Skillsky v. Lucky Stores, Inc.

893 F.2d 1088, 1990 WL 1194
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 11, 1990
DocketNo. 88-2540
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 893 F.2d 1088 (Skillsky v. Lucky Stores, Inc.) 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
Skillsky v. Lucky Stores, Inc., 893 F.2d 1088, 1990 WL 1194 (9th Cir. 1990).

Opinion

LEAVY, Circuit Judge:

OVERVIEW

The appellant, Vance J. Skillsky (Skill-sky), brought this action for wrongful termination and other related claims against two of his former employers, Lucky Stores, Inc. (Lucky Stores) and Colombo Baking Company, Inc. (Colombo), his union, Bakery Wagon Drivers and Salesman Local Union No. 432 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers (Local 432), and Does I-XXX. Skillsky also sought to set aside an arbitration decision, affirmed by the Superior Court of California, that there was sufficient cause for his termination.

The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Lucky Stores and Colombo. It granted Local 432’s motion in limine, so that certain evidence could not be introduced against the union. The court also held that it lacked jurisdiction as to one of the claims against the union under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(h)(3). The court ultimately dismissed all claims against the union and entered judgment in favor of all defendants. Skillsky appeals.

We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.

[1090]*1090FACTS

For ten years Skillsky was employed as a bakery truck driver for Lucky Stores. He was discharged in 1982 after a confrontation with one of Lucky Stores’ managers. Skillsky was terminated for using profane and abusive language and for threatening the manager’s life.

Local 432 filed a grievance on the termination and pursued it to arbitration, requesting a reduced disciplinary action. The arbitrator found there was sufficient cause for Skillsky’s discharge based on his conduct during the confrontation, and denied his grievance. The Superior Court of California affirmed the arbitrator’s award.

Following his discharge from Lucky Stores, Local 432 referred Skillsky to Colombo for work. Colombo hired Skillsky as a probationary relief bakery truck driver. He worked intermittently for twenty-six days from June 14, 1982 until August 21, 1982. On August 21, 1982, he was informed he was no longer needed. Skillsky acquired no seniority status with Colombo because the collective bargaining agreement provided for seniority status only by working thirty consecutive days.

Colombo’s transport supervisor, Al Pas-torino, says he did not hire Skillsky as a permanent driver after he learned from a Colombo executive, Robert Herrick, that Skillsky was an unstable person with a reputation as a “kook” who would not be good for Colombo’s organization. However, Skillsky contends he was not hired because Lucky Stores management officials informed Colombo that Skillsky was a troublemaker, because seven years earlier he had filed a complaint with the California Occupational Safety and Health Association (Cal-OSHA) regarding the noise level of Lucky Stores’ trucks. As a result, Lucky Stores had to replace ten of its trucks.

Local 432 refused to process a grievance for Skillsky against Colombo. Local 432 would not file a grievance because it decided Skillsky was not entitled to a permanent position since he was only a probationary employee under section 7 of the collective bargaining agreement.

Skillsky filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, alleging wrongful termination against Lucky Stores and Colombo and breach of the duty of fair representation by Local 432. Lucky Stores removed the action to federal court. Skillsky then filed an amended complaint.

DISCUSSION

The Claims Against Lucky Stores

Skillsky alleged seven claims against Lucky Stores: (1) it used corruption and fraud to obtain the arbitrator’s award and therefore, the award should be set aside; (2) wrongful discharge in violation of public policy and in violation of the collective bargaining agreement; (3) interference with an employment relationship; (4) slander; (5) intentional infliction of emotional distress; (6) negligent infliction of emotional distress; and (7) conspiracy.

Lucky moved for summary judgment. The district court granted the motion. The court found the claim of corruption against the arbitrator was res judicata because the Superior Court judgment had affirmed the arbitration award. Similarly, the court found the wrongful discharge claim barred by collateral estoppel. The court dismissed the interference, slander, and emotional distress claims, finding there was no admissible evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact. For the same reason, the claim of conspiracy was dismissed. In addition, the court found there was no separate cause of action for conspiracy unless a wrong was committed.

Skillsky alleges his termination by Lucky Stores was wrongful in that:

[Defendant was without just cause and in violation of the agreement between LUCKY and LOCAL 432.
That said termination was further wrongful in that said termination was motivated by the exercise by plaintiff of protected activities to wit: the filing of safety complaints with appropriate governmental agencies, and as such is viola-tive of public policy.

[1091]*1091The district court ruled that this claim was barred by collateral estoppel because the arbitrator found sufficient cause for termination and the Superior Court had affirmed that decision.

On appeal, Skillsky contends Lucky Stores’ motivation for the termination— Skillsky’s filing of the Cal-OSHA complaint seven years earlier — “had not yet come to light at the time of the arbitration or its affirmation proceeding. In this situ-tation [sic] there could not possibly have been any identity of issues and thus no collateral estoppel.” Lucky Stores, on the other hand, contends that not only collateral estoppel but also res judicata apply to preclude the cause of action for wrongful discharge.

We need not decide whether res judicata or collateral estoppel apply. There is not a scintilla of evidence in the record of any motive for Lucky Stores to discharge Skillsky other than for his conduct towards the store manager, as documented in Lucky Stores’ dismissal letter of May 19, 1982. Even if Lucky Stores did inform Colombo that Skillsky filed a Cal-OSHA complaint against Lucky Stores seven years earlier, prompting Colombo’s discharge of Skillsky, it does not follow that Lucky Stores discharged Skillsky for this reason. The grant of summary judgment on this issue was proper.

In connection with the claims against Lucky Stores arising out of Colombo’s termination of Skillsky, the district court ruled that certain affidavits and deposition testimony filed in opposition to the motions for summary judgment were hearsay and therefore inadmissible against Lucky Stores. This defeated Skillsky’s claims against Lucky Stores for slander, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with an employment relationship, and conspiracy.

Hearsay “is a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted.” Fed.R.Evid. 801(c). Hearsay is inadmissible in a court of law unless it comes under one of the exceptions set forth in Federal Rule of Evidence 803. Henein v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
893 F.2d 1088, 1990 WL 1194, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/skillsky-v-lucky-stores-inc-ca9-1990.