Tolfa v. Ambridge Area Education Ass'n

29 Pa. D. & C.3d 60, 1984 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 431
Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Beaver County·Decided February 24, 1984·No. no. 1113 of 1978·Published

Opinion

MANNIX, J.,

This matter comes before the court on motions for summary judgment filed by all of the above named parties. They have moved for summary judgment pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 1035(b).

The contention of the Ambridge Area Education Association (hereinafter “Association”) is that a careful reading of the pleadings demonstrates that plaintiffs are in fact alleging an “unfair labor practice”. The Ambridge Area School District (hereinafter “School District”) joins in this position. If in fact this is a suit based upon an alleged “unfair labor practice” then clearly this court is without proper subject matter jurisdiction and the claim, if not otherwise barred by the applicable statute of limitation, must be filed with and proceed before the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. 43P.S.§ 1101.1301

This necessitates a careful review of the factual history of the case and the allegations contained in the plaintiffs’ complaint and amended complaint.

The Association is the statutorily designated bargaining unit for teachers in the School District. Plaintiffs are teachers in the School District who have chosen not to become members of the Association. However, and all parties agree, plaintiffs were covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement adopted by the Association and the School District which Agreement expired on June 30, 1976.

Bargaining for a new contract had begun on January 10, 1976; after no agreement could be reached, mediation sessions were held in the summer of 1976; mediation sessions terminated on August 28, 1976, and on August 30, 1976, the Association initiated a strike. However, on the latter date, plaintiffs [62] chose to report to work and five out of the six plaintiffs crossed the Association’s picket line and entered the school building. On the following day, the School District cancelled all classes for the duration of the strike.

On October 5, 1976, the Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County issued an Injunction ordering the teachers to return to work. In the opinion and order granting the injunction, the court held that the strike was illegal for the failure of the parties to exhaust the impasse procedures of Sections 801 and 802 of Act 195. On October 6, 1976, the teachers returned to work in compliance with the order of court. After a number of preliminary objections filed by the Association and a number of Amended Complaints, the Association filed an answer and joined the School District as an additional defendant. The School District filed preliminary objections which were dismissed by an order of court dated August 29, 1980. After all pleadings and discovery were completed, plaintiffs filed a certificate of readiness in November 1983. Then the Association moved for summary judgment; the School District also filed a motion for summary judgment; and plaintiffs filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, all of which are now before this court for disposition.

To dispose of said motions, we must first review the allegations set forth in plaintiffs’ complaint and amended complaint. When read together, the substance of the Association’s alleged liability is as follows:

1. That the Association began an illegal strike;

2. That said strike was motivated by malice on the part Association members in that the Association intentionally breached its collective bargaining agreement with the School District;

[63]*633. That the Association failed to live up to the obligations set forth in said collective bargaining agreement;

4. That the Association set up picket lines which prevented plaintiffs from entering the school and resuming employment;

5. That the defendant’s violated provisions of Act 195 (43 P.S. §§1101.803, 1101.002) by engaging in an illegal strike and refusing to bargain in good faith.

All parties to this lawsuit recognize “exceptions” to the rule that jurisdiction over labor disputes is vested exclusively with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. A union’s refusal to submit an employee’s grievance to arbitration does not constitute an unfair labor practice as set forth in Section 1201 (b) of The Public Employee Relations Act (43 P.S. 1101.101 et seq) and therefore, the Court of Common Pleas may entertain jurisdiction over such a claim. Ziccardi v. Commonwealth, _Pa. _, 456 A.2d 979 (1982). Also, a court may have jurisdiction over a common law action to enforce a contract. Building Service Employees International Union, Local 252 v. Schlesinger, 440 Pa. 443, 452 n.3, 269 A.2d 894, 896 (1970); Hollinger v. Department of Public Welfare, 469 Pa. 358, 365 A.2d 1245, 1249 n. 10 (1976).

Keeping these exceptions in mind, we must determine whether plaintiffs are essentially alleging unfair labor practices exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board or whether the above summarized allegations come with the recognized exceptions and therefore fall outside the limits of the board’s power. From a review of the pleadings and the facts of this case, and after hearing oral arguments and reviewing the [64] briefs, it is apparent that the recognized exceptions do not apply here.

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Tolfa v. Ambridge Area Education Ass'n, 29 Pa. D. & C.3d 60, 1984 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 431 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1984).

29 Pa. D. & C.3d 60 (Tolfa v. Ambridge Area Education Ass'n) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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