Park & Tilford Import Corp. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters

165 P.2d 891, 27 Cal. 2d 599, 162 A.L.R. 1426, 1946 Cal. LEXIS 337, 17 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 807
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 31, 1946
DocketL. A. 18653
StatusPublished
Cited by61 cases

This text of 165 P.2d 891 (Park & Tilford Import Corp. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Park & Tilford Import Corp. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 165 P.2d 891, 27 Cal. 2d 599, 162 A.L.R. 1426, 1946 Cal. LEXIS 337, 17 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 807 (Cal. 1946).

Opinions

TRAYNOR, J.

Plaintiff, a New York corporation engaged in the manufacture, importation and sale of alcoholic beverages, maintains its local and western division offices in Los Angeles. All of its merchandise in California is brought into the state. Four per cent of the goods from its local warehouse is sold and shipped to other states and the rest is sold to customers in California. It is admittedly engaged in interstate commerce within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act. (National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., 301 U.S. 1, 32 [57 S.Ct. 615, 81 L.Ed. 893, 108 A.L.R. 1352]; Lyons v. Eagle-Picher Lead Co., 90 F.2d 321.) Its California employees include a division manager, secretary, bookkeeper, warehouse superintendent, fifteen salesmen, four office clerks and two teamster-warehousemen.

In January, 1941, plaintiff’s salesmen formed a union called the Park & Tilford Salesmen’s Association. In the same year, one teamster joined defendant Local 848; the other joined defendant Local 595. In January, 1942, representatives of Local 595, with plaintiff’s permission, interviewed the office clerks and asked them to join the union. They refused. Toward the end of February, 1942, representatives of Local 595 requested plaintiff to sign a closed shop contract covering the clerks. When plaintiff refused, the union threatened to call the teamsters out on strike, establish a picket line, and boycott plaintiff unless it signed the contract. Plaintiff again refused and in March, 1942, Local 848 was asked by Local 595 to organize the salesmen. With plaintiff’s permission Local 848 interviewed the salesmen, but they refused to join. Local 848 then submitted a closed shop contract to plaintiff, which it refused to sign upon the ground that to do so would be an unfair labor practice under the National Labor Relations Act, since the union did not represent the salesmen. On March 20, 1942, the Park & Tilford Salesmen’s Association admitted the office clerks and changed its name to Park & Tilford Mutual Association. Additional requests by the unions failed to induce plaintiff to sign the contracts, and the unions called the teamsters out on strike and began to picket plaintiff’s place of business. A boycott was instituted June 14, 1942. The Los Angeles Food and Drug Council published plaintiff’s name and business in its “Unfair List” and defendant notified many of plaintiff’s customers verbally and by circular [602]*602letter that plaintiff was “unfair” and requested them not to purchase plaintiff’s products.

On September 1, 1942, plaintiff filed a petition with the National Labor Eelations Board for the certification of a bargaining agent for its employees, and on September 2, 1942, brought an action in the superior court for an injunction. On September 3, 1942, Local 595 filed charges with the National Labor Eelations Board that plaintiff was guilty of an unfair labor practice, namely, the domination of the Park & Tilford Mutual Association. The Eegional Director refused to issue a complaint that plaintiff was guilty of an unfair labor practice, and his action was sustained by the board on an appeal by Local 595. Plaintiff’s petition before the National Labor Eelations Board was dismissed on the grounds that neither defendant labor unions nor the Park & Tilford Mutual Association presented any request for recognition and that plaintiff could not lawfully recognize defendants as exclusive bargaining representatives of plaintiff’s employees since they did not even claim to represent a majority. (47 N.L.R.B., No. 55.) In the superior court action, the court found that plaintiff suffered irreparable damage and will continue to do so unless the picketing and boycotting cease; that all activities of defendants have been peaceful; that no violence or threats of violence have occurred; and that no false or fraudulent statements were published by the unions other than the statefiient that plaintiff was “unfair to organized labor” and the publication of plaintiff’s name and business on the “Unfair List” of the Pood and Drug Council. The prayer of the complaint was that the defendants be enjoined from (1) denominating or listing plaintiff as unfair to organized labor or to defendants ; (2) taking any concerted action that would affect the sale or delivery of plaintiff’s products, “for the purpose of inducing or compelling plaintiff to violate the National Labor Eelations Act.” The complaint does not on its face seek to restrain defendants from organizing plaintiff’s employees, or to prevent the use of picketing, boycott, strike, or other concerted action for the purpose of securing membership in the Locals. The judgment, however, goes far beyond the relief sought in the complaint. The judgment expressly enjoins defendant: (1) Prom denominating or listing plaintiff as “unfair.” “(2) Prom interfering with or preventing or attempting to interfere with or to prevent, whether by picket ... or other threat of concerted action, the sale or delivery of products manufactured or distributed by Park & Tilford [603]*603Import Corporation.” “(3) From any and all picketing or boycotting of plaintiff or of plaintiff’s business, products or merchandise.” Defendants appeal.

In this state “a union may use the various forms of concerted action, such as strike, picketing, or boycott, to enforce an objective that is reasonably related to any legitimate interest of organized labor” but “the object of concerted labor activity must be proper and . . . must be sought by lawful means, otherwise the persons injured by such activity may obtain damages or injunctive relief.” (James v. Marinship Corp., 25 Cal.2d 721, 728, 729 [155 P.2d 329], and authorities there cited.)

Plaintiff contends that if it entered into a closed shop agreement with defendants or coerced its employees to join defendant unions it would commit an unfair labor practice under the National Labor Relations Act

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165 P.2d 891, 27 Cal. 2d 599, 162 A.L.R. 1426, 1946 Cal. LEXIS 337, 17 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 807, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/park-tilford-import-corp-v-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters-cal-1946.