Librascope Inc. v. Precision Lodge No. 1600, International Ass'n of MacHinists

189 Cal. App. 2d 71, 10 Cal. Rptr. 795, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2148
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 9, 1961
DocketCiv. 24512
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 189 Cal. App. 2d 71 (Librascope Inc. v. Precision Lodge No. 1600, International Ass'n of MacHinists) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Librascope Inc. v. Precision Lodge No. 1600, International Ass'n of MacHinists, 189 Cal. App. 2d 71, 10 Cal. Rptr. 795, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2148 (Cal. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

VALLÉE, J.

Richard Wymer appeals from a judgment confirming an award of an arbiter.

On September 3,1958, Librascope, Inc., and Precision Lodge Number 1600 entered into a written collective bargaining agreement which contained a provision for the settlement of controversies between Librascope and its employees by arbitration.

Wymer was employed by Librascope as a machinist. Robert Levan was employed as his leadman. On January 3, 1959, an argument developed between Wymer and Levan during working hours about a possible theft of another employee’s indicator arm. A fight between Wymer and Levan followed. Wymer was discharged by Libraseope. A controversy arose between Precision and Librascope as to whether Wymer was wrongfully discharged. Librascope and Precision submitted the matter to arbitration. The issue before the arbiter was, “Did the Company violate the collective bargaining Agreement in discharging Richard Wymer?”

The collective bargaining agreement provided: “The arbiter shall render a decision or award within ten days from the date of the conclusion of the hearings unless the Company and the Union agree to give him an extension of time prior to the conclusion of the hearing.”

*74 The agreement also provided: “Any of the periods within which any of the acts required in this agreement are to be performed may be extended by mutual consent of both parties. ’ ’

The hearings were concluded on March 14, 1959. The arbiter made his award on April 21, 1959, reading: “The Company did not violate the collective bargaining Agreement in discharging Richard Wymer.” The award was acknowledged by the arbiter on June 16,1959.

On June 26, 1959, Librascope filed a verified application for an order confirming the award. The application alleged: “Arbitration hearings were completed on March 14, 1959. Thereafter, by mutual consent of the parties to the arbitration proceeding, the time within which the Arbitrator might render an award was, by mutual consent, extended to and including April 21, 1959. Said mutual consent was oral and not in writing.” Precision did not answer the application or appear in the proceedings for confirmation. On August 6, 1959, Wymer, without leave of court, filed an answer. He alleged Precision had refused to answer the application. On information and belief, he denied the allegation of the application that the time within which the arbiter might render an award was by mutual consent extended to and including April 21, 1959. He alleged that because the award was not acknowledged until June 16, 1959, it was void and the court had no jurisdiction to confirm it.

In support of the application Librascope filed a declaration of its personnel manager which stated:

“On or about April 4, 1959, while the arbitration proceeding involved in this proceeding was still undecided, I represented Librascope, Incorporated at an arbitration hearing at which the arbitrator was a Mr. Kotin, who is an associate of Michael Komaroff, the arbitrator in the instant proceeding. At that arbitration proceeding Leland G. Hewitt, who had represented Precision Lodge No. 1600 in the arbitration proceeding involved in this proceeding, also represented Precision Lodge No. 1600. In my presence he asked Mr. Kotin when the decision in the Wymer arbitration (the instant proceeding) would be made. Mr. Kotin stated that he would call Mr. Komaroff immediately. After making a telephone call, Mr. Kotin reported to Mr. Hewitt and to me that the decision in the Wymer matter would be made in a few days. ’ ’

On August 12, 1959, an order was made confirming the *75 award. On August 17, 1959, judgment was rendered to the same effect. The judgment recites that no one appeared on behalf of Precision and that Wymer appeared with counsel. Wymer appeals from the judgment.

Wymer claims the court was without jurisdiction to confirm the award. His claim is predicated on the fact that the award was not made within 10 days from the date of the conclusion of the hearings and that the arbiter did not acknowledge the award until June 16, 1959. He says there was no evidence that the time within which the award could be made was extended prior to the conclusion of the hearings and that there was no evidence of mutual consent.

It is well settled that in both the superior and reviewing courts every intendment of validity must be given the award, and the burden is on the one claiming error to support his contention. (Crofoot v. Blair Moldings Corp., 119 Cal.App.2d 156, 185 [260 P.2d 156].) It is also settled that whenever the submission names any time within which the award is to be made, the authority of the arbiter terminates with the expiration of that time and such a provision is mandatory and jurisdictional. (Rusnak v. General Controls Co., 183 Cal.App.2d 583, 584 [7 Cal.Rptr. 71]; General Metals Corp. v. Precision Lodge 1600, 183 Cal.App.2d 586, 587 [6 Cal.Rptr. 910].)

However, the parties may agree on further action by the arbiter as a continuance of the original submission. They are competent to enlarge his powers. (Jannis v. Ellis, 149 Cal.App.2d 751, 753 [308 P.2d 750].) The parties may expressly or by implication waive defects or irregularities in the proceedings. (6 C.J.S., §69, p. 209.) The time fixed by the submission for making the award may be waived by the parties or they may be estopped by their action or inaction from claiming lapse of time as a termination of the arbiter’s authority so that under the particular circumstances an award made after the expiration of the specified time may be valid. Whether a party will be held to have waived the time limitation or to be estopped from claiming that the authority of the arbiter has expired depends on the facts of each case. (Bank of Coronado v. Shreve, 51 Cal.App. 353, 355-356 [196 P. 787] ; Jannis v. Ellis, 149 Cal.App.2d 751, 754 [308 P.2d 750] ; anno., 154 A.L.R. 1392, 1403; 30 So. Cal. L. Rev. 375, 458.) The extension need not be in any particular form provided it is consented to by both parties, and *76 may be oral although the submission is in writing. If the parties extend the time limitation and the award is made within the extended time, it is valid and the court has jurisdiction to confirm it.

As stated earlier, the issue in the arbitration proceeding between Librascope and Precision was whether Wymer was wrongfully discharged, and in the proceeding Precision acted for and on behalf of Wymer. At the time Wymer filed his answer Precision had defaulted and had thereby admitted the allegation of the application for confirmation that the time within which the arbiter might render an award was by mutual consent extended to and including April 21, 1959.

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189 Cal. App. 2d 71, 10 Cal. Rptr. 795, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/librascope-inc-v-precision-lodge-no-1600-international-assn-of-calctapp-1961.