Lystad v. Local Union No. 223 of International Brotherhood of Teamsters

135 F. Supp. 337, 36 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2743, 1955 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2582, 1955 Trade Cas. (CCH) 68,182
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedOctober 7, 1955
DocketCiv. No. 8284
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 135 F. Supp. 337 (Lystad v. Local Union No. 223 of International Brotherhood of Teamsters) 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
Lystad v. Local Union No. 223 of International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 135 F. Supp. 337, 36 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2743, 1955 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2582, 1955 Trade Cas. (CCH) 68,182 (D. Or. 1955).

Opinion

EAST, District Judge.

The plaintiffs above named, in their complaint for injunction, demand, inter alia:

(1) That a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction issue out of this Court, restraining the defendants and each of them, and their servants, agents and employees from in any manner interfering with the respective business operations of the plaintiffs, and from picketing or threatening other retaliation against any person or business which enters into a contract to purchase shuffleboards and scoreboards from plaintiff, American Shuffleboard Sales Co., of Seattle, and that after a trial of this cause, such injunction be made permanént.

(2) For a decree of this Court that the existing contract between the Association of Coin Machine Men of Oregon and Local Union No. 223, tends to create a monopoly and restrain commerce between the several states and is for that reason a violation of the statutes of the United States and void.

The several defendants have filed motions to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint, the Court having ordered that the motions to dismiss should stand as making issue to plaintiffs’ complaint.

A hearing was had upon these demands and the Court received the evidence offered by the parties, respectively.

Plaintiffs, Les Lystad and Stanley Lystad, constitute a co-partnership doing business under the name of American Shuffleboard Sales Co. of Seattle, Washington, and are the sellers of an amusement device generally known as a shuffleboard. The mode of utilizing this device is unimportant except that the players activate and become entitled to play the device by a coin receiving and operating device. A manually activated electrical device is used for keeping the player’s score. The Lystads, in the ordinary course of their business, offer their product for sale to citizens of other states, including the State of Oregon. We will refer to these plaintiffs as Lystads.

The plaintiff, Clyde DeGraw, hereinafter referred to as DeGraw, is the owner and operator of a business in Portland, Oregon, known as “Dekum Tavern.” The business of this plaintiff is that gen[339]*339erally known as a beer tavern offering the usual well known commodities for sale to its patrons.

For some time prior to September 1, 1955, DeGraw maintained in his premises for the amusement of his patrons, a coin operated shuffleboard of the general description aforesaid. This board was owned by the defendant, W. M. Goble, a member of the hereinafter mentioned “Coin Machine Men of Oregon,” an Oregon corporation, hereinafter referred to as Association, and used by DeGraw under a rental arrangement, the rental being computed on a fifty-fifty basis of the “take” of the device.

On or about August 26, 1955, DeGraw, through a traveling representative of Lystads, placed a “Purchase Order” for one of Lystads’ shuffleboards at a purchase price and installation charge designated as follows:

“Complete 997-
Del & installation 30-
1027.00”

This written purchase order also bore upon its face the following stamped language :

“It is understood and agreed that this order does not constitute a sale and that the equipment above described is left with the proposed purchaser on trial only for a period of not longer than 60 days. Either the seller or proposed purchaser may request that the said equipment be returned to the seller at any time within the said 60-day period, in the event of sale the terms of purchase shall be agreed upon by the parties, otherwise equipment shall be returned to the seller.”

Pursuant to this purchase order Lystads shipped from Seattle, Washington, to DeGraw at Portland, Oregon, the shuffleboard. On September 1, 1955, an employee of Lystads commenced the installation of the shuffleboard in DeGraw’s premises. This employee was a member in good standing of the Local Union of International Teamsters, etc., in Seattle, but not a member of the defendant, Local.

The defendant, Local Union No. 223, of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffers, Warehousemen and Helpers, hereinafter referred to as Local, is an unincorporated association of individuals commonly known as a labor union made up of grocery, meat, motorized and miscellaneous drivers employed in Portland, Oregon, and particularly engaged in the delivery and servicing of coin operated amusement devices.

The defendant, Lloyd Hildreth, is the secretary of Local, and the defendant, Frank Malloy, is an agent of Local. '

The defendant, Association of Coin Machine Men of Oregon, is an erroneous designation of the aforesaid Coin Machine Men of Oregon, an Oregon corporation, hereinafter referred to as Association, with its principal office located at 1003 S. W. Front Avenue, Portland, Oregon, and the defendant, Danny Matin, is an individual doing business under the assumed name and style of General Amusement Company in Portland, Oregon.

For some time prior to all of the definite dates herein mentioned, the members of Association were “composed of individuals, partnerships, co-partnerships or corporations engaged in the owning and operating and distributing of amusement devices in the City of Portland, commonly known as Pinball or Marble Machines, Cranes and Diggers, and Automatic Phonographs and Amusement Arcades which are duly licensed by said City,” and had recognized Local as the sole collective bargaining agent for their respective employees under a collective bargaining agreement in writing, effective January 1, 1955, and continuing until January 1, 1957.

This written agreement contained, among its provisions, the usual provisions for wages and hours and working conditions of the employees,' union security, etc., and also the two following provisions of interest:

[340]*340“9. Paragraph 3—
“Service to equipment on location shall be limited to installations of equipment owned by recognized Union operators under contract to Local No. 223 except where non-coin operated equipment is involved.
“15. — Employees shall service only equipment owned by their Employer and shall not service location owned equipment.”

None of the plaintiffs are members of Association.

During the period between September 1st and 3rd, 1955, the defendants, Frank Malloy and Wm. M. Goble, in conversations with DeGraw and the employee of Lystads, advised them that Lystads’ shuffleboard was “non-union” and that unless it was removed DeGraw’s place of business would be picketed. The plaintiffs refused to remove the device and on or about September 1st, pickets sponsored by Local appeared carrying picket banners with the advice that DeGraw’s premises maintained non-union installations. The picketing has been continuously maintained. No deliveries of beer have been made to DeGraw’s premises since the establishment of the picket line. DeGraw’s gross business during the week immediately preceding the picketing was between $90 and $100, with a net profit of approximately $30. That week’s business was normal. DeGraw’s business since the picketing has been reduced to a gross of $35 to $40 per week, with practically no profit.

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135 F. Supp. 337, 36 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2743, 1955 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2582, 1955 Trade Cas. (CCH) 68,182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lystad-v-local-union-no-223-of-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters-ord-1955.