Price v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers of America

46 F.R.D. 18, 71 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2167, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13471
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 13, 1969
DocketCiv. A. No. 68-1663
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 46 F.R.D. 18 (Price v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Price v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers of America, 46 F.R.D. 18, 71 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2167, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13471 (E.D. Pa. 1969).

Opinion

[20]*20MEMORANDUM OPINION

WEINER, District Judge.

The underlying controversy in this case concerns certain seniority rights under a collectively bargained labor agreement. The case is presently before this Court on defendant, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America’s (IBT) Motions to Dismiss and to quash service of process, wherein several objections and defenses to the maintenance of the action are raised.

Initially, the question of whether personal jurisdiction over IBT has been acquired is presented. Service was purportedly made upon IBT in Philadelphia by serving a copy of the complaint with an officer of Local 107. This motion raises the continuous problem of whether service upon the local union will be effective on the national union.

Section 301(d) of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 185(d), provides:

“The service of summons * * * of any court of the United States upon an officer or agent of a labor organization, in his capacity as such, shall constitute service upon the labor organization.” 1

Under appropriate circumstances, a Local may be an “agent” for a national or international union within the meaning of § 301(d) of the Act. Kreshtool v. International Longshoremen’s Ass’n, 242 F.Supp. 551 (D.Del.1965). Basically, the decisions in the area have evolved a standard which stresses the “autonomy” of the local union as the controlling factor.2 The standard was enunciated in its negative form in Morgan Drive Away, Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 268 F.2d 871 (7th Cir. 1959):

“Where [the], local labor organizations, affiliated with an international parent union, are autonomous associations, service of process upon their officers or agents is not service ‘upon an officer or agent’ of the international within the meaning of Section 301 (d), 29 U.S.C.A. § 185.” Id. at 877.

Two Circuit Court decisions have fully explored the relationship between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and its local affiliates and have reached opposite conclusions. Morgan Drive Away, Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, supra; International Brotherhood of Teamsters, etc. v. United States, 275 F.2d 610 (4th Cir. 1960). At first blush, the difference between the two decisions would seem to be a factual one rather than one that represents a different approach in applying the “autonomy” standard to IBT and its affiliates. In the Fourth Circuit decision, evidence was introduced which established that the applicable local was under trusteeship and the Court found that the local was not autonomous. However, a closer reading of the Fourth Circuit decision reveals many other areas of national control over the local evident in the constitution and charter of the union which seemingly did not impress the Seventh Circuit. In any event, the parties in the instant case agreed at the argument that when service was made on Local 107, it was in trusteeship and we think that the rationale of the Fourth Circuit decision is particularly relevant to our case.

If a local is put under trusteeship, we understand, that among other consequences, that possesion of all funds, property, books and records of the local must be delivered to IBT and such properties will not be returned to the local unless the local is restored by IBT to good standing within two years. The trustee is empowered to seize the local, appoint officers, conduct its affairs and possess and manage its monies and prop[21]*21erties. A study of IBT’s constitution gives it control of many other details of the local’s busines and operations. “The essential indicia of complete local autonomy” are “freedom in the Local to disregard the ‘advice’ of the International and to conclude negotiations independently.” N.L.R.B. v. David Buttrick Company, 361 F.2d 300, 306 (1st Cir. 1966). Whether this type of freedom is present under any circumstances within the framework- of the International is questionable; however, it certainly is not present when the local is under trusteeship. Thus, we find that Local 107 is not an independent autonomous local and hence service upon it will constitute effective service on the International. See Lavender v. United Mine Workers, 285 F.Supp. 869 (S.D.W.Va. filed April 30, 1968).

Defendant, IBT’s reliance upon the provisions contained in Article XXIY of their constitution limiting service of process on IBT to elected officers is misplaced. Clauses which attempt to limit or oust the Courts of proper jurisdiction are not sufficient to negate proper service under the applicable statute. See Boyd v. Grand Trunk Western R. R., 338 U.S. 263, 70 S.Ct. 26, 94 L.Ed. 55 (1949); Home Insurance Company of New York v. Morse, 87 U.S. (20 Wall) 445, 22 L.Ed. 365 (1874).

In addition to its attack on the personal jurisdiction of the court, defendant IBT has filed what it terms a Supplemental Motion to Dismiss which is in fact a motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b) (6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. IBT alleges that plaintiffs are without capacity or standing to sue arguing that in the absence of contrary language in the collective bargaining agreement between an employer and a union, individual employees have no standing to attack interpretations of the collective bargaining agreement by the contracting parties.

This case deals with the very troublesome problem of “dovetailing.”3 Defendant, Eastern Express Inc., a trucking company which maintains terminals and relay points in the east and middle western parts of the United States is a party to a collective bargaining agreement with IBT. Pursuant to paragraph (e) of Article 8 of the agreement, Eastern made applications for changes of operations involving its terminals and relay points in several cities. Eastern’s request was deadlocked before the Joint Area Committee and was finally granted when it was brought before a Multi-Conference Committee. One of the terms of the decision in Eastern’s case was that the employees affected in the change be dovetailed in those geographic points of domicile. Plaintiffs allege that IBT and Eastern have breached the terms of the collective bargaining agreement because they failed and refused to abide by the provisions of Article 5, paragraph 5(b) (2) of the agreement which states that transferred employees:

“shall go to the bottom of the seniority board and shall have the right of job selection only in accordance with his seniority at such terminal.”

They further allege that IBT breached its duty of fair representation. They cite the fact that IBT was the exclusive bargaining representative for both the transferred drivers and plaintiffs and that the dispute was between these two groups rather than employee and employer.

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46 F.R.D. 18, 71 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2167, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/price-v-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters-chauffeurs-warehousemen-paed-1969.