National Elevator Industry Welfare Plan v. Viola Industries, Inc.

684 F. Supp. 1548, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26069, 1986 WL 20675
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedApril 30, 1986
DocketCiv. A. No. 84-2286-S
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 684 F. Supp. 1548 (National Elevator Industry Welfare Plan v. Viola Industries, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Elevator Industry Welfare Plan v. Viola Industries, Inc., 684 F. Supp. 1548, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26069, 1986 WL 20675 (D. Kan. 1986).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

SAFFELS, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment. Plaintiffs originally brought this action for damages on the grounds that defendants allegedly failed to timely and accurately report and pay contributions to plaintiff plans on certain employees, and that defendants were indebted to plaintiff plans for such delinquent contributions. Plaintiffs also sought an accounting to the plaintiff plans and allowance of the plaintiffs to conduct an audit, to compel the defendants to continue to timely and accurately report and pay current contributions to plaintiff plans, and for a calculation as to how much monies are due plaintiff plans.

For the purposes of the summary judgment motions, the following are uncontro-verted facts:

1. Defendant Viola Industries-Elevator Division, Inc. [hereinafter defendant Elevator] and defendant Viola Industries, Inc. [hereinafter defendant Industries], are corporations incorporated in the State of Kansas on August 15, 1968, and December 6, 1982, respectively.

2. Defendant Elevator is known in the industry and by others as “Viola Industries.”

3. Defendants are alter egos or single employers and as a result, both defendants were bound by the International Union of Elevator Constructors’ standard agreement [hereinafter IUEC].

4. On December 14, 1982, defendant Industries signed the IUEC standard agreement with the International Union of Elevator Constructors. Said agreement was entered into on December 14, 1982, and was to expire July 8,1987. The agreement provided that the signatory employer adopted and agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions of the standard agreement and agreed that all elevator constructor mechanics and helpers hired by the defendant Elevator were to be hired according to the terms and conditions of the standard agreement. The agreement recognizes the union as a bargaining representative of all elevator constructor mechanics and helpers in the employ of the [1550]*1550defendant engaged in the installation, repair, maintenance, and servicing of elevators and certain other equipment. The agreement also recognized the local unions as a first source of manpower, thus requiring defendants’ use of the local union as a first source when in need of elevator constructor mechanics and helpers. The agreement further provided that defendants would make contributions to plaintiff plans in graduated amounts as specified in each agreement for each hour of work performed by all elevator constructor mechanics and helpers in the employ of the defendants. Bob E. Viola, as president of the defendant corporations, signed similar agreements on behalf of defendant Elevator, a 1972-77 agreement and a 1977-82 agreement, and later signed the 1982-87 agreement on behalf of the defendant Industries.

5. Defendant is engaged in the business of manufacture and installation of elevators. In December 1981 the defendant Elevator was awarded the subcontract from Lummus Construction Co. for installation of an elevator at the Getty Refining Company plant in Delaware City, Delaware. On or about January 11, 1982, Torkelson-Kellogg, Inc., awarded a subcontract to defendant Elevator for the installation of an elevator at the ASARCO,’Inc., plant in Hayden, Arizona.

6. Upon the July 8, 1982, expiration of the second agreement between the defendant and the union, Bill Greer, representative of Local Union No. 94, Wichita, Kansas, contacted Bob E. Viola on or about July or August 1982 about defendant Elevator signing a new agreement.

7. On or about September 1, 1982, defendant Elevator was awarded a subcontract signed by Bob E. Viola from Brown & Root, Inc., for installation of an elevator at the Exxon plant in Mt. Belview, Texas.

8. The Exxon elevator installation job in Mt. Belview, Texas, was performed by elevator constructor mechanics and helpers of defendant Elevator during the months of October, November, and December 1982.

9. On November 18, 1982, Rooert Williams, business agent of Local Union No. 5, Philadelphia, spoke on the phone with Bob E. Viola at which time Mr. Viola indicated to Mr. Williams that defendant would not need to sign a new agreement with the union because defendant had work in the south and could work for non-union contractors.

10. On November 19, 1982, Mr. Williams sent a new agreement to defendant Elevator for Bob E. Viola’s signature. On or about December 2, 1982, Everett Treadway, General President of the union, sent a new agreement to defendant Elevator for Bob E. Viola’s signature.

11. On December 14, 1982, Bob E. Viola signed the new agreement with the Union as Bob E. Viola, President, on behalf of Viola Industries, Inc.

12. Bob E. Viola, or any other officer, director, or other representative of defendant Elevator never informed the union or any local union that Bob E. Viola had formed the new corporation, defendant Industries.

13. The new agreement [hereinafter the 1982-87 agreement] signed by Bob E. Viola provides that the signatory employer agrees to be bound by the terms and the conditions of the standard agreement terminating at midnight on July 8, 1987. Other provisions of the 1982-87 agreement are the same as set out by the 1977-82 agreement.

14. From its incorporation in 1982 to the present, defendant Industries engaged in only two jobs, both elevator installation jobs subcontracted to it by defendant Elevator: the Getty job at Delaware City, Delaware, on December 14, 1982; and, the ASARCO job at Hayden, Arizona, on or about July 11, 1983.

15. The Getty and ASARCO subcontracts provide that defendant would furnish all materials, tools, and supervision for the respective jobs. Bob E. Viola had signed the Getty and ASARCO subcontracts on behalf of both defendant Elevator and defendant Industries. There was no solicitation of bids and no competitive bidding with respect to the Getty and ASAR-CO subcontracts.

[1551]*155116. Defendant Industries in turn subcontracted the Getty elevator installation job to General Elevator Company on or about January 5, 1983, and subsequently to the Maintenance Company, Inc. [Mainco), and subcontracted the ASARCO elevator installation job to Traylor Enterprises on or about July 11, 1983.

17. While defendant Elevator and defendant Industries were engaged in the Getty and ASARCO jobs, elevator constructor mechanics and helpers of defendant Elevator performed a air carbon elevator installation job in Seadrift, Texas, during the months of April, May, and June of 1983.

18. An elevator installation job in Elmy-ra, New York, was performed for National Vitamin Products Company by elevator constructor mechanics and helpers of defendants during the months of August, September, October, and November of 1983. Elevator constructor mechanics and helpers of defendant Elevator performed a capital cement elevator installation job in San Antonio, Texas, during the months of October, November, and December of 1983.

19. An audit of a contributory employer’s records is authorized by plaintiffs’ plan documents and has been requested by plaintiffs.

20. On or about November 4, 1983, Bob E. Viola sent a letter on defendant Industries stationery to Everett Treadway, General President of the union, in which Mr. Viola indicated that defendant Industries no longer considered its agreement with the union valid.

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684 F. Supp. 1548, 1986 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26069, 1986 WL 20675, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-elevator-industry-welfare-plan-v-viola-industries-inc-ksd-1986.