Martin v. Parkhill Pipeline, Inc.

364 F. Supp. 474, 84 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2752, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12017
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedSeptember 6, 1973
Docket71 C 2011
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 364 F. Supp. 474 (Martin v. Parkhill Pipeline, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martin v. Parkhill Pipeline, Inc., 364 F. Supp. 474, 84 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2752, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12017 (N.D. Ill. 1973).

Opinion

*475 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BAUER, District Judge.

This cause comes on the motion of certain defendants to dismiss the instant complaint.

This is an action to recover damages for the breach of a collective bargaining agreement.

Jurisdiction is allegedly based on Section 301 of the Labor Management Relation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 185(a).

The plaintiffs are trustees of the Midwest Operating Engineers Welfare Fund and trustees of the Midwest Operating Engineers Pension Trust Fund (“plaintiff trustees”). The plaintiffs are trustees pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust for Pension and Welfare Funds established pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement entered into between International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 and certain employer associations, whose members employ members of that union. The trusts are required to be maintained and administered in accordance with the provisions of the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947, as amended, and other applicable state and federal laws. -

The defendant Parkhill Pipeline, Inc. (“Parkhill”) is an employer engaged in an industry affecting commerce, which employs or has employed members of the aforesaid union, or other local unions of International Union of Operating Engineers, and has allegedly agreed to be bound by the relevant collective bargaining agreements. The Great American Insurance Company (“Great American”) and Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (“Natural Gas”) are also defendants in this action even though they are not parties to the relevant collective bargaining agreement. Great American and Natural Gas have filed the instant motion to dismiss.

The plaintiff, in the complaint, alleges the following facts, inter alia:

1. The defendant Parkhill was an employer engaged in an industry affecting commerce and was signatory to a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers, known as the National Pipeline Agreement, under which it was required to submit welfare and pension contributions, with monthly contribution reports, to the plaintiff trustees when said employer engaged in work covered by that agreement. By virtue of the provisions contained in the collective bargaining agreements to which defendant is bound, the defendant did promise and become obligated to make contributions to the funds on behalf of its employees for each hour worked or for which wages were received. Defendant Parkhill has violated the obligations on defendant’s part, in that defendant has failed to pay to Midwest Operating Engineers Welfare Fund and Midwest Operating Engineers Pension Trust Fund the sum of $4,586.00, determined to be due upon the monthly contribution reports submitted by the defendant up to and including the month of September, 1969, together with the additional sum thereon, and costs, expenses, and fees incurred by the trustees all as in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust governing such funds set forth.
2. On or about April 18, 1969 the defendants Parkhill and Natural Gas entered into a contract for the performance of certain work under the jurisdiction of the International Union of Operating Engineers. On or about April 27, 1969 the defendant Great American, as surety, made, executed and delivered for the defendant Parkhill a Labour and Material Bond numbered 2-83-19-29, in favor of defendant Natural Gas, as the obli *476 gee thereunder. The obligation of said bond is to secure that Park-hill, as principal, make payment to all claimants (as described in the bond) for all labor and materials used or reasonably required for use in the performance of the contract entered into between the defendants Parkhill and Natural Gas. The bond is in the penal sum of $2,050,000.00. On or about the 26th day of February, 1970 the defendant Great American was duly notified of the failure on the part of the defendant Parkhill to make payment of the required contributions to each of the funds administered by plaintiffs. Notwithstanding the continued failure and refusal of the defendant Parkhill to make payment of the required contributions to the funds administered by the plaintiffs, defendant Great American refused and continues to refuse to pay the same to plaintiffs, all contrary to and in violation of its obligations and undertakings under the aforesaid Labour and Material Bond.
3. By the express terms of the Labour and Material Bond, No. 2-83-19-29, issued by the defendant Great American, it names as the obligee thereunder, Natural Gas qua trustee, for the use and benefit of the claimant thereunder. The bond and the trust created thereby was duly accepted by the defendant Natural Gas. Thus Natural Gas became bound to administer and execute the trust created thereby in accordance with the terms of the aforesaid bond. On or about February 26, 1970 the defendant Natural Gas was duly notified that the defendant Park-hill had failed to make payment to the plaintiff of the required contributions to the Midwest Operating Engineers Welfare Fund and the Midwest Operating Engineers Pension Trust Fund, all as required by the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. On February 10, 1970 the defendant Natural Gas was served with notice of a tax lien against the defendant Parkhill by the Internal Revenue Service. Nevertheless, Natural Gas informed the plaintiffs that it had retained and had in its possession certain funds due to the defendant Parkhill which were not paid over because of the failure of Parkhill to provide proper proof of payment by it. The plaintiffs are without knowledge as to whether sums retained by the defendant Natural Gas will be sufficient to meet the claim asserted by the Internal Revenue Service and the amount due them. At all times these plaintiffs were led to believe that funds retained by the defendant Natural Gas were to be for the payment of labor and material as required under the contract between Natural Gas and Parkhill and accordingly no action would be required' of plaintiffs under the aforesaid Labour and Material Bond issued by the defendant Great American. Natural Gas was duly notified of the failure of the defendant Park-hill to make payment of the required contributions to the plaintiffs. Natural Gas failed in its duty to act with care and diligence to reduce to its possession sufficient funds under the aforesaid bond, to secure to these plaintiffs the benefit of which they were entitled as beneficiaries under said bond. At no time has defendant Natural Gas, as trustee and obligee under the Labour and Material Bond, taken necessary and proper action to enforce the liability of the defendant Great American, as surety under the bond. As a result of its breaches of fiduciary duties imposed upon l|he de *477 fendant Natural Gas, these plaintiffs may be denied their remedies against the defendant Great American all to their damage in the amount of $4,596.00.

The defendants Natural Gas and Great American in support of their motions to dismiss the complaint contend:

1. that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the defendants ;
2.

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Bluebook (online)
364 F. Supp. 474, 84 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2752, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12017, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martin-v-parkhill-pipeline-inc-ilnd-1973.