Monon Railroad v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen

215 F. Supp. 430, 52 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2633, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7076
District Court, N.D. Illinois·Decided February 11, 1963·No. No. 63 C 218·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

PERRY, District Judge.

This cause has come on to be heard upon the motion of the defendants to dissolve the restraining order heretofore entered herein which by its terms expires this day and upon the motion of plaintiff for a preliminary injunction.

Time within which the defendants are required to answer has not expired and they have not filed a written answer. However, by counsel in open court they have answered and denied all material allegations other than those passed upon in civil action No. IP63-C-47 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana by the Honorable William E. Steckler, Chief Judge of that District, wherein the same parties were therein also respectively plaintiff and defendants. For the purpose of this suit both parties admit the truth of the Findings of Fact by that Court.

The plaintiff introduced exhibits as evidence and also testimony, and the defendants cross-examined herein. Each of the parties made opening statements, including statements and admissions of fact that this court has considered.

The court finds the facts herein to be as hereinafter set forth:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff Monon Railroad is an Indiana corporation engaged in furnishing rail transportation between Chicago, Illinois, via Indianapolis, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky, and intermediate cities and towns, and is the only such carrier servicing many of them. It is a carrier within the meaning of that term as defined in Section 1 of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. § 151.

2. Defendant Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen is a labor organization and is an unincorporated association doing business in this judicial district, and is sued in its common name and is a representative of all of its members who constitute a class so numerous as to make it impossible to bring them all before this court.

3. Defendant B. W. Fern is a Vice President of the Brotherhood I'esiding in [432]*432Chicago, Illinois. He is sued individually as a member and officer of defendant Brotherhood and as a representative of the members of the Brotherhood who are so numerous as to make it impossible to bring them all before this court.

4. Defendant S. Vander Hei is a Vice President of the Brotherhood residing in Chicago, Illinois. He is sued individually as a member and officer of defendant Brotherhood and as representative of the members of the Brotherhood who are so numerous as to make it impossible to bring them all before this court.

5. This action arises under the acts . of Congress regulating commerce, including Part 1 of the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. and the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. § 151 et seq. The amount in controversy is in excess of $10,000, and this court has jurisdiction under Sections 1331 and 1337, 28 U.S.C.

6. On or about January 26, 1963 defendants caused to be served upon plaintiff the following telegram:

“DE LAA084 RX PD LAFAYETTE IND 26 554P EST=V C HALL, Director of Personnel, Report Delivery=
“Phone G17-1362 611 North 26 St Lafayette Ind.
“In support of B. of R.T. May 9, 1962 formal section six notice for indemnifying insurance covering deadheading employees. The general grievance committee in executive session this date, with the approval of the president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen decided on a peaceful withdrawal of their members from the service of the Monon Railroad at 1159 PM Saturday, January 26 1963.
“Garland F. Brown Sr Deputy President Room 413 Van Orman Fowler Hotel, Lafayette Ind.”

7. Defendants did strike against plaintiff at 11:59 P.M., Saturday, January 26, 1963, and said strike continued until 7:00 P.M. January 27, 1963, at which time it was temporarily restrained by an order of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.

8. There is no dispute over the facts in this cause. Counsel for the parties disagree only over whether “deadheading” as alleged has been proved. The differences between counsel are purely semantic. Plaintiff alleges in the Complaint and defendants admit through their counsel in his opening statement and throughout his argument that employees of the Monon Railroad of different crafts and classes are required by Monon Railroad to ride on various vehicles upon public highways in connection with their employment and that they and their dependants are not protected by a form of public liability insurance while so travelling. This controversy has continued since notice of a proposed change in compensation was made by defendants on May 9, 1962 and served upon plaintiff on May 11, 1962. There is no issue upon that fact that the parties failed to reach any agreement. Each of the parties rejected arbitration; mediation was terminated, and each of the parties was free to resort to self help or economic pressure under the law prior to the bringing of this suit. In the interim the parties reached a substantial agreement upon the amount of coverage of the employees of plaintiff represented by defendants as follows:

“The aforesaid policy shall cover all employees in the craft or class represented by the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen when required by the Monon Railroad to ride in or on any vehicle operated over a public thoroughfare and each employee shall be protected by a pub lie. liability policy on which the plaintiff will pay the premiums, said policy to provide the following benefits: (1) $100,000 for accidental death or dismemberment; (2) $3,000 blanket accident medical reimbursement, and (3) 80% of the insured employee’s salary from the Monon to a maximum $100 per week for a maximum of three (3) years, and further that [433]*433said policy shall be in a reputable insurance company.”

The only issue remaining between the parties at trial time concerned the writing of the same into a new rule. The plaintiff refused to agree to a change of rule making the foregoing a binding obligation, taking the position that a final decision should await the overall settlement upon a national basis between all railroads and all labor unions, and demanded a right of cancellation upon a thirty (30) day notice. The defendants demanded a firm change of the rule without delay. The plaintiff made an offer in open court to carry out the foregoing, conditioned upon a no strike pledge. The defendants refused to accept any such conditions.

9. Both parties agreed in open court that the controversy herein is identical with that brought by the same plaintiff and the same defendants in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division (Civil Action No. IP63-C-47), entitled Monon Railroad vs. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, et ah, except that in this cause the plaintiff has made the additional following charges and seeks relief thereon.

These charges are:

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Monon Railroad v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, 215 F. Supp. 430, 52 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2633, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7076 (N.D. Ill. 1963).

215 F. Supp. 430 (Monon Railroad v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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