United States v. Ventimiglia

145 F. Supp. 37, 38 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2717, 1956 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2547
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedSeptember 28, 1956
DocketCr. No. 23345
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 145 F. Supp. 37 (United States v. Ventimiglia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Ventimiglia, 145 F. Supp. 37, 38 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2717, 1956 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2547 (D. Md. 1956).

Opinion

R. DORSEY WATKINS, District Judge.

The defendants were indicted on a four-count indictment for violation of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, 29 U.S.C.A. § 141 et seq., specifically, 29 U.S.C.A. § 186(a); and also under 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States). Count I was for conspiracy to violate section 186(a)1. The overt acts alleged were the payment by the defendants Par-ran and Weather-Mastic, Inc., through the defendant Ventimiglia, of sums of money to one Joseph Martin, “the representative of Weather-Mastic, Inc.’s employees”, on August 13, 1954, October 14, 1954, February 18,1955 and June 4,1955. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th counts were for the substantive offenses of making the payments in question.

Motions to dismiss the indictment were made on behalf of all the defendants, primarily upon the ground that Martin was not at any of the times in question a “representative” of Weather-Mastic’s employees.2 For the purpose solely of securing a ruling upon the motions to dismiss, a stipulation of facts was filed. After extensive oral arguments and the submission of briefs, the motions to dismiss the indictment were overruled.3 The facts embodied in the stipulation then seemed and still seem to me sufficient to constitute Martin a “representative” of the corporate defendant’s employees within the meaning of 29 U.S.C. A. § 186(a), and that it was not necessary that he be a “collective bargaining representative”.4 I considered this to be the reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the holdings in United States v. Ryan, D.C.S.D.N.Y.1955, 128 F.Supp. [39]*39128, United States v. Brennan, D.C.Minn. 1955, 134 F.Supp. 42, and the dissenting opinion of Judge Learned Hand in United States v. Ryan, 2 Cir., 1955, 225 F.2d 417, all of which I considered to be far more persuasive than the Second Circuit majority opinion. The subsequent reversal by the Supreme Court, in United States v. Ryan, 1956, 350 U.S. 299, 76 S.Ct. 400, 100 L.Ed.-, of the Second Circuit majority certainly has done nothing to weaken this conclusion.

The case then proceeded to trial on the merits.

During all the times in question, Weather-Mastic, Inc. was a corporation engaged in the insulating and weatherproofing business; the defendant Parran was general manager of its operations; and the defendant Ventimiglia was its labor relations counsellor and adviser.

Weather-Mastic operates a non-union shop. This presents no problem on small jobs for private individuals, but poses a serious problem where Weather-Mastic seeks work as a subcontractor under a prime contractor who operates on a union basis. In 1949 on a union job in Washington on which Stone & Webster Corporation was general contractor, Weather-Mastic had encountered difficulties because its employees did not have union cards. It had been forced to make a settlement with a representative of one of the unions working on the project. At or about the same time, Weather-Mastic’s employees had been denied access to a union job at the Bethlehem Steel plant in Maryland until they had been supplied with union cards, furnished by Ventimig-lia who, at that time and until about June 10, 1954, was business representative of United Slate, Tile and Composition Roofers, Damp & Waterproof Workers’ Association, Local No. 80, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (now A. F. of L-CIO). Shortly after straightening out the Bethlehem Steel matter for Weather-Mastic, Ventimiglia became “labor adviser” for Weather-Mastic, receiving his first pay on October 25,1949, and remaining on Weather-Mastic’s payroll during all the times in question.

Weather-Mastic submitted a bid for work at Alexandria, Virginia, on which Stone & Webster was general contractor. Stone & Webster’s then superintendent of construction testified that he was under the impression that Weather-Mastic was a union firm and that Weather-Mastic would not have been accepted as subcontractor had Stone & Webster known that Weather-Mastic was non-union.5

Martin’s job as business agent for Local No. 80 was to negotiate wage agreements,6 working conditions, adjust grievances, arbitrate, endeavor to maintain harmonious relationships with employers and other unions, represent members of his union in any controversies, place his members on jobs, and endeavor to negotiate agreements with as many employers as possible.

One of the important duties and functions of a union business agent7 is to [40]*40check not merely those who work on a job in a field covered by his particular union, but also to determine, on a union job, if those not members of his union have proper union credentials. Evidence of union authority to work is supposed to be carried on the person of each member at all times while at work, and to be displayed on request to any representative of his own or any other union involved on the job. Ordinarily, if a card appears to be in order, no further questions are asked. If, however, a representative is not satisfied with the card, he will check further with the business representative of the union issuing, or purportedly issuing, the questioned card. Almost invariably an assurance of regularity given by a business representative in response to such an inquiry will be accepted by the inquirer as conclusive.8 It was therefore an important function of Martin, as Business Agent of Local No. 80, just as it had been of Ventimiglia when he previously had been Business Agent of Local No. 80, to vouch for those holding cards of that union; and satisfactorily to answer any inquiries as to the status of such holders, so that there should be no interruption to their work or employments.

The cards, or evidences of good standing and right to work, were of various kinds and origins. The holder might be a member in good standing whose dues were fully paid up; or he might be a member from whom some instalments were still due. Where union members were permitted to work outside the territorial jurisdiction of their own local, their status was cleared through, and they were supposed to report to, the business agent of the local in whose territorial jurisdiction they were to work.9

In other cases, under certain circumstances, a “working card” might be held. These bore the name of the Local (here “Roofer’s Union, Local No. 80 — A.F. of L.”); the legend “Working Card”; a card number; the name of the person to whom issued; the name of the “Shop” [employer]; the date of issuance; and the signature of the issuing Union’s “Business Manager”. Such cards could be issued, at least for a 30-day period, to non-union men when the union had been unable to supply a full complement for any job. According to the undisputed testimony, working cards were considered by union officials, and presumably by union members, as evidence that the holder has been cleared through the Union and is under its “jurisdiction”.

Martin in checking on employment at various jobs, had found that Weather-Mastic employees were using working cards which had been signed by Venti-miglia as business agent of Local No.

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Bluebook (online)
145 F. Supp. 37, 38 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2717, 1956 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2547, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-ventimiglia-mdd-1956.