Local 369, Bakery & Confectionery Workers International Union of America, AFL-CIO v. Cotton Baking Co.

377 F. Supp. 1172, 86 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3028, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7667
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedJuly 11, 1974
DocketCiv. A. No. 74-413
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 377 F. Supp. 1172 (Local 369, Bakery & Confectionery Workers International Union of America, AFL-CIO v. Cotton Baking Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Local 369, Bakery & Confectionery Workers International Union of America, AFL-CIO v. Cotton Baking Co., 377 F. Supp. 1172, 86 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3028, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7667 (W.D. La. 1974).

Opinion

[1173]*1173OPINION

STAGG, District Judge.

This litigation involves a suit by a labor union to enforce an award of an arbitrator pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The Complainant is Local 369, Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America, AFL-CIO, and the Respondent is the Cotton Baking Company, Inc. The matter is before this Court on Respondent’s Motion for Judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(c) F.R.C.P.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The Complainant (hereinafter called “B & C”) is the union representing one of two groups of employees working at the Respondent’s (hereinafter called “Cotton”) plant. B & C filed a grievance under the terms of its contract with Cotton. The subject of the grievance was B & C’s objection to Cotton’s having members of another union doing B & C’s work. Specifically, B & C objected to Cotton’s instructing relay drivers to assist in the unloading of old bread from the trucks at the end of each day. B & C contended that this was properly B & C’s work, to be done by dock porters. Cotton contended that the relay drivers were paid for a guaranteed number of daily and weekly hours and drivers with shorter runs were to use their idle time to help unload. A grievance procedure was initiated under the collective bargaining agreement, but failed. The matter was then submitted to arbitration, the next step provided for in the agreement.1 The arbitrator decided the work issue in favor of B & C, and, additionally, awarded a sum equal to a year’s porter’s wages to the Union. In his decision on the monetary award, he said, “ * * * it is clear economic benefit has accrued to the Company at the expense of the Union. It has saved the amount of wages of a Porter for a period of one year. Accordingly, it is further directed that the Union be awarded the wages which the Company took as what must be considered as a windfall resulting from its breach of contract.”

B & C seeks to enforce this award. Cotton, however, contends that the arbi[1174]*1174trator exceeded his authority and resists enforcement of the award.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

There are no disputed facts. All parties agree as to the fact that Cotton made a work assignment to relay drivers to do unloading, that the matter was submitted to arbitration, and that the award was made. The only issue is the singular legal issue as to whether, as a matter of law, the arbitrator exceeded his authority.

Jurisdiction is conferred on this Court pursuant to Section 301(a) of the Labor-Management Relations Act (29 U.S. C.A. 301 [a] and 28 U.S.C.A. 1337.) B & C is an unincorporated labor organization and Cotton an employer, both within the meaning of Section 301(a).

The Supreme Court in the case of Textile Workers Union v. Lincoln Mills, 1957, 353 U.S. 448, 77 S.Ct. 923, 1 L.Ed.2d 972, held that Section 301 of the Labor-Management Relations Act, 29 U. S.C. Section 185, provides a basis for the enforcement of collective bargaining agreements and the arbitration provisions contained in such agreements.

Guidelines for Courts in cases dealing with the decisions of arbitrators have been set out in the Supreme Court’s important trilogy of labor arbitration cases, the “Steelworkers Trilogy”.2 This package of jurisprudence defines the District Court’s role relative to the arbitrator’s. These cases mandate an enforcement of the arbitrator’s award, whether or not the Court agrees with the arbitrator’s interpretation of the contract, so long as it is based on the collective bargaining agreement.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has adhered to this mandate by repeatedly upholding the enforcement of arbitrator’s decisions. E. G., International Association on H. E. F. 1. & A., Loc. 66 v. Leona Lee, 5th Cir., 1974, 489 F.2d 1032; Steelworkers v. United States Gypsum Co., 5th Cir., 1974, 492 F.2d 713; Safeway Stores v. American Bakery and Conf. W. I. W., Local 111, 5th Cir., 1968, 390 F.2d 79. The Court in Leona Lee said, “In a suit to enforce an arbitration award, the court’s role is very narrow. It cannot review the merits of the award, even in deciding the question of arbitrability, nor can the court attempt to interpret the collective bargaining agreement. Insofar as the arbitrator’s decision concerns interpretation of the collective bargaining agreement, the courts cannot overrule the arbitrator because their interpretation of the agreement is different or because they disagree with the arbitrator’s fact findings.” International Association of H. E. F. I. & A., Loc. 66 v. Leona Lee, supra, 489 F.2d 1032, 1033, 1034.

The Supreme Court in U.S. Steelworkers of America v. Enterprise Wheel & Car Corp., 1960, 363 U.S. 593, 80 S.Ct. 1358, 4 L.Ed.2d 1424, noted, however, that while the arbitrator is allowed this independence he is “confined to interpretation and application of the collective bargaining agreement; he does not sit to dispense his own brand of industrial justice. He may of course look for guidance from many sources, yet his award is legitimate only so long as it draws its essence from the collective bargaining agreement. When the arbitrator’s words manifest an infidelity to this obligation, courts have no choice but to refuse enforcement of the award.” Enterprise Wheel & Car, supra, 363 U.S. at 597, 80 S.Ct. at 1361.

Although Cotton has refused to accept the arbitrator’s decision in its entirety, its primary objection is to the monetary award. In light of the Court’s role relative to the arbitrator’s, this Court must decline to delve into the wisdom of the arbitrator’s interpretation of the contract. That portion of the arbitrator’s [1175]*1175decision finding that Cotton violated its contract by allowing non-B & C employees to perform B & C work must be affirmed.

The award of one year’s porter’s wages, however, represents punitive damages and cannot be allowed to stand.

The grievance in this case was filed by the Union on January 30, 1973, protesting the actions of Cotton in transferring work which was historically and contractually that of B & C employees to employees within another bargaining unit. At the time of the dispute, the contractual wage rates for porters was fixed at $3.02 per hour. On the basis of 40 hours per week, for 50 weeks, the total amount of the arbitrator’s monetary award was approximately $6,040.00. The arbitrator reasoned, “While no present member of the unit lost pay as the result of the Company’s action, it is clear that the economic benefit has accrued to the Company at the expense of the Union. It has saved the amount of wages of a porter for the period of one year.

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377 F. Supp. 1172, 86 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3028, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7667, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/local-369-bakery-confectionery-workers-international-union-of-america-lawd-1974.