between employees, individually or collectively, which conflict with the terms and provisions of the CBA.

On June 16, 1992, Albertsons discharged Kettner from his employment at the distribution center. Kettner did not file a grievance under the CBA. He filed this action on June 15,1993. In his first claim for relief, Kettner alleges that Albertsons granted him parental leave of five unspecified working days; that the purpose of this leave was to accommodate the anticipated birth of his child; and that he was fired, in substantial part, for taking this leave when his child was born. In his second claim for relief, Kettner alleges that Albertsons breached an oral agreement with him regarding five days of parental leave, and that Albertsons terminated him in retaliation for taking parental leave of five days. In his third claim for relief, Kettner alleges that his supervisor negligently misrepresented that Kettner could take parental leave of five days at the time’ of the birth of his child; that Kettner relied on the representation of his supervisor; and that Kettner was subsequently terminated for taking parental leave.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) will only be granted if “it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.” Gibson v. United States, 781 F.2d 1334, 1337 (9th Cir.1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1054, 107 S.Ct. 928, 93 L.Ed.2d 979 (1987). The review is limited to the complaint, and all allegations of material fact are taken as true and viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Cassettari v. County of Nevada, 824 F.2d 735, 737 (9th Cir.1987).

CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES

Albertsons contends that all "three of Kettner’s claims are preempted by Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 185. In the alternative, Albertsons contends that Kettner’s claim based on parental leave should be dismissed because the State of Oregon does not recognize a private right of action for claims based on parental leave. In the alternative, Albertsons contends that Kettner’s claims for negligent misrepresentation should be dismissed because Kettner has failed to allege the special status or relationship between the parties necessary to create the duty required for a private right of action in Kettner.

Kettner argues that none of the three claims in his complaint are preempted by Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act because none of the three claims requires an interpretation of the CBA. Kettner argues that the Oregon Parental Leave Statute expressly grants a private right of action to him because it refers to O.R.S. 659.365, which provides a private right of action under several other discrimination statutes. Kettner also argues that under the laws of the State of Oregon, an employer owes its employees a special duty of care sufficient to establish a claim for negligent misrepresentation.

ANALYSIS AND RULING

Section 301(a) of the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U1S.C. § 185(a) (hereafter Section 301), provides for federal jurisdiction over “[sjuits for violation of contracts between an employer and labor organization.” In Avco Corp. v. Aero Lodge No. 735, etc., 390 U.S. 557, 88 S.Ct. 1235, 20 L.Ed.2d 126 (1968), the Supreme Court held that Section 301(a) preempts a contract action under state law that attempts to enforce a collective bargaining agreement. Subsequently, in Allis-Chalmers Corp. v. Lueck, 471 U.S. 202, 105 S.Ct. 1904, 85 L.Ed.2d 206 (1985), the Supreme Court extended this principle of preemption to any claim under state law that is “inextricably intertwined with consideration of the terms of the labor contract.” Id. at 213, 105 S.Ct. at 1912. “[Wjhen resolution of a state-law claim is substantially dependent upon analysis of the terms of an agreement made between the parties in a labor contract, that claim must either be treated as a § 301 claim ... or dismissed as pre-empted by federal labor-contract law.” Id. at 220, 105 S.Ct. at 1916. The Supreme Court justifies this extension of [1435]*1435the scope of preemption provided in Section 301(a) as follows:

The interests in interpretive uniformity and predictability that require that labor-contract disputes be resolved by reference to federal law also require that the meaning given to a contract phrase or term be subject to uniform federal interpretation. Thus, questions relating to what- the parties to a labor agreement agreed, and what legal consequences were intended to flow from breaches of that agreement, must be resolved by reference to uniform federal law, whether such questions arise in the context of a suit for breach of contract or in a suit alleging liability in tort.

Id. at 211, 105 S.Ct. at 1911.

Thus, under Allis-Chalmers, the relevant inquiiy here is whether the state law claim that Kettner has alleged is independent of the CBA or whether resolution of the state law claim is “inextricably intertwined” with or “substantially dependent” upon an analysis of the terms of the CBA.

1. Claim for Breach of Contract

In his second claim for relief, Kettner alleges that Albertsons breached an oral contract with Kettner, the terms of which were that Kettner “could take five working days off at a later date for the anticipated birth of his child without being discharged for doing so.” Complaint, paras. 13-15.

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839 F. Supp. 1432, 144 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2760, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16168, 1993 WL 539500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kettner-v-albertsons-inc-ord-1993.