Shop 'N Save Warehouse Foods, Inc. v. United Food & Commercial Workers, Local No. 88

864 F. Supp. 113, 147 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2591, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17981, 1994 WL 587091
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedOctober 14, 1994
DocketNo. 4:93CV01437 GFG
StatusPublished

This text of 864 F. Supp. 113 (Shop 'N Save Warehouse Foods, Inc. v. United Food & Commercial Workers, Local No. 88) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shop 'N Save Warehouse Foods, Inc. v. United Food & Commercial Workers, Local No. 88, 864 F. Supp. 113, 147 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2591, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17981, 1994 WL 587091 (E.D. Mo. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

GUNN, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the parties’ cross motions for summary judgment. Plaintiff Shop ’N Save Warehouse Foods, Inc. (Shop ’N Save) filed this action under the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 185, to set aside the arbitrator’s award in a dispute related to Shop ’N Save’s discharge of an employee, Sam Coffey, cov[115]*115ered by the collective bargaining agreement between Shop ’N Save and defendant United Food and Commercial Workers, AFL-CIO-CLC, Local No. 88 (United Food). United Food filed a counterclaim to enforce the award.

At the time of the occurrences underlying this lawsuit, Shop ’N Save and United Food were parties to a collective bargaining agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of the Labor Management Relations Act, as amended 29 U.S.C. § 141 et seq. On September 3, 1992, Coffey’s employment with Shop ’N Save ceased as a direct consequence of his unwillingness to continue wearing the required back belt.

The following facts are not in dispute. On April 24, 1992, Shop ’N Save instituted a work rule mandating that employees, including all meat cutters such as Coffey, wear back belts while performing their duties at work. The letter announcing the new policy did not outline the manner in which the back belt policy was to be enforced or the range of discipline to be imposed in the event of noncompliance with the policy.

On August 15,1992, Coffey addressed with Shop ’N Save his concerns arising from the newly implemented back belt policy citing the aggravation of a pre-existing back injury. After examining Coffey in response to his complaint, Dr. Noguera concluded that he was not wearing the brace as intended and suggested that he be allowed to return to work not wearing the back belt for one week. On August 25, 1992, Dr. Noguera re-examined Coffey and determined he was medically capable of wearing the back belt at work. Jenny Sullins, claims administrator for Shop ’N Save, contacted Coffey on August 26, 1992 and informed him that he was to return to work wearing the back belt.

Thereafter United Food officers contacted Sullins and requested that Coffey be afforded a second medical opinion.1 After examining him on September 3, 1992, Dr. Rosenbaum determined in writing that Coffey was capable of wearing the back belt at work. Due to his refusal to abide by the agreement and follow the determination of Dr. Rosenbaum, Shop ’N Save terminated Coffey for insubordination.

On September 4,1992, United Food filed a grievance on behalf of Coffey alleging his wrongful discharge in violation of Article 5 of the collective bargaining agreement in effect at that time. Article 5 of the collective bargaining agreement in relevant part provides: “The management of the business and the direction of the working forces, including the right to ... suspend or discharge for proper cause ..., shall be vested in the Employer.”

United Food thereafter demanded that Shop ’N Save submit to arbitration the grievance of Coffey pursuant to Article 6 of the collective bargaining agreement. The parties selected Thomas Erbs to preside over the hearing on March 17,1993 and decide the matter of the grievance. On June 7, 1993, Arbitrator Erbs issued his award by rejecting the parties’ agreement and sustaining the grievance of Coffey. Based on the evidence presented before him, the arbitrator found in his award:

On August 27,1992, the Union President talked with the Human Resource Manager and asked if another medical opinion could be secured. Company evidence indicated that the Union agreed to accept the results of the examination by the third physician. The Company arranged for the Grievant to be examined by Dr. Rosenbaum, a clinical neurologist. Dr. Rosenbaum found no evidence of medical disorder nor any reason why the Grievant could not wear the belt____
Yet if a settlement did take place, then it follows there would be some action to enforce the settlement rather than a submission asking the Arbitrator to decide whether the Grievant either voluntarily quit or was discharged for cause. In the absence of such a submission, the Arbitrator believes it more appropriate to base his holding on the limited power he derives from the bargaining agreement rather than to assume he can both adjudicate and enforce [116]*116an undertaking to which he was not a party and which is outside the grievance procedure.

During the arbitration hearing, United Food never denied that the parties had reached an agreement to resolve the disputed matter and never offered any testimony to contradict the testimony of Shop ’N Save.

Pursuant to the Labor Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 181 et seq., Shop ’N Save challenges the June 7, 1993, arbitration award directing Shop ’N Save to reinstate Coffey to his former position with full back pay and no loss of seniority or benefits. To date Shop ’N Save has refused to comply with the arbitrator’s decision and filed its complaint to vacate the award before this Court. Shop ’N Save contends that the arbitrator ignored the parties’ oral settlement agreement wherein the parties agreed that if cleared to work wearing a back belt by Dr. Rosenbaum, Coffey would be required to work with a back belt. The parties filed cross motions for summary judgment.

Under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a movant is entitled to summary judgment if he can “show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that [he] is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); First Sec. Sav. v. Kansas Bankers Sur. Co., 849 F.2d 345, 349 (8th Cir.1988). In passing on a motion for summary judgment, a court is required to view the facts and inferences that reasonably may be derived therefrom in the light most favorable to the non-nioving party. Holloway v. Lockhart, 813 F.2d 874, 878 (8th Cir.1987). The burden of proof is on the moving party and a court should not grant a summary judgment motion unless it is convinced that there is no evidence to sustain a recovery under any circumstances. Foster v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp., 787 F.2d 390, 392 (8th Cir.1986). As the Supreme Court has stated:

The inquiry performed is the threshold inquiry of determining whether there is the need for a trial—whether, in other words, there are any genuine factual issues that properly can be resolved only by a finder of fact because they may reasonably be resolved in favor of either party.

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct.

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United Steelworkers v. Enterprise Wheel & Car Corp.
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Foster v. Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
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864 F. Supp. 113, 147 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2591, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17981, 1994 WL 587091, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shop-n-save-warehouse-foods-inc-v-united-food-commercial-workers-moed-1994.