United Government Security Officers of America, International Union v. Exelon Nuclear Security, LLC

24 F. Supp. 3d 460, 199 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3590, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75186, 2014 WL 2476434
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 3, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 11-1928
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 24 F. Supp. 3d 460 (United Government Security Officers of America, International Union v. Exelon Nuclear Security, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United Government Security Officers of America, International Union v. Exelon Nuclear Security, LLC, 24 F. Supp. 3d 460, 199 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3590, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75186, 2014 WL 2476434 (E.D. Pa. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

PRATTER, District Judge.

The United Government Security Officers of America, International Union, and its Local 17 (collectively, “the Union”), sued Exelon Nuclear Security (“ENS”) to compel arbitration, pursuant to the parties’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”), of the Union’s grievance, filed on behalf of [462]*462armed nuclear security officer (“ANSO”) and Union member William Bastone, that ENS refused to arbitrate. "Twice before the Court addressed the factual and procedural issues in this case. United Gov’t Sec. Officers of Am., Int’l Union v. Exelon Nuclear Sec., LLC (UGSOA II), No. 11-1928, 2013 WL 5812111 (E.D.Pa. Oct. 24, 2013); United Gov’t Sec. Officers of Am., Int’l Union v. Exelon Nuclear Sec., LLC (UGSOA I), No. 11-1928, 2011 WL 5340043 (E.D.Pa. Nov. 4, 2011). Both parties now move for summary judgment-the Union to compel arbitration and ENS for judgment in its favor because either the CBA excludes this dispute from arbitration or federal law precludes arbitration of this type of dispute (Docket Nos. 60 and 58, respectively).1

For the reasons explained below, the Court will grant ENS’s Motion for Summary Judgment on grounds that the CBA excludes this dispute from arbitration. Consequently, it will deny the Union’s Motion and find the Exelon parties’ Motion based on preclusion moot.

I. BACKGROUND2

Exelon Generation Company (“ExGen”), ENS’s parent corporation, for which ENS provides security services, is licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“Commission,” or “NRC”) to operate nuclear power plants in various facilities throughout the country. Federal law regulates nuclear power generation and the material that makes it possible, see Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq., and, except in otherwise allowing the government to contract with private industry, see 42 U.S.C. § 2121, requires entities that would operate nuclear generation facilities to obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“the Commission” or “NRC”), see id. § 2131, 2133, 2134.

Federal law and the NRC take nuclear security seriously. Congress has empowered the Commission to authorize the private security forces of its licensees to carry high-powered firearms, including fully automatic weapons, which federal law otherwise criminalizes, for the protection of nuclear generation facilities. 42 U.S.C. § 2201a; 18 U.S.C. § 922. In addition to promulgating its own regulations for licensees and the security measures they must follow, as required by statute, see, e.g., 42 U.S.C. § 2167 (information security), id. § 2169 (fingerprinting and background cheeks); id. § 2201(b), (i), (k) (general rulemaking authority), including what types of procedures and precautions they must apply to these armed nuclear security officers (“ANSOs”), 10 C.F.R. § 73.56(b)(l)(iii), the Commission must regularly and rigorously assess security at each licensed facility, 42 U.S.C. § 2210d(a). For instance, the Commission’s evaluations must include realistic “force-on-force exercises [that], to the [463]*463maximum extent possible, simulate security threats in accordance with any design basis threat applicable to a facility.” Id. § 2210d(b).

Commission regulations require licensees to subject to an “access authorization program” “[a]ny individual to whom a licensee intends to grant unescorted access to nuclear power plant protected or vital areas,” 10 C.F.R. § 73.56(b)(1)®, as well as, explicitly, “armed security officers,” id. § 73.56(b) (1) (iii). Such an “access authorization program must provide high assurance that [such] individuals ... are trustworthy and reliable, such that they do not constitute an unreasonable risk to public health and safety or the common defense and security, including the potential to commit radiological sabotage.” Id. § 73.56(c). Consequently, in order to maintain access authorization, without which an individual cannot enter vital areas of the plant, the individual must “compl[y] with the licensee’s ... access authorization program policies and procedures to which he or she is subject.” Id. § 73.56(i)(l)(iii). Finally, licensees’ access authorization procedures

shall include a procedure for the notification of individuals who are denied unescorted access, unescorted access authorization, or who are unfavorably terminated. Additionally, procedures must include provisions for the review, at the request of the affected individual, of a denial or unfavorable termination of unescorted access or unescorted access authorization that may adversely affect employment. The procedure must contain a provision to ensure the individual is informed of the grounds for the denial or unfavorable termination and allow the individual an opportunity to provide additional relevant information and an opportunity for, an objective review of the information upon which the denial or unfavorable termination of unescorted access or unescorted access authorization was based. The procedure must provide for an impartial and independent internal management review. Licensees and applicants shall not grant unescorted access or certify unescorted access authorization, or permit the individual to maintain unescorted access or unescorted access authorization during the review process.

Id. § 73.56(0.

The Union’s Local 17 represents approximately 115 ANSOs who work at ExGen’s Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Forked River, New Jersey. The AN-SOs actually work for ENS, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of ExGen that the latter created specifically to provide security services to its plants. The CBA between Local 17 and ENS governs many aspects of the relationship between the ANSOs and ENS. See CBA, Compl. Ex. 1-B (Docket No. 1-5). In particular, Article 11, section 1 of the CBA states, in full:

For the purpose of this Agreement, a grievance is defined as a difference of opinion, controversy, or dispute between the Employer and the Union, or, between the Employer and an employee regarding only the meaning, application or interpretation of the terms of this Agreement, but not involving any change or addition to such provisions provided; however, that issues involving the decision to grant or deny unescorted access under the access authorization program required by 10 C.F.R. Part 73 shall be resolved through the access authorization program appeal procedure, not through the grievance and arbitration procedure.

CBA art. 11, sec. 1 (bolding in original).

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24 F. Supp. 3d 460, 199 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3590, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75186, 2014 WL 2476434, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-government-security-officers-of-america-international-union-v-paed-2014.