Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Industrial Commission

404 N.E.2d 253, 79 Ill. 2d 425, 38 Ill. Dec. 829, 1980 Ill. LEXIS 313
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedApril 18, 1980
Docket51821
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 404 N.E.2d 253 (Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Industrial Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Industrial Commission, 404 N.E.2d 253, 79 Ill. 2d 425, 38 Ill. Dec. 829, 1980 Ill. LEXIS 313 (Ill. 1980).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE RYAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

This appeal concerns the jurisdiction of the Illinois Industrial Commission over a claim filed under the Workmen’s Compensation Act for an injury sustained by an employee while working in Indiana. The arbitrator found there was no employment relationship subject to the provisions of the Illinois act and granted the employer’s motion to dismiss the application for adjustment of claim for lack of jurisdiction. The Industrial Commission reversed and remanded. On remand, the arbitrator entered an award under section 8(e) of the Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1971, ch. 48, par. 138.8(e)). The award was affirmed by the Industrial Commission, and the Cook County circuit court confirmed. The employer, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company (hereinafter Youngstown), appeals directly to this court under our Rule 302(a). (73 Ill. 2d R. 302(a).) The only issue before this court is whether the Illinois Industrial Commission had jurisdiction over the claim under the Illinois Workmen’s Compensation Act.

On July 11, 1951, John Kristovic, an Illinois resident and a member of local 1008 of the United Steelworkers of America, was employed as a patcher in the coke-ovens department at Youngstown’s South Chicago plant in Illinois. His responsibilities as a patcher included the brick work on the ovens. In February of 1961 the South Chicago plant was permanently shut down. Kristovic received a slip from Youngstown which was dated February 14, 1961, and was entitled “Notice of Change in Employment Status.” The slip indicated that he had been “laid off” due to a “reduction in force.” Kristovic looked for new employment. He also applied for, and received, unemployment compensation through the State of Illinois. Approximately three months later, Kristovic received a letter from Youngstown’s employment supervisor advising him to report for a job interview. He interviewed at the Indiana Harbor Works plant in Indiana and was hired on a quasi-probationary basis as a laborer in that plant. Kristovic underwent an employment medical examination, received a new employee identification number, filled out the necessary documents for the Indiana State income tax and joined local 1011 of the United Steelworker’s union in Indiana. Kristovic did not work in the coke-ovens department when he was first employed in Indiana. Instead, he worked as a laborer in the bridge shop. After a period of time, he was promoted from quasi-probationary to permanent status and was assigned to the coke-ovens department. Due to his “continuous service,” as defined in the United Steelworker’s contract, Kristovic retained his company seniority; that is, his pension and vacation rights were calculated back to the date of original hire in Illinois. He did not, however, retain his departmental or unit seniority. In September of 1975, however, a consent decree was entered by the United States district court against Youngstown, eight other steel companies, and the United Steelworkers of America which abolished the system of departmental seniority. Thus, by virtue of the consent decree, the employee’s seniority in the department pool was made to coincide with his total years of service with the company. Kristovic, therefore, gained seniority as a result of this decree in 1975.

At the time of the accident, Kristovic worked as a heater helper and had been employed at the Indiana plant almost 12 years. On April 8, 1973, while in the performance of his duties, Kristovic fell into a coke oven. Notice of the accident was filed with the State of Indiana in accordance with the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. Kristovic was unable to return to work until November 1, 1973. He received $63 per week for each week that he was unable to work. The payments were made by Youngstown pursuant to the compensation agreement between Youngstown and Kristovic entered into in accordance with the workmen’s compensation laws of Indiana.

On January 29, 1974, Kristovic filed an application for adjustment of claim with the Industrial Commission of Illinois. At the hearing before the arbitrator, counsel for Youngstown filed a motion to dismiss. The employer asserted that Illinois lacked jurisdiction to hear the merits of the claim since (1) Indiana had assumed jurisdiction and (2) the employment relationship was centered in Indiana. In support of its position, Youngstown offered into evidence, inter alia, the Indiana workmen’s compensation order governing Kristovic’s compensation payment and a certification from the chairman of the Indiana Industrial Board regarding the authenticity of said order. The certification stated that the order “represents that said Board has assumed jurisdiction over this matter.”

Kristovic, as an adverse witness, and Andy Kalapach, assistant supervisor for employment at Youngstown’s Indiana Harbor Works plant, testified for Youngstown at the arbitration hearing on the motion. In addition to the facts set forth above, Kalapach stated that Kristovic, as a “laid-off” employee, had no rights beyond those which were granted in the union contract. Kalapach stated that such rights were enforceable only in the event that he again became a permanent employee within two years after the layoff. Since Kristovic was absent from work for only three months and had again become a permanent employee of the company within two years, he retained his pension and vacation rights by virtue of the union contract. Kalapach further testified- that the management personnel of Youngstown had decided to offer available positions at the Indiana Harbor Works to qualified former South Chicago employees. However, since the South Chicago employees had no right to employment at the Indiana plant, Kalapach testified that such employees were not automatically hired. In order to obtain employment at the Youngstown Indiana Harbor Works plant, the prospective employee was first required to interview with a representative of the personnel office. If he was considered eligible for employment by said office, the prospective employee then proceeded to a department supervisor for an additional interview. This interview would be for a particular job which was available within that department. The department supervisor would then inform the personnel office as to his decision regarding the hiring. In a case where the department supervisor found the interviewee unacceptable for employment, there would be no hiring. Instead, the interviewee would be required to participate in further interviews with department supervisors until hired. If there were no other positions available within the departments, the person seeking employment was advised by the personnel department to keep in touch in the event that such vacancies did arise.

The sole question to be decided is whether Kristovic’s accidental injury falls within the coverage of the Illinois Workmen’s Compensation Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1971, ch. 48, par. 138 et seq.). The title of the Act reads, in pertinent part, as follows: “An Act to promote the general welfare of the people of this State by providing compensation for accidental injuries or death suffered in the course of employment within this State, and without this State where the contract of employment is made within this State ***.” The Act provides that an “employee” includes “[e] very person *** whose employment is outside of the State of Illinois where the contract of hire is made within the State of Illinois ***.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1971, ch. 48, par.

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Bluebook (online)
404 N.E.2d 253, 79 Ill. 2d 425, 38 Ill. Dec. 829, 1980 Ill. LEXIS 313, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/youngstown-sheet-tube-co-v-industrial-commission-ill-1980.