Peckler v. Cullerton

236 N.E.2d 289, 92 Ill. App. 2d 290, 68 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2524, 1968 Ill. App. LEXIS 942
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 31, 1968
DocketGen. 52,040
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 236 N.E.2d 289 (Peckler v. Cullerton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peckler v. Cullerton, 236 N.E.2d 289, 92 Ill. App. 2d 290, 68 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2524, 1968 Ill. App. LEXIS 942 (Ill. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE DRUCKER

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an appeal from an interlocutory injunction granting relief of a mandatory nature. Ten state employees as members of this class and officers of a union brought an action seeking injunctive and declaratory relief and the issuance of writs of mandamus against Maude Myers, Director of Personnel of the State of Illinois, and John Cullerton, Director of Department of Labor. The complaint alleged a failure on defendant Myers’ part to recognize the union represented by plaintiffs or to heed its petitions, and a refusal on defendant Cullerton’s part to conduct a public hearing to inquire into this dispute.

On January 24, 1967, plaintiffs moved for a temporary restraining order alleging that defendants had failed to take the action requested in the complaint and that the “continuing failure of defendants and/or the defendants’ delegated representatives to afford Plaintiffs and Petitioners any opportunity to present the demands, proposals and recommendations of the class of employees covered by the complaint and petition concerning their hours, wages and working conditions during the course of protracted litigation is likely to cause irreparable damage to Plaintiffs and Petitioners and permanently weaken constructive employer-employee relations between said employees and their employer.” The motion requested that defendant Myers be required (1) to convene a meeting for the purpose of receiving demands, proposals and recommendations covering hours, wages and working conditions by representatives of Local 1006, and (2) to agree to a schedule of meetings with the union representatives for the purpose of responding to the demands, proposals and recommendations. The motion further requested that defendant Cullerton be ordered to participate in said meetings in accordance with the spirit of paragraph 26, chapter 10, Illinois Revised Statutes. 1

Defendants filed a motion to dismiss on February 3, 1967, stating that the court lacked jurisdiction and that no cause of action was stated upon which relief could be granted.

Defendants also filed the following objections to the motion for temporary restraining order:

1. The motion does not allege facts which demonstrate that irreparable injury will result if a temporary restraining order is not issued;
2. The issuance of a temporary restraining order in this cause would not maintain the status quo, which is the primary purpose of such relief;
3. The relief sought by plaintiffs varies from the relief sought by the complaint, and no allegations of changed conditions are made;
4. A temporary restraining order may not be granted by a Court of this State.

On February 9, 1967, the court entered the following order which is the subject of this appeal:

This cause coming on to be heard on February 6, 1967, on the verified motion of plaintiffs for a temporary restraining order, and the Court having examined the verified complaint herein, said motion with plaintiffs’ supporting memorandum, the Objections to said motion and defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, together with supporting memoranda, having heard oral argument of the parties, and being fully advised in the premises,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiffs’ motion be granted, and an appropriate injunction writ issue without bond, in the following respects:

(1) Defendants John Cullerton (as Director of Labor of the State of Illinois) and Maude Myers (as Director of Personnel of the State of Illinois) are ordered to meet, personally or by their designated representatives, with representatives of Local 1006, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, on behalf of the 1,854 employees of the Bureau of Employment Security, State of Illinois, whose names appear in the Petitions attached to the complaint as Exhibit A, on March 2, 1967, in Room 1414, 160 North La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois, at 1:00 P. M.;
(2) At said time and place plaintiffs shall present demands, proposals and recommendations in writing, pertaining to hours, wages and working conditions of said employees of the Bureau of Employment Security, to defendants or their designated representatives;
(3) Following said meeting the parties may meet at such times and places as are mutually agreeable, but, in any event, shall conduct at least one meeting no later than March 17, 1967, for the purpose of responding to any demands, proposals or recommendations which were submitted to defendants at the first said meeting;
(4) Within 14 days of the said second meeting, the parties shall report the results of said meetings to this Court.

Defendants contend that the court abused its discretion in granting the mandatory injunction. We must therefore determine whether in the instant case there has been a showing that it is an extreme case where the right is clearly established and extreme urgency exists for these are the rigid standards and limits of discretion in the issuance of a preliminary mandatory injunction.

The guiding principles relating to the issuance of a temporary mandatory injunction are well stated in Ambassador Foods Corp. v. Montgomery Ward & Co., 43 Ill App2d 100, 192 NE2d 572, at page 104:

There is a sound judicial skepticism concerning the need of a mandatory injunction even when its issuance is sought after a full hearing of the case. So much more so is this true when the court is asked to make such drastic use of its powers preliminarily. We are dealing here with “an extraordinary remedial process which is not a matter of right, but may be granted only upon the exercise of sound judicial discretion in cases of great necessity.” [Citing cases.] For a court to find that there exists the extreme urgency or “great necessity” justifying a mandatory injunction, the need for such relief must, indeed, be clearly established and free from doubt. [Citing cases.]

In Cleaning & Dyeing Plant Owners Ass’n of Chicago v. Sterling Cleaners & Dyers, Inc., 278 Ill App 70, at page 77 it was said:

The rule is that caution should be exercised in the issuance of a mandatory injunction based upon the sworn bill of complaint alone. The plaintiff must make out a clear case, free from doubt or dispute, as a basis for its issuance. Where, as in the instant case, complete relief may be afforded the complainant upon a final hearing, upon the facts stated in the bill, the plaintiffs are not entitled to a temporary injunction which is mandatory in character. [Emphasis added.]

And at page 80 the court said:

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Bluebook (online)
236 N.E.2d 289, 92 Ill. App. 2d 290, 68 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2524, 1968 Ill. App. LEXIS 942, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peckler-v-cullerton-illappct-1968.