Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd. v. Seafarers' International Union

125 N.W.2d 324, 22 Wis. 2d 7, 1963 Wisc. LEXIS 405, 55 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2140
Wisconsin Supreme Court·Decided December 20, 1963·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

Wilkie, J.

A preliminary issue presented on this appeal is raised by appellant’s contention that under the doctrine of federal pre-emption, the National Labor Relations Act renders invalid a temporary injunction issued by a Wisconsin court against picketing of foreign ships operated by foreign seamen.

In Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd., v. Seafarers’ International Union, supra, we held that the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act were not applicable to a dispute in which one party was a foreign shipping corporation, flying a foreign flag on its vessels,., and employing crews composed entirely of foreign seamen. We relied on Benz v. Compañía Naviera Hidalgo. 4 In that case, the United States supreme court held that the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act did not apply to a dispute involving picketing by striking foreign seamen of a foreign-owned ship, flying a foreign flag.

Two later United States supreme court cases buttress our previous ruling.

In McCulloch v. Sociedad Nacional 5 the supreme court rejected the “balancing of foreign and American contacts” rule of jurisdiction applied by the national labor relations board, and adopted the flat rule “that the jurisdictional provisions of the act [National Labor Management Relations Act] do not extend to maritime operations of foreign-flag ships employing alien seamen.” 6

*13 In Incres Steamship Co. v. Maritime Workers 7 decided the same day, the court considered whether the National Labor Management Relations Act applied to a dispute involving recognition picketing of a foreign-flag ship employing alien seamen, by members of nonbargaining-unit unions —precisely the fact situation present in the instant case. The United States supreme court held, at page 26:

“We held today in Sociedad Nacional that the Act does not apply to foreign-registered ships employing alien seamen. The holding and reasoning in that case are equally applicable to the maritime operations here, leading to the conclusion that the Act does not apply.”

It is clear that under the Incres Steamship Co., Sociedad Nacional, and Bens Cases, supra, because Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd., flies a foreign flag on its vessels, and employs alien seamen exclusively, the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act do not apply to the instant case, and the state court had jurisdiction to issue the injunction and enforce its provisions.

The crucial question on this appeal is whether the absence of an affidavit as to the commission of misconduct on the part of Pearl as specified under sec. 295.04, Stats., produced to the court prior to the service of the attachment on Pearl, renders the attachment void and destroys the jurisdiction of the court to go ahead with the civil contempt proceeding.

Civil contempt proceedings are primarily remedial in that their main purpose is to enforce a judgment entered by a court as a result of the determination of private rights. There may be imprisonment. If so, “[t]he dominant character of the imprisonment is remedial and coercive, although a punitive effect may also result.” 8 Where imprisonment is *14 ordered in a civil contempt proceeding following a finding that the contemnor has committed an act prohibited by the court’s judgment, such imprisonment serves to deter the contemnor from repeating his misconduct when he is released. Civil contempt proceedings are not instituted for the primary purpose of punishment as are criminal contempt proceedings, although as the statutes 9 indicate, the same contempt may be punished under different procedures in civil or criminal proceedings.

In the instant case a judgment had been entered for the protection of Upper Lakes by enjoining specified acts of unlawful picketing. It is conceded that no affidavit was executed specifying the commission of any act of misconduct by Pearl either before the service of the attachment on Pearl or at any time prior to or during the hearing on the alleged contempt of April 23d. Neither were any interrogatories filed as called for by sec. 295.12, Stats., supra. Thus at the time of hearing, Pearl was not informed of the precise charges against him; neither had there been any showing prior to the hearing of any adverse effect caused to Upper Lakes by the alleged misconduct of Pearl.

Upper Lakes contends that even though there was no affidavit and there were no interrogatories, the court could proceed to judgment because the defendant admitted his guilt in open court and the requirement of interrogatories was suspended by that admission. We are satisfied that an inference arises from the record that he did admit to picketing an Upper Lakes ship. However, picketing these ships is not a violation of the 1962 injunction unless it is shown that the prohibitions applied to Pearl. Acknowledging that Pearl was not a member or agent of any of the named organizations, Upper Lakes argues that Pearl admitted to being a person “in active concert and participation with them.” *15 The basis for this proposition is the following colloquy between the court and Pearl:

“The Court: Let me read you this injunction again. . . and each of them and their agents, servants, employees and attorneys, and all persons in active concert and participation with them . . .’ and so forth. A. Well, sir, I am not an attorney, and I don’t presume to be able to qualify legal language, but the way it seems to me, that applies to — to the organizations listed in that — ■
“The Court: What about the part that says, ‘. . . all persons in active concert and participation with them. . . , A. That also applies to their servants and the individuals, members of those particular organizations.”

This is no more than an argument between the court and Pearl as to the legal meaning of the injunction. Pearl did not admit to his contempt.

The record contains no affirmative evidence to prove Pearl’s relationship with the specifically enjoined parties nor of any adverse effect of the misconduct on the interests of Upper Lakes.

We conclude that the interrogatory requirements of sec. 295.12, Stats., supra, applied, and in their absence the defendant was not given notice of the charges against him and of necessity could not properly prepare and assert his defense.

There is still the question, however, of whether the defendant was properly before the court in the first instance where there was no affidavit filed before the service of the attachment.

As to this point, Upper Lakes argues that the contempt occurred “in the . . . presence of the court” justifying summary punishment under sec. 295.02, Stats.,

Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd. v. Seafarers' International Union, 125 N.W.2d 324, 22 Wis. 2d 7, 1963 Wisc. LEXIS 405, 55 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2140 (Wis. 1963).

125 N.W.2d 324 (Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd. v. Seafarers' International Union) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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