Railway Labor Executives' Association v. Burnley

839 F.2d 575
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 11, 1988
Docket85-2891
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 839 F.2d 575 (Railway Labor Executives' Association v. Burnley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Railway Labor Executives' Association v. Burnley, 839 F.2d 575 (9th Cir. 1988).

Opinion

839 F.2d 575

127 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2666, 46 Fair Empl.Prac.Cas. 43,
45 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 37,760, 56 USLW 2461,
108 Lab.Cas. P 10,300,
2 Indiv.Empl.Rts.Cas. 1601,
13 O.S.H. Cas.(BNA) 1682,
1988 O.S.H.D. (CCH) P 28,153, 1 A.D. Cases 1188

RAILWAY LABOR EXECUTIVES' ASSOCIATION; United
Transportation Union General Committee of Adjustment, the
Southern Pacific Company; Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers General Committee of Adjustment, the Southern
Pacific Company; and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
James H. BURNLEY*, Secretary, Department of
Transportation; John R. Riley, Administrator,
Federal Railroad Administration,
Defendants- Appellees.

No. 85-2891.

United States Court of Appeals,
Ninth Circuit.

Argued and Submitted July 8, 1986.
Decided Feb. 11, 1988.

Lawrence M. Mann, Washington, D.C., for plaintiffs-appellants.

Marc Richman, Daniel Carey Smith, Washington, D.C., for defendants-appellees.

Alan L. Schlosser, San Francisco, Cal., for amicus curiae.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Before TANG, PREGERSON and ALARCON, Circuit Judges.

TANG, Circuit Judge:

The Railway Labor Executives' Association1 and various railway labor organizations which are constituent members (collectively "RLEA") appeal the district court's grant of summary judgment for the government. RLEA challenges the constitutionality of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations mandating blood and urine tests of employees after certain train accidents and fatal incidents, and authorizing breath and urine tests after certain accidents, incidents and rule violations. RLEA also argues that the regulations violate provisions of the Railway Labor Act, the Federal Rehabilitation Act and the Federal Railroad Safety Act. We reverse.

BACKGROUND

The regulations at issue are codified in 49 C.F.R. Part 219 (1986). They were issued by the FRA after a two-year rulemaking process on August 2, 1985 and scheduled to become effective November 1, 1985. RLEA was a party to the administrative proceedings and filed a petition for reconsideration which the Secretary denied on October 28, 1985. It then filed suit in federal district court on October 31, 1985, and received a temporary restraining order prohibiting implementation of the regulations. The TRO remained in effect until the district court granted summary judgment for the government on December 9, 1985. RLEA sought and obtained a stay pending appeal from this court on January 3, 1986 but the Supreme Court vacated the stay on January 27, 1986. Dole v. RLEA, 474 U.S. 1099, 106 S.Ct. 876, 88 L.Ed.2d 914 (1986). The regulations thus went into effect February 10, 1986 with mandatory post-accident testing beginning March 10.

The portions of the new regulation which are the subject of this challenge are Subpart C, which requires post-accident testing, and Subpart D, which authorizes testing for "cause." The key provisions are summarized below, and set out in full in the margin.

The provisions of Subpart C mandate alcohol and drug testing for all covered employees involved in various events, including: major train accidents (involving a fatality, release of hazardous material with either evacuation or injury, or $500,000 damage to railroad property); impact accidents (involving a reportable injury2 or damage to railroad property of $50,000); and fatal incidents (involving fatality of an on-duty railroad employee). 49 C.F.R. Sec. 219.201.3 The regulations require that blood and urine samples be taken from all crew members of a train involved in such an accident or incident as soon as possible afterwards. Blood samples are to be taken at independent medical facilities by qualified medical professionals or technicians. 49 C.F.R. Sec. 219.203.4 Refusal to provide a sample results in a 9 month period of disqualification. 49 C.F.R. Sec. 219.213.5

The provisions of Subpart D authorize railroads to require covered employees to submit to breath or urine tests when a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion that an employee is under the influence or impaired by alcohol or drugs. To require a urine test, two supervisors must have reasonable suspicion, and if drug use is suspected, one of them must have been trained in spotting drug use. 49 C.F.R. Sec. 219.301(b)(1),6 (c)(2)7. The railroads may also require testing when an employee is involved in an accident or incident which must be reported under Part 225 and a supervisor has reasonable suspicion that his acts or omissions contributed to the accident. 49 C.F.R. Sec. 219.301(b)(2).8 The railroads may also require testing when an employee violates a railroad operating rule listed in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 219.301(b)(3).9

There are no factual disputes in this case except as to the extent of alcohol and drug abuse in the railroad industry and the number of accidents involving either. The record shows that, between 1975 and 1984, of 791 fatalities caused by railroad employees, 37 resulted from accidents or incidents involving alcohol or drug use, or 4.7 percent. The FRA contends the problem is more serious than the 4.7 percent figure would indicate because of underreporting by the railroad industry of alcohol and drug involvement, because of the increased dangers involved in railroad transport of hazardous materials, and because drug and alcohol use has grown more pervasive in recent years.

The district court assumed the seriousness of the problem, and the RLEA concedes that alcohol and drug use are serious hazards to railroad safety. Thus, although there is some difference of opinion about just how pervasive the problem is, the central dispute in this case is not a factual one. Rather, the case involves disputes as to the statutory authority for the rule and its constitutionality.

ANALYSIS

We review a grant of summary judgment de novo. Darring v. Kincheloe, 783 F.2d 874, 876 (9th Cir.1986). We must determine, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, whether there are any genuine issues of material fact and whether the district court correctly applied the relevant substantive law. Ashton v. Cory, 780 F.2d 816, 818 (9th Cir.1986). We review questions of law de novo. United States v. McConney, 728 F.2d 1195, 1201 (9th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 824, 105 S.Ct. 101, 83 L.Ed.2d 46 (1984).

I. FOURTH AMENDMENT

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