State ex rel. Roberts v. Acropolis McLoughlin, Inc.

945 P.2d 647, 150 Or. App. 180, 1997 Ore. App. LEXIS 1295
Court of Appeals of Oregon·Decided September 24, 1997·No. 9503-01597; CA A93158·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

RIGGS, P. J.

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has filed a petition for reconsideration of our opinion in this case, State ex rel Roberts v. Acropolis McLoughlin, Inc., 149 Or App 220, 942 P2d 829 (1997), contending that we erroneously determined that BOLI did not preserve its first two assignments of error and did not request de novo review of the record. We allow reconsideration, modify our former opinion and affirm the trial court.

BOLI brought this action under ORS 653.010 et seq to enforce the minimum wage provision for dancers working at “The Acropolis,” the club of defendant Acropolis McLoughlin, Inc. (Acropolis). BOLI sought injunctive and declaratory relief with regard to dancers dancing at The Acropolis after September 1993, which the court denied on the ground that the dancers were not employees entitled to minimum wage. The specific circumstances of each claim and the court’s dispositions are set forth in our original opinion. Acropolis McLouglin, 149 Or App at 222.

On appeal, the state framed the questions presented:

“Does the ‘economic realities test’ based on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act apply to a determination whether individuals are employees or independent contractors for purposes of the state minimum wage provisions pursuant to ORS chapter 653?
“Under the economic realities test, does the evidence support the conclusion as a matter of law that the dancers in the defendant club are employees and not independent contractors?
“If the economic realities test does not apply to the definitions in ORS 653.010, under the common law factors the trial court presented in the jury instruction, does the evidence support the conclusion as a matter of law that the dancers in the defendant club are employees and not independent contractors?” (Emphasis supplied.)

[183]*183For its first assignment of error, BOLI said:

“The trial court erred in denying the state’s claim for declaratory relief.”

For its second assignment of error, BOLI said:

“The trial court erred in denying the state’s claim for injunctive relief.”

In its statement of the standard of review, BOLI said:

“This court reviews the trial court’s application of the common law test instead of the economic realities test for distinguishing employees from independent contractors and the question of the dancers’ status for errors of law.
“Complaints for injunctive relief are proceedings in equity. This court reviews de novo to determine whether the evidence presented justifies the granting of injunctive relief. ORS 19.125. Similarly, where a declaratory judgment proceeding is in the nature of a suit in equity, this court tries all factual issues de novo” (Citations omitted.)

The first portion of BOLI’s argument was directed at its contention that the trial court

“erred in refusing to apply the ‘economic realities’ test to determine whether the dancers working for defendant after September 1993 were and are employees or independent contractors.”

The portion of its brief addressing that contention asserted that the trial court erred as a matter of law in not applying the economic realities test to decide whether the dancers working at The Acropolis after September 1993 were and are employees.

In our opinion, we concluded that because BOLI argued to the trial court that criteria of both the economic realities and common-law tests should be considered, BOLI had not preserved its argument on appeal that only the economic realities test is applicable. We adhere to that conclusion. In its petition, BOLI now contends that its position on appeal is merely that the unique factors of the economic realities test should be considered in making the determination of an employment relationship. Contrary to the implication of BOLI’s argument, it is clear that the trial court did consider [184]*184factors from both the economic realities and common-law tests. In the light of the argument made to the trial court that criteria of both tests are applicable, there was no error.

BOLI says in its petition that

“[o]ne of the reasons for pursuing this appeal is BOLI’s interest in having this court determine which test applies to state minimum wage cases.” (Emphasis supplied.)

This court will take up that question when it is argued on appeal and preserved at trial.

In the second portion of its argument under the first two assignments of error, BOLI argued that under the economic realities test, “the evidence in this case” shows that dancers working for defendant after September 1993 were employees. We disposed of that contention, along with the first contention, for the reason that, in the light of the arguments made to the trial court, there could be no error in failing to apply the economic realities test exclusively. We adhere to that determination.

Finally, in the remaining portion of its brief addressing the first and second assignments of error, BOLI contended that, even under the trial court’s modified common-law definition of employee, the dancers should be considered employees of Acropolis. Although no assignment specifically asserted error in the trial court’s findings, as opposed to its application of the law, we give BOLI the benefit of the doubt and now conclude that BOLI’s final argument under the first and second assignments of error can be read as a request for de novo review. The question that we consider on de novo review is whether, under the mixed economic realities/ common-law standard formulated by the parties for the trial court, the court erred in finding that the dancers after September 1993 were not employees of Acropolis. The court’s jury instructions, which are not challenged on review and which encompass the legal standard that the parties presented to the court, are set out in full in our former opinion.1 [185]*185149 Or App at 227. We summarize the pertinent facts, as we find them:

The Acropolis is open from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m., seven days a week. The club has been in existence since 1976 and has provided entertainment in the form of nude dancing since 1988. It provides meals, alcoholic beverages and nude dancing during all hours of operations. Haralambos Polizos is the manager of The Acropolis and president of the defendant corporation, Acropolis McLoughlin, Inc. Polizos advertises the business of The Acropolis on the building marquee and through a yearly calendar containing pictures of nude or partially dressed women. Meals at The Acropolis are about one-half of the price of meals at restaurants that do not provide nude dancing entertainment.

From April 1991 to September 1993, the hiring, scheduling and management of dancers was the job of Don Cloud, who was an employee of Acropolis.

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State ex rel. Roberts v. Acropolis McLoughlin, Inc., 945 P.2d 647, 150 Or. App. 180, 1997 Ore. App. LEXIS 1295 (Or. Ct. App. 1997).

945 P.2d 647 (State ex rel. Roberts v. Acropolis McLoughlin, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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