Lockridge v. Amalgamated Ass'n of Street, Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees of America

460 P.2d 719, 93 Idaho 294, 1969 Ida. LEXIS 303, 72 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2703
Idaho Supreme Court·Decided October 15, 1969·No. No. 9959·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinions

SPEAR, Justice.

This is the second appearance of this cause before this court. See Lockridge v. Amalgamated Ass’n of St. El. Ry. & M. C. Emp., 84 Idaho 201, 369 P.2d 1006 (1962). The issue presented is the same: “Does the National Labor Relations Act pre-empt state court jurisdiction over the question of whether a union member has been improperly expelled from membership in the union for alleged non-payment of dues in violation of the contractual relationship between the two ?” Appellant union urges that seven decisions subsequent to the previous Lockridge decision require reversal of that decision. Appellant points particularly to Local 100 of United Ass’n of Journeymen & Apprentices v. Borden, 373 U.S. 690, 83 S.Ct. 1423, 10 L.Ed.2d 638 (1963); Local No. 207, International Ass’n etc. Iron Workers v. Perko, 373 U.S. 701, 83 S.Ct. 1429, 10 L.Ed.2d 646 (1963) ; Cox’s Food Center, Inc. v. Retail Clerks U. Loc. No. 1653, 91 Idaho 274, 420 P.2d 645 (1966); and Day v. Northwest Division 1055, et al., 238 Or. 624, 389 P.2d 42 (1964). It is the opinion of this court that the issues in this case are identical to those presented in International Ass’n. of Machinists v. Gonzales, 356 U.S. 617, 78 S.Ct. 923, 2 L.Ed.2d 1018 (1958), and as such require an affirmance of the decision below. However, since the decisions in Borden and Perko have to some extent impaired the vitality of Gonzales, we feel that further elaboration of the facts and law relied upon must be made and the scope of Lockridge limited as set forth herein.

Wilson P. Lockridge was born October 15, 1915. He had a limited education, completing his formal education at the conclusion of the 8th grade. Between the ages of approximately fourteen and twenty-two, he was employed on his father’s farm. Thereafter, from 1937 until May 1943 he drove truck for a creamery. In May of 1943 respondent Lockridge went to work for Union Pacific Stages, driving a bus. At that time he also became a member of the appellant union. In 1945 Lockridge began working for Greyhound Corporation or a subsidiary thereof which acquired Union Pacific Stages. Thereafter Lockridge was continually a member of the union and employed by Greyhound until November 2, 1959. On November 11 or 12, 1959, after returning from a hunting trip, Lockridge was informed that his membership in the union had been terminated and a request had been made by the union to representatives of Greyhound that his employment be [296] terminated. The contents of this letter, dated November 2, 1959, is set forth as follows:

“Mr. W. H. Egger, Regional Manager Eighth and Stewart Streets Seattle, Washington
Dear Mr. Egger:
Mr. Elmer J. Day and Mr. W. P. Lock-•.ridge are not in good standing in our Union. They have suspended themselves from membership so in compliance with Section 3 of Contract B, I am asking that you remove them from employment.
Sincerely,
/s/ C. A. BANKHEAD
C. A. Bankhead
Financial Secretary”

At that time a contract existed between appellant and Greyhound which contained the following pertinent provision referred to in the Bankhead letter:

“3. Membership in and Recognition of the Association, Grievances and Arbitration: (a) All present employees covered by this contract shall become members of the ASSOCIATION not later than thirty (30) days following its effective date and shall remain members as a condition precedent to continued employment. This section shall apply to newly hired employees thirty (30) days from the date of their employment with the COMPANY.”

The pertinent part of the Union’s Constitution and General Laws, provided as follows:

"DUES, SUSPENSIONS AND REINSTATEMENTS
“Sec. 91. All dues, * * * of the members of this Association are due and payable on the first day of each month for that month, * * * * They must be paid by the fifteenth of the month in order to continue the member in good standing. * * * A member in arrears for his dues, * * * after the fifteenth day of the month is not in good standing * * * and where a member allows his arrearage in dues, fines and assessments to run into the second month before paying the same, he shall be debarred from benefits for one month after payment. Where a member allows his arrearage for dues, fines and assessments to run over the last day of the second month without payment, he does thereby suspend himself from membership in this Association, * * * * Where agreements with employing companies provide that members must be. in continuous good financial standing, the member in arrears one month may be suspended from membership and removed from employment, in compliance with terms of the agreement.” (Emphasis added.)

It is obvious from a reading of the materials quoted above, that Lockridge was not subject to suspension or dismissal from the union for non-payment of October dues on November 2, 1959. It is equally obvious that Mr. Bankhead confused Section 3 of Contract B, the only one applicable to Lockridge with Section 3 of Contract C, which provided for suspension of members not in good standing.1

[297] At this point it is interesting to note the results of the divergent remedies which were sought by the two suspended members. Day immediately filed an unfair labor practice charge with the N.L.R.B. Seattle Regional Office. Lockridge began petitioning the union for redress of his grievances. Day’s petition was rejected by the regional director of the N.L.R.B.2

Lockridge’s appeal was rejected by the union.3

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Lockridge v. Amalgamated Ass'n of Street, Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees of America, 460 P.2d 719, 93 Idaho 294, 1969 Ida. LEXIS 303, 72 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2703 (Idaho 1969).

460 P.2d 719 (Lockridge v. Amalgamated Ass'n of Street, Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees of America) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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