Local 1251, International Union of United Automobile Workers v. Robertshaw Controls Co.

271 F. Supp. 373, 65 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2983, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7852
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedJuly 28, 1967
DocketCiv. No. 10409
StatusPublished

This text of 271 F. Supp. 373 (Local 1251, International Union of United Automobile Workers v. Robertshaw Controls Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Local 1251, International Union of United Automobile Workers v. Robertshaw Controls Co., 271 F. Supp. 373, 65 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2983, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7852 (D. Conn. 1967).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

ZAMPANO, District Judge.

This action, brought by the plaintiff union and certain of its individual members on behalf of themselves and other employees similarly situated, seeks damages for an alleged breach of a collective bargaining agreement between the union and Lux Clock Manufacturing Company, Inc. (Lux). The defendant, Robertshaw Controls Company (Robertshaw) is a Delaware corporation which acquired the assets of Lux in July of 1961. Lux was not served and is not a party to this action.1

Jurisdiction of the Court has been invoked under 29 U.S.C. § 185. See, Smith v. Evening News Assn., 371 U.S. 195, 83 S.Ct. 267, 9 L.Ed.2d 246 (1962); International Union, United Auto, Aerospace and Agr. Implement Workers of America v. Hoosier Corp., 383 U.S. 696, 86 S.Ct. 1107, 16 L.Ed.2d 192 (1966). There being no genuine issue of material fact, the parties have filed cross-motions for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

The individual plaintiffs claim they are members of a class of former employees of Lux who suffered damages by the failure of Lux to honor seniority rights under a collective bargaining agreement entered into between Lux and the union on April 10, 1960. They were discharged during the term of the agreement when Lux transferred certain of its operations from Waterbury, Connecticut to Lebanon, Tennessee. The plaintiffs contend that under the terms of the agreement they had a right to recall with seniority at the Tennessee plant. The defendant, on the other hand, claims members of the bargaining unit at Waterbury had no right to recall at plant locations outside Waterbury and that their seniority rights were confined to Lux operations in that city. The defendant further argues that, whatever the liability of Lux to the plaintiffs, it has not assumed that liability through its purchase of Lux assets.

Lux was a Connecticut corporation engaged in the manufacture of clocks in Waterbury, Connecticut. In the 1950’s it periodically relocated certain of its operations to Lebanon, Tennessee. In 1953 some 150 to 200 employees were laid off when Lux transferred its “alarm clock” operations to Lebanon; in 1954 and 1955, the removal of three other departments from the Waterbury plant (“Eastman”, “Piercing and Welding” and “Mechanical Minute Minder”) resulted in further layoffs. These relocations occurred prior to the time the plaintiff union became the bargaining agent for Waterbury employees.

In April, 1956, while negotiating its first contract with the union, and in October, 1957, during the term of the 1957 collective bargaining agreement, [375]*375Lux continued to transfer certain of its operations to Lebanon, resulting in more layoffs in Waterbury. During the term of the 1959 labor contract, the company moved other divisions out of Waterbury to its plants in Lebanon and in Canada.

Despite these periodic transfers of operations from the Waterbury plant to the Lebanon plant, at no time prior to 1961 did contract negotiations between Lux and the union include requests by the union that laid off employees be given priority rights at Lebanon or severance pay. No changes were sought in the “Recognition” clause or the “Rights of Management” provisions of the collective bargaining agreements.

In 1960, the union for the first time included in its contract proposals a request for severance pay for employees discharged as a result of transfer of operations to Lebanon. Lux rejected the proposal and the contract was eventually signed without the provision. In these negotiations there was no demand that laid off employees be given seniority rights at Lebanon.

The layoffs which gave rise to this lawsuit occurred between March 27, 1961 and April 3, 1961, during the term of the 1960 contract and while negotiations for the 1961 agreement were in progress. Lux refused to grant severance pay to those employees being released during this period of time. However, as part of the new 1961 collective bargaining agreement, Lux agreed to give severance pay to those employees laid off after May 10, 1961. As in the past negotiations, the union did not attempt to provide seniority rights for discharged Waterbury employees at Lebanon.

On May 17, 1961, defendant Robertshaw contracted with Lux to acquire its assets and on July 17, 1961 the acquisition was consummated. Although employees were laid off during the term of the 1961 labor agreement there is no claim that either Lux or Robertshaw violated this contract.

The main issue presented by the parties’ motions for summary judgment is whether the plaintiffs have seniority or recalled rights to employment at Lebanon, Tennessee under the 1960 collective bargaining agreement. In view of the Court’s ruling on this question, it will be unnecessary to consider the question whether Robertshaw, by acquiring Lux assets in 1961, assumed the liability of Lux to the plaintiffs under the 1960 labor contract.

Plaintiffs concede the only rights they claim have been violated arise under the 1960 agreement. Article 6 of the agreement provides:

“Section 1. Seniority is the relative status of employees with respect to continuous company service unbroken by discharge, voluntary termination or layoff exceeding one year in the case of employees with less than five years seniority and two years in the case of employees with five or more years seniority. * * *”
“Section 10. Employees laid off will be placed on a recall list in the order of their company continuous service. When jobs are available in a department from which regular employees have been permanently laid off, or in a department having similar jobs, regular employees on the recall list will be recalled in inverse order of layoff provided they have ability to perform the jobs available. However, employees who have accepted transfers out of their occupational classifications in lieu of layoff will have recall rights to their occupational classifications when openings occur in accordance with their seniority rights.”

The parties agree that Waterbury employees had a right to recall at the Waterbury plant. But the plaintiffs submit that these provisions of the agreement also granted Waterbury employees discharged between March 27, 1961 and April 3, 1961 the right to recall to new jobs in Lebanon. The defendant contends, on the other hand, that the right to recall was limited to employment at the Waterbury plant and in no way was applicable to jobs at the Lebanon factory. As a consequence neither Lux nor the defendant Robertshaw has transferred [376]*376the laid off employees to Lebanon or, in lieu of transfer, awarded severance pay.

The 1960 contract, as well as all previous contracts between the parties, contained the following “Recognition” and “Rights of Management” provisions:

“Recognition

The Company recognizes the Union as the exclusive representative of all production and maintenance employees, including Stock Clerk, of the Company in its Waterbury Plants

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Bluebook (online)
271 F. Supp. 373, 65 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2983, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7852, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/local-1251-international-union-of-united-automobile-workers-v-robertshaw-ctd-1967.