Sheetmetal Workers'int. Ass'n v. Florida H. & P., Inc.

230 So. 2d 154, 73 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2239
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 7, 1970
Docket38078
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 230 So. 2d 154 (Sheetmetal Workers'int. Ass'n v. Florida H. & P., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sheetmetal Workers'int. Ass'n v. Florida H. & P., Inc., 230 So. 2d 154, 73 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2239 (Fla. 1970).

Opinion

230 So.2d 154 (1970)

SHEETMETAL WORKERS' INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, LOCAL UNION NO. 223 and Fletcher L. Sessoms, Petitioners,
v.
FLORIDA HEAT AND POWER, INC., a Florida Corporation, Respondent.

No. 38078.

Supreme Court of Florida.

January 7, 1970.

*155 Seymour A. Gopman, of Kastenbaum, Mamber, Gopman, Epstein & Miles, Miami Beach, for petitioners.

Robert M. Sturrup, Hollywood, of Thomas, Sturrup, Della-Donna & Leopold, Fort Lauderdale, for respondent.

ADKINS, Justice.

This case arose when Florida Heat and Power, Inc., plaintiff below, began action seeking a temporary injunction against defendants, the petitioners in this Court. After a hearing without notice, defendants were enjoined from peacefully picketing plaintiff and from engaging in other union activities, including secondary pressure. To this order by the Circuit Court of Dade County, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss or quash the action and dissolve the injunction for lack of jurisdiction in the trial court. This motion was denied. The denial was appealed to the District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, which affirmed. Sheetmetal Workers' International Association, Local Union No. 223 v. Florida Heat and Power, Inc., 214 So.2d 783.

We issued writ of certiorari and assumed jurisdiction under Appellate Rule 4.5(c) (6) (3), 32 F.S.A., because the decision of the District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, is in clear and direct conflict with rules of law announced in a prior Florida appellate decision. Local 675, International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO v. Meekins, Inc., 175 So.2d 59 (2d D.C.A. 1965).

It is settled law that jurisdiction over labor activities is pre-empted in favor of the National Labor Relations Board, if the activities arguably are covered by the National Labor Relations Act. In such cases state courts may not exercise jurisdiction because the jurisdiction of the Board is paramount and exclusive. Scherer & Sons, Inc. v. International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, Local 415, 142 So.2d 290 (Fla. 1962); Garner v. Teamsters Union, 346 U.S. 485, 74 S.Ct. 161, 98 L.Ed. 228; San Diego Building Trades Council v. Garmon, 359 U.S. 236, 79 S.Ct. 773, 3 L.Ed.2d 775.

However, it is not a settled question of law whether a Florida court, when the question of possible federal jurisdiction is raised, may initially determine whether a labor dispute arguably does exist, in which case the state court must divest itself of jurisdiction; or whether, once this issue is raised, the Florida court must yield to the N.L.R.B. to decide whether it arguably does have jurisdiction. The District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, in the case sub judice, and the District Court of Appeal, Third District, in the case of Teamsters Union v. Fontainbleau Hotel Corp., 222 So.2d 54 (1969) (petition for writ of certiorari pending in this Court), decided that a Florida court may initially make the threshhold decision as to possible exclusive and pre-empted jurisdiction in the National Labor Relations Board. The District Court of Appeal, Second District, in the Meekins case, supra, stated that on these same facts the state court must yield to the National Labor Relations Board for determination; it may be argued the rule announced in the Meekins case was dictum, but even so this Court is vested with jurisdiction to resolve conflicts of appellate decisions. State v. Moore, 153 So.2d 819 (Fla. 1963).

We believe the correct principles of law were announced by this Court in Scherer, supra. To the extent consistent with the decision announced in Scherer, we reaffirm the statement of the District Court of Appeal, Second District, in Meekins. The decision of the District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, in the case sub judice is reversed. The decision of the District Court of Appeal, Third District, in Teamsters *156 Union v. Fontainbleau, supra, is not now before us for review.

In Scherer, the language of this Court made two things clear. First, that if a case is arguably subject to the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board, then the state courts must divest themselves of jurisdiction in favor of the federal Board. Second, when the question of possible or arguable federal jurisdiction arises it is for various reasons best left to be answered by the National Labor Relations Board. Justice Thornal, speaking for an unanimous Court, stated (142 So.2d at 293):

"Admittedly, many aspects of control of labor relations have been left to the states. It must be conceded, however, that where a given situation is `arguably subject' to the prohibitions or protections of the Taft-Hartley Act, the federal government has preempted state action, at least to the extent of conveying to the National Labor Relations Board the initial jurisdiction to determine the applicability of the federal law."
"* * *
"At least under the Taft-Hartley Act, the National Labor Relations Board would be the appropriate forum to determine initially the presence or absence of federal jurisdiction." (Emphasis supplied) (page 294)

The Court further stated (at 295):

"We might interpolate that in this broad area of labor relations, unless state jurisdiction is clear, time, effort and money could be conserved by initially employing the expeditious procedure which the Congress has now established to obtain a preliminary determination of jurisdiction by the National Labor Relations Board."

The concept that state courts should leave to the National Labor Relations Board the determination of jurisdiction unless state power is clear was properly echoed by the District Court of Appeal, Second District, in United Steel Workers v. Nubar Tool & Engineering Co., 148 So.2d 45, in which it was said (at page 49):

"[W]here, as here, a substantial task of fact finding is required to determine whether or not the labor activities involved are protected or prohibited under the federal act or neither, primary authority to make such a determination lies exclusively with the N.L.R.B."

The decisions in Scherer and Nubar are fully in harmony with the rules of law announced by the United States Supreme Court in San Diego Building Trades Council, supra, interpreting §§ 157 and 158, National Labor Relations Act (as amended), 29 U.S.C.A. § 141 et seq. The United States Supreme Court said:

"At the time it has not been clear whether the particular activity regulated by the States was governed by § 7 or § 8 (§ 157 or § 158) or was, perhaps, outside both these sections. But courts are not primary tribunals to adjudicate such issues. It is essential to the administration of the Act that these determinations be left in the first instance to the National Labor Relations Board. What is outside the scope of this Court's authority cannot remain within a State's power and state jurisdiction too must yield to the exclusive primary competence of the Board." (Emphasis supplied)

In Scherer, the Circuit Court of Dade County had enjoined labor activities. The District Court of Appeal reversed; 132 So.2d 359.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Maxwell v. School Bd. of Broward County
330 So. 2d 177 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1976)
CARPENTERS DIST. COUN. OF JACKSONVILLE v. Waybright
279 So. 2d 300 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1973)
United Steelworkers v. Seminole Asphalt Refining, Inc.
269 So. 2d 28 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1972)
Corn Construction, Inc. v. Broward County Building
268 So. 2d 438 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1972)
Henderson v. Plumbers Local No. 8
471 S.W.2d 929 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1971)
Carpenters District Council of Jacksonville & Vicinity v. Waybright
248 So. 2d 179 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1971)
Teamsters Local Union No. 769 v. Fontainbleau Hotel Corp.
239 So. 2d 255 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
230 So. 2d 154, 73 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sheetmetal-workersint-assn-v-florida-h-p-inc-fla-1970.