United Public Workers of America v. Local No. 312, United Public Workers of America

94 F. Supp. 538, 27 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2173, 1950 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2182
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedDecember 1, 1950
DocketCiv. A. No. 8670
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 94 F. Supp. 538 (United Public Workers of America v. Local No. 312, United Public Workers of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United Public Workers of America v. Local No. 312, United Public Workers of America, 94 F. Supp. 538, 27 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2173, 1950 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2182 (E.D. Mich. 1950).

Opinion

THORNTON, District Judge.

The original complaint filed by the United Public Workers of America alleges that plaintiff is an unincorporated, voluntary association commonly known as a labor union with its principal office in New York City, and that it is a citizen of the state of New York; that defendants Local 312, United Public Workers of America, and United DSR Employees Local Industrial Union No. 312, CIO, are unincorporated, voluntary associations known as labor unions, with principal offices in Detroit, Michigan, and that they are citizens of the state of Michigan. Also named as defendants are the officers of both such unions, both individually and as such officers.

This complaint sets forth that Local 312, United Public Workers of America, was a local union of plaintiff, United Public Workers of America, chartered by it and subject to its constitution; that on or about November 17, 1949, Local 312, United Public Workers of America seceded from the plaintiff, United Public Workers of America, and voted to transfer the properties of said Local 312, United Public Workers of America to United DSR Employees Local Industrial Union No. 312, CIO.

It is the claim of plaintiff that it is entitled to all the property of Local 312, because of the following provisions in the constitution of the UPWA which Local 312 adopted by virtue of its membership in the parent organization: “In the event that a Local Union’s charter is revoked, or the Local Union disbands, dissolves or secedes, the charter and all books, monies and property shall be delivered and turned over to the International Union through the office of the International Se’cretary-Treasurer upon demand by the International President.”

Subsequent to the filing of the original complaint, an amended complaint was filed naming the UPWA and Ewart Guinier, Administrator of Local 312, UPWA, as plaintiffs with the same defendants as set forth in the original complaint, the said amended complaint containing the allegation that the plaintiff, Ewart Guinier, is a citizen and a resident of New York State, International Secretary-Treasurer of the International Union, and duly appointed as Administrator of Local 312, UPWA, pursuant to the order of the International President of the International Union, such order having been issued subsequent to the commencement of the within cause.

Following the filing of this amended complaint, leave of Court was sought permitting the filing of a second amended complaint, wherein Ewart Guinier, Administra.tor of Local 312, UPWA, and Ewart Guinier, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, were named as plaintiffs with the same defendants.

In the original complaint the plaintiff, UPWA, requested that this Court decree that it became entitled to the property of Local 312, UPWA, that it direct defendant, Local 312, UPWA, to turn over such property to plaintiff; that a temporary injunction issue restraining defendants from transferring or disposing of the property of Local 312, UPWA, in any manner whatsoever * * *.

The second amended complaint asks for the following relief:

“That upon the final hearing of said cause, this Court adjudge and decree that pursuant to the Constitution of United Public Workers of America and of the Constitution and By-laws of Defendant Local 312 United Public Workers of America, the action taken by the Local Union in attempting to secede from the International Union was illegal and void and that plaintiff is entitled to the charter and all books, monies and property of Defendant Local 312, United Public Workers of America, to be held and used by him for the benefit of the members of said Local and International Unions in accordance with the Constitution of said International and Local Unions, or

“In the alternative, that upon the final hearing of said cause, in the event this court determines that Defendant Local 312 United Public Workers of America has legally and properly seceded from United Public Workers of America that this Court adjudge and decree that, pursuant to the Constitution of the United Public Workers of America, plaintiff became and is entitled to the charter and all books, monies and [540]*540property of Local 312, United Public Workers of America.

“That upon the final hearing of said cause this court issue its mandatory injunction requiring defendants herein to deliver and turn over to plaintiff herein the charter and all books, monies and property of said Local Union 312 United Public Workers of America * *

In conjunction with the foregoing litigation, the Court has pending before it three motions:

1. Motion by defendants to dismiss the complaint for want of jurisdiction of the parties.

2. Motion to dissolve restraining order heretofore issued, which order restrained defendants from transferring or disposing of any property belonging to Local 312, UPWA. (This restraining order has heretofore been relaxed by stipulation between the parties and upon order of the Court.)

3. A motion made orally by plaintiffs for leave to file a second amended complaint in which the original plaintiff is dropped and a different plaintiff is substituted in its place.

The defendants have asked that their motion to dismiss the original complaint be addressed to the second amended complaint, and the Court authorized this procedure.

As to the original and first amended complaints, this Court is without jurisdiction because of a lack of the necessary diversity of citizenship as 'between the parties. Philadelphia Local 192 of American Federation of Teachers v. American Federation of Teachers, 44 F.Supp. 345.

Rule 15, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A. requires that leave of Court be obtained by the plaintiff to file its second amended complaint, and the rule further provides that such leave should be freely given when justice so requires.

The controversy here present is within the structure of a labor union, and the plaintiffs rely upon the Constitution of the United Public Workers of America, CIO, as authority for the alternative relief prayed for in the second amended complaint. (By stipulation of the parties, the Constitution of the United Public Workers of America, CIO, was admitted in evidence.)

In its efforts to reach a determination of the different motions the Court has found the following situations to be present in the controversy:

(a) The plaintiff administrator herein is purportedly an appointee of the International President of the Union and as such he is charged with the administration of the affairs of Local 312; however; he is also International Secretary-Treasurer of the UPWA; he is a resident and citizen of the state of New York, and a person who is apparently officially antagonistic to the interests of Local 312 of Detroit, Michigan, although by virtue of his appointment as administrator he is charged with the duty of protecting the interests of the Detroit Local. One acting in the fiduciary capacity of administrator should have an identity of interest with the beneficiary, whereas in this situation the fiduciary is completely antagonistic to the entire class whose funds and property he has been appointed to preserve and safeguard until final disposition. His title is administrator but he acts under no appointment of any Court, and without any apparent bond or surety, and is accountable only to the International Union for his actions.

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94 F. Supp. 538, 27 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2173, 1950 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-public-workers-of-america-v-local-no-312-united-public-workers-of-mied-1950.