Schoenig v. State

11 Ill. Ct. Cl. 634, 1941 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 97
CourtCourt of Claims of Illinois
DecidedJune 24, 1941
DocketNo. 2501
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 11 Ill. Ct. Cl. 634 (Schoenig v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Claims of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schoenig v. State, 11 Ill. Ct. Cl. 634, 1941 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 97 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1941).

Opinion

Per Curiam

The complaint in this case alleges that on October 14, 1930, John R. Cranor was general superintendent of the lilinois State Reformatory at Pontiac, Illinois, and the official of the State charged with the employment of teachers and other workers at this reformatory. That on or about that date, as General Superintendent, he requested the business manager of Local Union No. 122 of the International Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers and Helpers to furnish him with a member of the Union who could teach the trade of blacksmithing to the inmates of the reformatory, and agreed to pay such an individual the sum of One Hundred Seventy-five Dollars per month, and in addition thereto to furnish him with his maintenance, then valued at Twenty-five Dollars per month. That pursuant to that request, the Union Business Agent sent the claimant John Schoenig to Cranor as an applicant for the job and he was employed as a teacher of the trade of blacksmithing at the Pontiac Reformatory, otherwise known as Hlinois State Reformatory, at the compensation above mentioned. The claimant commenced work on about October 15, 1930, and continued to occupy such position until September 5, 1933, and at all times performed all tasks assigned to him, and his work met with the approval of the General Superintendent and other officials of the Illinois State Reformatory. When the claimant took the position he had an understanding that he would do so only for the consideration of the agreed compensation and only on condition the hours and conditions of labor in that position should be subject to the rules and regulations then laid down by the Union, and that was agreed to by the General Superintendent, Cranor, but, notwithstanding, the agreement, from the date claimant commenced work until May 1, 1931, claimant was only paid one hundred fifty dollars per month instead of one hundred seventy-five dollars per month agreed upon. On this account, he objected to the General Superintendent and Superintendent Cranor to each objection stated he expected to pay the said $175.00 per month, but they had not been able to get that through the necessary appropriation, but convinced the claimant that he would have the necessary appropriation through subsequently and then would pay to claimant the additional $25.00 per month for each month claimant was employed. Claimant made frequent requests for this additional sum of $25.00 per month, which represented the difference in the salary of $175.00 per month agreed upon and the salary of $150.00 per month paid during the period from October 15th, 1930 to May 1, 1931; and that amount never has been paid to claimant, and it is charged the State in equity and good conscience is obligated to pay this amount, which totals the sum of $162.50, to the claimant.

It is further charged that May 5, 1931, claimant was notified by the Superintendent that effective May, 1931, his salary would be increased to $175.00 per month, and this sum was paid to claimant from that time until January 1, 1933.

When claimant commenced work, on or about October 15, 1930, and for some time subsequent thereto, he lived at the Reformatory, and his room and board were furnished free of charge to him, but prior to March 1, 1931, claimant found it impossible for him to reside in the Reformatory any longer and with the consent and approval of Superintendent Oranor moved to a residence in the city of Pontiac, located outside of the Reformatory, and pursuant to the agreement made when he was employed, claimant became entitled to the agreed reimbursement of $25.00 per month.

It is also charged that after January 1, 1933, claimant was notified that his salary would be cut from $175.00 to $157.50, effective January 1, 1933, and claimant was paid the sum of $157.50 per month from February 1st, 1933 until September 3, 1933, but the agreed sum of $25.00 for maintenance was never paid to claimant, although often requested by him, and it is charged that in equity and good conscience the State of Illinois is obligated to pay claimant the sum of $775.00, representing the maintenance reimbursement to him from the period of March 1st, 1931 until September 5, 1933, at the rate of $25.00 per month.

It is also charged that under the Union rules and regulations, which were the conditions of employment agreed upon by claimant and the said General Superintendent Oranor, when claimant started to work, an employee could not be discharged without giving such employee thirty days notice in writing and that in opposition to these rules and regulations so agreed upon, claimant was discharged on September 5, 1933 without the thirty days notice, and by reason therefor the State became obligated in equity and good conscience to pay to claimant the sum of $118.11, representing salary which claimant would have earned during the.remainder of September had the notice of discharge been given as agreed upon. This averment is in Paragraph 9 of the complaint.

It is also charged, in Paragraph 10 of the complaint, that the Union rules and regulations, which were the conditions of employment agreed upon by claimant and Superintendent Cranor, when claimant started to work, he was entitled each year to a vacation of two weeks with pay, but in 1933 the officials of the Reformatory refused to allow claimant to take said vacation and by reason thereof the State of Illinois became obligated in equity and good conscience to pay claimant the sum of $78.75, representing the salary to claimant for two weeks work.

Under Paragraph 11, it is further charged that under said Union rules and regulations, which were the conditions of employment agreed upon by claimant and Superintendent Cranor, when claimant started to work, claimant was to work only 44 hours a week, and additional compensation was to be paid for all additional work which should be required from him at the regular rate per hour at which claimant was then employed, namely, the rate of $1.19 per hour; that during the reconstruction of the power house claimant was required and did work 114 hours in addition to his regular hours of labor for which he was entitled, under the agreement, to compensation at the rate of $1.19 per hour, that is, to total compensation in the sum of $135.66; and that on the fence job for the Governor’s Mansion, the claimant worked 48 hours in addition to his regular hours of labor; that on the fence job for the Chicago Eye and Ear Institution he worked 112 hours in addition to his regular hours of labor; on the shop lay-out job 60 hours in addition to his regular hours, and on other work 80 hours in addition to his regular hours, making a total of 298 hours in addition to his regular hours of labor on jobs other than reconstruction of the power house previously referred to, for which 298 hours claimant was entitled to compensation at the rate of $1.19 an hour, or a total of $354.62, and although claimant has often requested the officials of the Reformatory for payment of said sums to him for said overtime work, claimant has been refused, wherefore, in equity and good conscience the State of Illinois is obligated to pay claimant said sum of $135.66 and the further sum of $354.62 for said overtime work, and for failure to pay these various obligations claimant says that the State of Illinois owes him the total sum of $1,624.64.

This court has repeatedly held that before a claimant can have an award against the State he must show that he comes within the provisions of some law making the State liable to him for the amount claimed.

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Related

Bellini v. State
35 Ill. Ct. Cl. 701 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1982)
Wilder Mobile Homes, Inc. v. State
33 Ill. Ct. Cl. 227 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1980)
Klingberg Schools v. State
33 Ill. Ct. Cl. 184 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
11 Ill. Ct. Cl. 634, 1941 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 97, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schoenig-v-state-ilclaimsct-1941.