Torbett v. International Typographical Union

1973 OK 28, 508 P.2d 268, 1973 Okla. LEXIS 499
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 20, 1973
DocketNo. 45136
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1973 OK 28 (Torbett v. International Typographical Union) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Torbett v. International Typographical Union, 1973 OK 28, 508 P.2d 268, 1973 Okla. LEXIS 499 (Okla. 1973).

Opinion

DAVISON, Chief Justice:

The International Typographical Union (the Union), through its Executive Council, rejected H. B. Torbett’s (the member’s) application for pension benefits. Upon rejection, the member (then 72 years of age) commenced an action against the Union, alleging his dues paying membership in the Union continuously for over SO years during which time he paid into the Union sums of money designated by the Union as Old Age Pension Benefits. The payments were allegedly made in accordance with terms, rules and regulations of the Union as set forth in “The Book of Laws” of the Union. The member alleged further that he was entitled under “The Book of Laws” to receive pension benefits of $100.00 per month by virtue of his having attained the age of 60 years with 25 years of continuous membership immediately preceding the time (March 1969) of application for pension benefits.

The member, asserting the Union rejected his application for pension benefits without just cause, prayed that the trial court order the Union to pay the member the claimed pension benefits or, in the alternative, to pay the member $9900.00, which sum is the aggregate amount paid by the member to the Union, with interest thereon for the period of each payment with the costs of this action.

The Union in its answer plead: I, that the trial court lacked jurisdiction over the Union; II, a denial of the allegations of the member’s petition; III, that the member has failed to exhaust his administrative remedies by appealing to the Union’s International Convention from the Executive Council’s rejection of the member’s’application; and IV, that the member’s suspension on July 10, 1969 from membership of a local union for non-payment of dues precluded the member’s continuous membership for at least 25 years immediately preceding the time of application for pension benefits. Additionally, the member is not unable to continue in or secure sustaining employment because of age or disability.

On the basis of the foregoing, the Union prayed that the member take nothing.

We must first consider the member’s assertion that the Union did not perfect its appeal due to its failure to file its petition-in-error in this court within thirty days from the final judgment or final order. 12 O.S.1961, § 990 (Supp. 1969) and Rules of Appellate Procedure in Civil Cases, Rule 1.15. Rule 1.11 provides in part: “. . . . if the case is tried to the court, judgment is deemed rendered when its terms are completely pronounced by the judge and clearly resolve all the issues in controversy.”

The trial court’s judgment rendered January 25, 1971 found, among other things, that the said International Typographical Union must pay the old age pension to plaintiff herein unless it can show that plaintiff's earnings as operator of Torbett Printing Shop are in excess of those permitted by Art. II § 3 of the International Typographical Union By Laws.

The last paragraph of the Journal Entry of Judgment declares: “The Court therefor retains jurisdiction of this case for the purpose of hearing evidence pertaining to the earnings of the said printing Company.” Presumably after hearing evidence the trial court in its order of July 26, 1971 found that plaintiff’s earnings were not in excess of those permitted by Art. II, § 3 of Defendant’s By-Laws, computed on the Tulsa scale of the daily earning rate. Although making such findings was all that the trial court- retained jurisdiction to do in its judgment of January 25, 1971, nevertheless, the trial court, recognizing a condition precedent to the finality of the judgment that had not been made a condition of the judgment of January 25, 1971, found and ordered “that and [a] good part of the problem in this case was created by the plaintiff’s failure to pay his union dues figured on the Tulsa scale. It is therefore the order of this court that the plaintiff shall not receive pension payment past or current unless and until he pays his union dues up to date plus any applicable penal[270]*270ties for late payment and pays the courts costs of this action.” Since the trial court that rendered the judgment of January 25, 1971 recognized by its order of July 26, 1971, that the terms of the judgment of January 25, 1971 were not completely pronounced as provided in Rule 1.11, the order of July 26, 1971 was the final judgment. The Petition in Error was therefore timely filed on August 20, 1971.

The Union urges first, that the trial court erred in overruling its motion to quash couched in the generality that the summons directed to the Union was not issued, served and returned according to law.

The Union was purportedly served by serving one R. V. Longwith, a resident of Okmulgee County, as the Union’s agent for service. The motion to quash was accompanied by an affidavit of Vester J. Furr, Business Agent of International Typographical Union Local No. 403. Long-with, at the time of service, was a member of the Union receiving pension benefits from the Union. Furr’s affidavit did not state that Longwith was not a member of the Union but stated he “is no longer an active member.” Although not raised specifically by the motion to quash, the Union now argues that the service was defective additionally because it was not established that the Union was an association that transacted “business for gain or speculation under a particular appellation, not being incorporated.”

These contentions call for the application of 12 O.S.1961, § 182, which provides in part: “When two or more persons associate themselves together and transact business for gain or speculation under a particular appellation, not being incorporated, they may be sued by such appellation without naming the individuals composing such association and service of process may be had upon such association by personal service as provided by law for services of summons in civil actions, upon any member of such unincorporated association.”

Longwith, although at the time of service of process was receiving pension benefits and was not an active member of any local of the Union remains a member of the Union in every real sense. He is subject to the Union’s Constitution and valid By-Laws as well as valid legislative enactments of an International Convention. The Union exercises surveillance over his conduct; the Executive Council of the Union can suspend or discontinue his benefits (Union’s By-Laws, Art. XX, § 9); this pension of $100.00 is not paid for a particular four weeks if his personal earnings for that four weeks exceed a certain sum. (Union’s By-Laws, Art. XX, § 3). The applicable language of 12 O.S.1961, § 182, quoted above, requires service on a member of the Union. The clear import of Furr’s affidavit is that Longwith is a member of the Union.

The Union’s additional challenge to the service of summons, invoking the language of § 182, is that no showing was made that the Union transacted business for gain or speculation. As indicated the motion to quash was general. No reference to this point was made in the motion to quash or in Furr’s affidavit. A motion to quash of this general nature only suggests the invalidity of service that appears on the face of the summons or the return. In Rose v. Walker, Old., 380 P.2d 702, we said:

“A simple allegation that a summons was not issued served and returned according to law, generally speaking, is in the nature of a demurrer to the summons and puts in issue only those defects which appear upon .the face of the summons and the service and return thereof.”

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Related

Torbett v. Internationall Typographical Union
1975 OK CIV APP 31 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1975)
Elwood v. Associated Milk Producers, Inc.
1974 OK CIV APP 129 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
1973 OK 28, 508 P.2d 268, 1973 Okla. LEXIS 499, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/torbett-v-international-typographical-union-okla-1973.