North American Aviation Inc. v. United Automobile, Aircraft & Agricultural Implement Workers

124 N.E.2d 822, 69 Ohio Law. Abs. 242, 1954 Ohio App. LEXIS 861
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 12, 1954
DocketNo. 5053
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 124 N.E.2d 822 (North American Aviation Inc. v. United Automobile, Aircraft & Agricultural Implement Workers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
North American Aviation Inc. v. United Automobile, Aircraft & Agricultural Implement Workers, 124 N.E.2d 822, 69 Ohio Law. Abs. 242, 1954 Ohio App. LEXIS 861 (Ohio Ct. App. 1954).

Opinions

[244]*244OPINION

By CONN, J.

This action was begun in the Common Pleas Court by plaintiff, October 23, 1953, against the defendants for injunctive relief. In addition to the two labor unions named in the caption as defendants, the Regional Director and two representatives of the UAW-CIO, individually and in their representative capacity, were made defendants; also the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, three trustees, eleven committeemen and stewards, sergeant-at-arms and guide of Local No. 927 UAW-CIO, were made defendants individually and in their representative capacity; and also eighty-three other employes of plaintiff designated as stewards were made parties defendant and sued individually, there being in all 107 defendants, together with all other members of said local, too numerous to be named, were also made parties defendant as a class. °

Plaintiff alleges that its office, plant and place of business in Ohio is located at 4300 Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Ohio; that the plant site consists of approximately 250 acres; that the combined floor space is approximately 3,000,000 square feet; that the plant is engaged in the assembly and manufacture of naval aircraft for the United States Navy and military aircraft for the United States Air Force and Marine Corps; that plaintiff employs approximately 18,000 employes; that said local No. 927 is the duly certified and recognized bargaining agency of approximately 12,500 of plaintiff’s employes.

Plaintiff further avers that plaintiff and defendant labor unions were unable to agree upon a new contract after 30 days negotiations; that said labor organizations, acting by and through the individual defendants herein, authorized and commenced a strike against plaintiff at midnight October 22, 1953; that defendants, individually and acting in concert, picketed plaintiff’s plant in an unlawful manner and by unlawful means as more particularly set forth in plaintiff’s petition; that plaintiff was prevented from conducting its normal business operations and that as a result, the defense efforts of the United States were crippled and imperiled.

Plaintiff prayed that a restraining order against defendants issue forthwith, and without notice, and upon final hearing the order be made permanent.

[245]*245A restraining order was issued by the trial court on October 23, 1953, ex parte, on plaintiff’s application. The order, among other things, limited the number of pickets to four at each of the motor driveway entrances to the plant from Fifth Avenue and Fourteenth Avenue, and two pickets at each gateway, or other entrance to the plant from Fifth Avenue.

The order contained, in all, eleven separate specific acts, including hindering or intimidating in any manner plaintiff’s officers, agents, employes, representatives or other persons having business with plaintiff; also from interfering by violence, force, intimidation those desiring to enter or leave the plant or blocking or obstructing any of the driveways or interfering with or hindering ingress to or egress from said plant and also from loitering, grouping or congregating at or near any approaches or on public streets or highways leading to said plant.

Copies of the restraining order were served on each of the named defendants, except six who could not be found.

October 24, 1953, the defendants moved the court to vacate and set aside the temporary restraining order, which was heard on evidence and statements of counsel, and at the conclusion thereof was overruled. November 6, 1953, plaintiff filed an application for an order containing three specifications, to wit: (a) and (b) reducing number of pickets respectively at 14th Avenue and 5th Avenue entrances to plaintiff’s plant, and (c) for an order to require certain defendants named therein to show cause why they should not be punished in contempt of court for violation of the temporary restraining order during the period from October 27th to November 5th, 1953.

Hearing on the above application was had on November 12, 1953. At the conclusion thereof, the court granted the application and ordered the defendants named therein to show cause on Tuesday, November 17, 1953, why the court should not enter a finding that the temporary restraining order had been violated and that by reason thereof that said defendants be found to be in contempt of court.

Upon the opening of court on November 17, 1953, counsel for plaintiff called the court’s attention to certain purported violations of the temporary restraining order that had occurred earlier in the morning of November 17th, and thereupon, and before proceeding with the evidence to show cause in respect to occurrences on November 4th and 5th, plaintiff moved that all pickets be removed from all gates and entrances and that defendants post a bond to maintain the peace.

Written charges in contempt were filed on November 18, 1953, at 10:50 a. m., wherein it was alleged

[246]*246“that on the morning of November 17, 1953, between 6:45 and 8:30 a. m., the defendants violated, disregarded and disobeyed the temporary restraining order entered in this cause under date of October 23, 1953.”

The defendants were ordered to appear on November 18, 1953, and, at the conclusion of other matters under plaintiff’s motion of November 6, 1953, show cause why they should not be punished as for contempt.

At the conclusion of the hearing of charges previously filed, the court sustained plaintiff’s motion and found that the defendants and each of them, on November 4th and 5th, had violated the temporary restraining order issued October 23, 1953, and were in contempt of court, and each defendant was fined $200.00, or an amount in the aggregate of $20,000.00. The court ordered the fine suspended on condition that defendants obey said order.

The hearing on charges filed on November 18th, was continued to November 19, 1953, at 11:00 o’clock a. m., and the Clerk was ordered to cause notice of this order to be issued to the Sheriff, and service forthwith upon said defendants. The judgment entry recites that defendants were before the court by “general appearance.” However, it does not appear that any objection was interposed on this ground.

At the conclusion of an extended hearing on said written charges, the court on November 27, 1953, found each defendant guilty of the contempt charged, and fined each defendant $500.00, or in the alternative fined the defendants collectively $50,000.00. It was further ordered that $25,000.00 of said fine be suspended on condition that within the time stipulated, defendants satisfy claims for damages sustained by employes growing out of strike activities. On the same day, the court granted the motion of defendants to set aside the order and judgment entered as of November 17, 1953.

From said judgment, defendants have appealed to this court on questions of law.

Defendants’ assignment of errors contains eighteen specifications, but in brief and oral argument the several assignments herein have been combined in substantially the form set forth in defendants’ brief, but not in the same order, as follows:

1. The contempt proceedings were unlawful in that no written charges were filed as required by statute.

2. The court erred in admitting in evidence motion picture films and affidavits.

3.

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Related

Gilmore v. General Motors Corp.
300 N.E.2d 259 (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, 1973)
Streit v. Kestel
161 N.E.2d 409 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1959)
DeTunno v. Shull
75 Ohio Law. Abs. 602 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 N.E.2d 822, 69 Ohio Law. Abs. 242, 1954 Ohio App. LEXIS 861, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/north-american-aviation-inc-v-united-automobile-aircraft-agricultural-ohioctapp-1954.