United States v. Local 638, Enterprise Ass'n of Steam, Hot Water, Hydraulic Sprinkler, Pneumatic Tube, Compressed Air, Ice MacHine, Air Conditioning & General Pipefitters

360 F. Supp. 979, 6 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 319, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13072, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8716
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 21, 1973
Docket71 Civ. 2877, 71 Civ. 847
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 360 F. Supp. 979 (United States v. Local 638, Enterprise Ass'n of Steam, Hot Water, Hydraulic Sprinkler, Pneumatic Tube, Compressed Air, Ice MacHine, Air Conditioning & General Pipefitters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Local 638, Enterprise Ass'n of Steam, Hot Water, Hydraulic Sprinkler, Pneumatic Tube, Compressed Air, Ice MacHine, Air Conditioning & General Pipefitters, 360 F. Supp. 979, 6 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 319, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13072, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8716 (S.D.N.Y. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

BONSAL, District Judge.

This is an action brought by the Attorney General of the United States under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) (42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.) pursuant to authority granted to the Attorney General in that Act (42 U. S.C. § 2000e-6(a)). The defendants are four local unions in the building trades industry servicing metropolitan New York, and their counterpart Joint Apprenticeship Committees and employee associations. Separate trials were ordered for each local union and its counterparts. See, e.g., the case involving Local 40, United States v. Local 638, Enterprise Association, etc., et al., 347 F. Supp. 169 (S.D.N.Y.1972) (Gurfein, J.).

In the case of Local 638, Enterprise Association of Steam, Hot Water, Hydraulic Sprinkler, Pneumatic Tube, Compressed Air, Ice Machine, Air Conditioning and General Pipefitters (hereinafter “Local 638”), the government’s action (United States v. Local 638, et al., 71 Civ. 2877) was consolidated for purposes of trial with a private action (Rios v. Enterprise Association, etc. Local Union # 638, et al., 71 Civ. 847) which had been instituted by four “nonwhites” 1 — allegedly the victims of unlawful employment discrimination — against Local 638, the Mechanical Contractors’ Association (MCA), and the Steamfitting Industry’s Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC). By order of Judge Tenney, the private action has proceeded as a class action on behalf of two distinct classes: a) all Negro and Spanish-surnamed Americans residing in New York City and the Counties of Suffolk and Nassau in the State of New York who now or at any time in the future have the skills necessary to work as journeymen steamfitters; and b) all Negro and Spanishsurnamed Americans residing in New York City and the Counties of Suffolk and Nassau in the State of New York who now or at any time in the future are capable of learning such skills and who wish to obtain access to steamfitting work in New York City and said Counties. 2

A trial of the consolidated action commenced on January 15, 1973 and concluded on January 26, 1973. Decision was reserved, and the parties have submitted Proposed Findings of Fact, Con *983 elusions of Law, and supporting Post Trial Memoranda.

THE COMPLAINTS

A. The Government Action (United States v. Local 638, etc., et al., 71 Civ. 2877)

Named as defendants in the government action are Local 638, MCA, and JAC. MCA is named as a defendant “for purposes of relief only pursuant to Rule 19(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” The complaint alleges that Local 638 is engaged in a pattern and practice of resistance to the full enjoyment by nonwhites of rights secured to them by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 3 by:

“(a) [fjailing and refusing to admit nonwhite workmen into [Local 638j as journeymen members on the same basis as whites are admitted ;
“(b) [fjailing and refusing to refer nonwhite workmen for employment within [its jurisdiction] on the same basis as whites are referred by applying standards for referral which have the purpose and effect of ensuring referral priority to ... A Branch members, nearly all of whom are white, thereby perpetuating the effects of [its] past discrimination;
“(c) [fjailing and refusing to recruit blacks for membership in and employment through . . . [Local 638] on the same basis as whites are recruited ;
“(d) [f]ailing and refusing to permit contractors with whom . . . [Local 638 has] collective bargaining agreements to fulfill the affirmative action obligations imposed upon those contractors by Executive Order 11246 by refusing to refer out blacks whom such contractors wish to employ;
“(e) [fjailing and refusing to take reasonable steps to make known to non-white workmen the opportunities for employment in the [steamfitting trade] ... or otherwise to take affirmative action to overcome the effects of past racially discriminatory policies and practices.”

The complaint alleges that JAC also is engaged in' a pattern and practice of resistance to the full enjoyment by nonwhites of rights secured to them by Title VII by:

“(a) [fjailing and refusing to make information concerning apprenticeship opportunities available to non-whites on the same basis as it is made available to whites;
“(b) [fjailing and refusing to make apprenticeship opportunities available to non-whites on the same basis as they are made available to whites by giving a preference in the selection of apprentices to friends and relatives of union members, nearly all of whom are white;
“(c) [ajdopting standards for the selection of apprentices which are not job related and which operate to disqualify a disproportionate number of non-white applicants for apprenticeship.”

B. The Rios Action (Rios, et al. v. Enterprise Association Steamfitters Local Union #638, etc., 71 Civ. 847)

This class action was brought by four nonwhites 4 on behalf of nonwhites who have, or are capable of learning, the *984 skills necessary to work as journeymen steamfitters within the jurisdiction of Local 638. 5 The complaint names as defendants Local 638, MCA, and JAC, and alleges that the three defendants in concert have failed to admit plaintiffs to membership in the A Branch of Local 638 (journeymen) and to participation in the JAC apprenticeship program on the same basis as whites, and that the defendants have failed to provide nonwhite A Branch members with equal access to job opportunities as journeymen steamfitters. Plaintiffs sue under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, 42 U.S. C. §§ 1981 and 1983, and Title VII.

Defendant MCA has moved to dismiss the Rios complaint against it on the grounds that it is neither an “employer” within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a) nor an “employment agency” within the meaning of § 2000e-2(b), and that the complaint fails to state a cause of action against it. Plaintiffs oppose MCA’s motion.

BACKGROUND FACTS

1. Local 638 is a labor union whose territorial jurisdiction consists of the five boroughs of the City of New York and Nassau and Suffolk counties.

2.

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Bluebook (online)
360 F. Supp. 979, 6 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 319, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13072, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8716, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-local-638-enterprise-assn-of-steam-hot-water-hydraulic-nysd-1973.