Wattleton v. Ladish Co.

520 F. Supp. 1329, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9748, 29 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 32,727, 29 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1307
District Court, E.D. Wisconsin·Decided August 5, 1981·No. Civ. A. 75-C-746·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

REYNOLDS, Chief Judge.

This is a civil rights action brought pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (“Title VII”), and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, as well as a breach of fair representation action brought pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq. This court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(3) and 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201 and 2202.

On March 30, 1981, the trial of the above-entitled action commenced. The trial lasted seven days. At the conclusion of trial on April 7, 1981, the Court rendered its decision from the bench and announced that the reasons for the Court’s ruling would be set forth in a decision which would follow at a later date. Following an introduction necessary for a full understanding of this case, the Court shall make its findings of fact and state its conclusions of law thereon.

In 1974, plaintiff Johnnie Robinson went to the Milwaukee office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) with the intent to file a charge of employment discrimination against his employer, The Ladish Company (“Ladish”). EEOC personnel, however, advised Robinson that in order to secure proper redress, he should obtain the names of every union that represented employees at Ladish. In accordance with that advice, on June 5, 1974, Robinson filed a charge of employment discrimination with the EEOC, naming as respondents Ladish and the following seven unions: (1) International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local # 92 (“IFPTE”); (2) International Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers, Local # 125 (“IBFO”); (3) International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local # 494 (“IBEW”); (4) Associated Unions of America, Local # 500 (“AUA”); (5) International Die Sinkers Conference and Milwaukee Die Sinkers, Lodge # 140 (“Die Sinkers”); (6) International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuilders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, Local # 1509 (“Blacksmiths”); and (7) International Association of Machin *1332 ists and Aerospace Workers, District No. 10, Local # 1862 (“Machinists”). Robinson alleged:

“Prior to 1968, Ladish Company maintained a segregated hiring policy wherein all Black workers were hired into Union contracted Machinist jobs, which were the lowest paying jobs available at the Company. Such a policy has led to a current and continuing system of discrimination in seniority, wages and promotion. As a Black employee, I and others similarly situated, have been discriminated against as a result of Ladish’s past policies of segregated hiring and resultant seniority and salary system. The affiliated Unions have contributed to this discrimination via the Union Contracts.” (Plaintiffs’ Exhibit 1)

On October 3, 1975, Robinson was notified by letter from the EEOC of his right to bring suit in the appropriate United States District Court within ninety days of receipt of the letter. He and ten other black employees of Ladish commenced this action on December 29, 1975, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated. Eight of the other named plaintiffs had filed EEOC charges on the dates set forth below:

Name EEOC Charge Filed
William Wattleton July 28,1975
Wardell Wilson August 30,1975
Daniel Brown August 30,1975
Robert Spearmon August 30,1975
Clarence Suggs August 30,1975
Ruben Madison September 20,1975
John Armstrong October 30,1975
Clayton Jacobs October 81,1975

On March 31, 1977, these eight plaintiffs were notified by letters from the EEOC of their rights to bring suit, and an amended complaint was filed on May 3, 1977. 1

Several other black Ladish employees had filed EEOC charges. Their names and the dates on which they had filed their EEOC charges are set forth below:

Name EEOC Charge Filed
Steve T. Tillman April 15,1976
William Bell April 15,1976
Charles Jones April 20,1976
Tommie L. Ballet July 1,1976
Willie Queary July 1,1976
Charles C. Graves July 1,1976
Henry E. Graves July 1,1976

On March 31, 1977, these seven persons were notified by letter from the EEOC of their rights to bring suit. A complaint in intervention was filed on their behalf on May 3, 1977.

This court on June 13, 1977, granted the plaintiffs’ motion to file an amended complaint and the plaintiffs-intervenors’ motion to intervene. (Hereinafter the plaintiffs and the plaintiffs-intervenors will be referred to as “plaintiffs.”)

On February 12, 1980, the Court granted in part the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and certified the class of plaintiffs as follows:

“ * * * [F]or the purpose of determining the first claim, i. e., whether the seniority system maintained by the defendants * * * is a ‘bona fide seniority system’ within the meaning of § 703(h) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(h), this action is hereby certified as a class action on behalf of all blacks hired by the Ladish Company prior to January 22, 1968, who (1) were hired by the Ladish Company for jobs that were within the jurisdiction of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local 1862, and (2) were employed by the Ladish Company as of December 30, 1969.” Wattleton v. Ladish, No. 75-C-746 (E.D.Wis., Feb. 12, 1980, at page 7).

On the same date the Court granted the plaintiffs’ motion to sever the issue of liability from the issue of damages and remedies in the event liability was established. Id.

In a status conference held on November 3, 1980, the plaintiffs and certain defendants informed the Court that they were prepared to settle all issues that remained *1333 in this action. Accordingly, the Court determined that a hearing on the proposed settlement should be held on December 22, 1980.

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Wattleton v. Ladish Co., 520 F. Supp. 1329, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9748, 29 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 32,727, 29 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1307 (E.D. Wis. 1981).

520 F. Supp. 1329 (Wattleton v. Ladish Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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