Tynan v. KSTP, INC.

77 N.W.2d 200, 247 Minn. 168, 1956 Minn. LEXIS 563
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedApril 27, 1956
Docket36,557
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 77 N.W.2d 200 (Tynan v. KSTP, INC.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tynan v. KSTP, INC., 77 N.W.2d 200, 247 Minn. 168, 1956 Minn. LEXIS 563 (Mich. 1956).

Opinion

Nelson, Justice.

Plaintiff brought this action in the municipal court of Minneapolis to recover vacation pay allegedly owed him. Plaintiff was *170 employed by KSTP, Incorporated, defendant, as a technician. He had been so employed for approximately 17 years. He had continued his employment without interruption until on or about April 5, 1950, when a strike was called in which it appears that the plaintiff became involved; at least he voluntarily left the employ of the defendant on that date. As a member of Local No. 1216 of the Radio Broadcast Technicians Union, plaintiff’s employment rights were prescribed in a collective bargaining agreement between the local and the defendant.

The provisions of said collective bargaining agreement here pertinent are set out below. 1

The basic principles setting forth the purposes of the collective bargaining agreement may be found in the second paragraph thereof which reads as follows:

*171 “The Employer, the Union and the Employees have a mutual interest in the broadcast industry. Stabilized conditions of employment improve the relationship between the Employer, the Union, the Employees and the Public. All will benefit by harmonious relations and by adjusting any differences on a rational common sense basis and through rational, common-sense methods.”

The agreement was subject to the approval of the international president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. It was dated January 24, 1919, and approved March 15, 1919. This agreement took effect as of October 1, 1918, for a term of one year.

The agreement provided for an automatic renewal from year to year thereafter unless changed or terminated in the way therein provided. In July of 1919 the union through its representatives served notice on defendant of proposed changes in the agreement. The notice was served more than 60 days prior to October 1, 1919. The proposed changes were as follows: change in the duration of the agreement; change in wage scales; and change in vacation plans. The proposed change in vacation plans called for an amendment to *172 subd. (b) of section 3.08, Article III, to entitle employees to pro rata vacation pay on leaving “tbe employ of tbe Company either by lay-off or resignation.” Tbe collective bargaining agreement in force at tbe time of tbe notice of tbe proposed change provided that technicians who enter tbe armed forces of tbe United States, or technicians who were laid off because of a reduction in tbe technician staff, should be entitled to receive vacation pay on a pro rata basis for tbe year under consideration. Tbe change, no doubt, was suggested by tbe union representatives because it was recognized that tbe latter provision was exclusionary with regard to tbe rights of all other members of tbe technicians staff to receive vacation pay on a pro rata basis for tbe year under consideration.

It is a well-recognized rule in tbe law that the express enumeration of one or more instances of many belonging to the same class impliedly excludes tbe others. 2

Tbe negotiation for tbe proposed changes extended beyond tbe expiration date of tbe agreement and continued until tbe union went on strike April 5, 1950, at which time tbe plaintiff left tbe employ of tbe defendant. On February 14, 1951, tbe plaintiff commenced this action for tbe recovery of tbe alleged portion of bis vacation pay which be claims bad accrued up to April 5, 1950.

In essence, it is plaintiff’s position that tbe claimed vacation pay bad been earned and bad accrued during tbe period be worked for defendant after September 30, 1949. It is defendant’s position that section 3.08 by all of its terms and provisions creates a condition precedent which requires full compliance by plaintiff in order to be entitled to any earned vacation pay by reason of continuous service after September 30, 1949, which was tbe date when tbe annual term of tbe collective bargaining agreement expired. It is conceded that tbe plaintiff continued in tbe employ of tbe defendant without inter *173 ruption through September 30, 1949, and up to April 5, 1950, when he voluntarily left, without returning, because of the strike.

The plaintiff based his suit upon the terms of the agreement dated January 24, 1949, effective for one year beginning October 1, 1948, and continuing through September 30, 1949, which provided that it shall continue in effect from year to year thereafter unless changed or terminated in the way later therein provided. He attached a copy of this agreement to his complaint and alleged that, under the terms of the contract, he was entitled to vacation pay at the rate of $95 per week for each week of vacation to which he might be entitled, and prayed for judgment accordingly. His weekly pay as a technician during his period of service under consideration here was the sum of $95 per week.

Defendant by its answer admitted the existence of the collective bargaining agreement providing for an annual term and automatic renewals; that the plaintiff was a member of Radio Broadcast Technicians Local Union No. 1216, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, which organization is the labor organization referred to herein as the union; and that the plaintiff, at all times up to April 5, 1950, was one of the employees of the defendant for and on whose behalf the said agreement had been negotiated and executed. Defendant also admitted that the plaintiff had continued his employment as technician for a period of several years prior to his leaving the employ of defendant April 5, 1950, and that a labor dispute had theretofore existed between the union and the defendant due to the notice of proposed changes on defendant by the union in July 1949. 3 Defendant, however, denied plaintiff’s right to recover vacation pay in any sum whatsoever on the ground that he had failed to fulfill the *174 conditions of the agreement, which, if met, would entitle him to earned vacation pay.

The court below held the plaintiff entitled to recover from the defendant earned vacation pay on a pro rata basis covering the period beginning October 1, 1949, and ending April 5, 1950, under said section 3.08, subd. (b), of the agreement which provides for an annual vacation of 21 consecutive days with pay. Judgment was entered accordingly, after defendant had moved for amended findings and conclusions of law, or in the alternative for a new trial. This appeal is from the judgment.

The transcript of the testimony as disclosed by the record indicates oral stipulations entered into between counsel for the respective parties and testimony by the plaintiff on direct and cross-examination. The record is clear that the plaintiff was continuously in the employ of the defendant as a technician through September 30, 1949, to April 5, 1950; that no vacation rights for that period had been determined; and that he had no claim to prior vacation rights last determined as of May 1,1949.

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Bluebook (online)
77 N.W.2d 200, 247 Minn. 168, 1956 Minn. LEXIS 563, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tynan-v-kstp-inc-minn-1956.