Yellow Cab Operating Co. v. Taxicab Drivers Local Union No. 889

35 F. Supp. 403, 7 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 666, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2551
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 18, 1940
DocketNo. 566
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 35 F. Supp. 403 (Yellow Cab Operating Co. v. Taxicab Drivers Local Union No. 889) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yellow Cab Operating Co. v. Taxicab Drivers Local Union No. 889, 35 F. Supp. 403, 7 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 666, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2551 (W.D. Okla. 1940).

Opinion

VAUGHT, District Judge.

The plaintiff is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Arizona, with its principal place of business at Phoenix, Arizona, and is t authorized to do business in Oklahoma as a foreign corporation. The defendant TaxiCab Drivers Local Union No. 889 is an unincorporated association, having its principal place of business at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and affiliated with the. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers of America, acting under a charter issued by that organization, and the defendants not specifically named in the above caption are officers and members of said organization.

The plaintiff leased its taxicabs and space in the building at the corner of California and Santa Fe streets in Oklahoma City, for offices, garage and storage space, from the G. C. Harrell Equipment Company. The G. C. Harrell Equipment Company, while it owned the building, and owned- and leased to the plaintiff the taxicabs operated by the plaintiff, had no interest in the plaintiff’s business other than to receive its rentals on the taxicabs and on the space and other equipment rented to said plaintiff.

The drivers of the taxicabs were all members of the defendant union.

On January 17, 1940, the same status existed between the plaintiff and the defendants as on August 23, 1940. The plaintiff company was duly licensed by the city of Oklahoma City to operate its taxicabs in said city and on the date of January 17, 1940, the plaintiff, in connection with the operation of its cab business, was operating the garage, storage and baggage business, and in connection with the operation of its cab, garage, storage and baggage businesses, it employed cab drivers, switchboard operators, dispatchers, starters and checkers, cashiers, baggage truck drivers and helpers, automobile and truck washers and greasers, and porters in and around its garage. It carried on and conducted its business primarily from the building housing its garage, cabs, baggage and other equipment, located as above stated, and throughout the years had established and maintained well-known and recognized Yellow taxicab, garage, storage and baggage businesses, was known to the traveling public of Oklahoma City, throughout the state of Oklahoma and adjoining states, and had a good will in ■the established businesses.

On the 17th of January, 1940, the plain•tiff entered into a written contract with the defendant union with reference to the operation of its cab business, running for a term of two years. The contract provided among other things for a closed shop and it was agreed that the plaintiff recognize the union as the exclusive bargaining agency for the drivers of all taxicabs owned by said operator and it further agreed to- hire only members who were in good standing of Local Union' No. 889, except as thereinafter provided.

It furthermore provided that the plaintiff could employ men who were not members of the local union but that such men so employed should make application to the secretary thereof for a permit entitling them to drive taxicabs in Oklahoma City for a period of ten days from the date of their employment and if the [406]*406men so driving should prove satisfactory to the plaintiff and their past record should show that they were satisfactory to the labor union, said persons could .make application to join the union and, after passing a physical examination, should thereafter be entitled to membership in said union. At the end of the ten-day period, the said driver should either join the union or quit driving the taxicab.

It contained a paragraph with reference to the relationship between the drivers and the dispatchers and' how grievances of all character with the dispatchers should be' handled. It provided that “at no time shall any driver be permitted to go into the dispatcher’s office.”

It provided also that the plaintiff should and would keep the taxicabs in good mechanical condition at all times and that it would furnish tire service to all of its cabs wherever and whenever needed.

It provided a wage scale, drivers’ hours, time off each week for the drivers, and .other details with reference to the operation of said taxicabs.

At the time of the execution of said contract the drivers were all out on strike and the contract included the following paragraph: “It is further understood and agreed that the driver members of the Union while driving cabs of the Operator shall not be required to run and/or drive through a picket line, and no driver member of said Union shall be discriminated against, or otherwise penalized for upholding Union principles. * * * ”

The contract provided for seniority, a merit system and leaves of absence under certain conditions. It also provided that the plaintiff should have the right and power to discharge any driver for cause but that any man so discharged should have the right of appeal to a board of arbitration, if his said cause is approved by the grievance committee within a period of time not to exceed forty-eight hours from the date, of said discharge, and provided the procedure by said board of arbitration and for payment of time lost under certain conditions.

The contract provided also as follows:

“It is further understood and agreed by and between the parties hereto that this contract shall be binding upon both of the parties hereto for a period of two (2) years from the effective date of same.

“Thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of this contract, either party shall have the right to suggest changes for the ensuing year. If changes are suggested by the Union, their suggestions shall be served upon the Operator, in writing, at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of this contract, and if the Operator suggests changes, it shall likewise serve notice of its demands, in writing, upon the Union thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the contract.

“If either party serves notice of changes to be demanded, then the opposite party shall have the right to submit counter-proposals, in writing, which shall be done ten (10) days after receiving notice of the original changes proposed.

“If changes are proposed and counter-proposals made, the Operator and the Union shall attempt by negotiations and conciliation to settle and dispose of their differences, and in the event they should be unable to agree, the proposals, and/or counter-proposals may, with consent of the Operator and the Union, be thereupon submitted to arbitration. The arbitration board shall be brought about in the same manner as hereinbefore referred to.

“If no changes, proposals or counter-proposals are suggested, this contract shall remain in full force and effect for another period of two (2) years from date of expiration.”

For a year prior to January 17, 1940, the plaintiff was operating its cab business under a closed shop with said union, the name of the union then being Teamsters, Chauffeurs, 'Stablemen and Helpers Local Union No. 889.

In the early part of August, 1940, the employees of said plaintiff engaged as switchboard operators, dispatchers, starters and checkers, baggage truck drivers and helpers, automobile and truck washers and greasers, porters, and cashiers were non-union so far as known to the plaintiff. On the 18th of August, 1940, defendant D. A. Baldwin, as the business agent of said defendant union, called upon G. C.

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Bluebook (online)
35 F. Supp. 403, 7 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 666, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yellow-cab-operating-co-v-taxicab-drivers-local-union-no-889-okwd-1940.