Zeaner v. Highway Truck Drivers & Helpers Local 107

234 F. Supp. 901, 57 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2361, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7741
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 2, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 35831
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 234 F. Supp. 901 (Zeaner v. Highway Truck Drivers & Helpers Local 107) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zeaner v. Highway Truck Drivers & Helpers Local 107, 234 F. Supp. 901, 57 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2361, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7741 (E.D. Pa. 1964).

Opinion

BODY, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction. The Court makes the following findings of fact:

1. Plaintiffs are all former employees of Rodgers Motor Lines, Inc. at 4450 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they were employed as truck drivers. Plaintiffs bring this suit both as individuals and as all the members of a class since they are all of the truck drivers formerly employed by Rodgers Motor Lines, Inc. in Philadelphia.

2. Defendant, Branch Motor Express Company (hereinafter referred to as “Branch”), is a corporation which has its place of business at Union Avenue and Suckles Boulevard, Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was incorporated in Pennsylvania, and was served c/o C. T. Corp. System, Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Building, Broad and Sansom Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

3. Defendant, Rodgers Motor Lines, Inc., (hereinafter referred to as “Rodgers”), is a corporation which formerly had a place of business at 4450 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a Deleware corporation registered to do business in Pennsylvania at Gilligan Street and South Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania.

4. Defendant, Highway Truck Drivers and Helpers, Local 107, (herein[903]*903after referred to as “Union”), is an unincorporated association affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, and maintains its place of business at 105 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All the plaintiffs and all the members of the class represented by plaintiffs, were members of Local 107 which acted as their exclusive bargaining agent at all times material hereto.

5. Defendant, Motor Transport Labor Relations, Inc., (hereinafter referred to as “MTLR”), is a corporation which has its place of business at 421 New Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which represents over two hundred (200) employers of truck drivers in the Philadelphia area.

6. All defendants were parties to a certain agreement which is known as the “Motor Transport Labor Relations, Inc. and Teamsters’ Locals City Cartage Agreement”. This agreement covers all truck drivers, including plaintiffs and the members of the class which they represent, of the signatory companies which are generally engaged in the motor freight business in the Philadelphia area. The said agreement is in effect at all times material hereto, and remains in effect until December 31, 1965. The agreement is printed in booklet form, and generally describes the terms and conditions of employment.

7. Sometime prior to June 29, 1963 defendants Branch and Rodgers negotiated for and entered into a written agreement for a merger, sale or consolidation whereby Rodgers would be absorbed into Branch. The said merger, sale or consolidation was approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission on or about June 29, 1963.

8. Sometime in December 1963, plaintiffs and the class they represent were informed that Rodgers had been absorbed into Branch and that its operations would be conducted at Union Avenue and Suckles Boulevard, Pennsauken, New Jersey. '

9. On or about January 1, 1964 said plaintiffs became employees of Branch as-truck drivers at Union Avenue and Suckles Boulevard, Pennsauken, New Jersey. The seniority lists of the Rodgers and Branch employees were dovetailed as the result of an agreement between a representative of defendant Union and Branch.

10. On or about January 27, 1964 a grievance was filed on behalf of the original Branch employees before the Change of Operations Committee of the Joint Area Committee, described in Article 7 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement aforesaid, protesting the dovetailing of the Rodgers and Branch seniority lists.

11. On January 30,. 1964 a hearing was held before said Change of Operations Committee pursuant to the aforesaid grievance. At said hearing the Branch employees were represented by John Middleton, steward; Joseph Walsh, driver; John Smyth, platform man; Harry Shaw, driver; and William Yoast, driver. The Rodgers employees were represented by Henry Kazmurski and the former steward of Rodgers’ employees, Peter Zeaner.

12. In submitting the aforesaid grievance to the Change of Operations Committee of the Joint Area Committee, all defendants were bound by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and were required to arrive at a fair and impartial decision. In addition, the Union, as the exclusive bargaining agent, had a duty to represent plaintiffs fairly, honestly and to the best of its ability, without misrepresentation, fraud or deceit.

13. The decision of the Change of Operations Committee of the Joint Area Committee, determined on January 30, 1964, was that the former employees of Rodgers, plaintiffs herein, should be placed at the bottom of the Branch seniority list.

DISCUSSION

Initially defendants have contended that this Court does not have [904]*904jurisdiction of the matter under the provisions of Section 301(a) of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, 29 U.S.C.A. § 185(a), which provides that suits for violation of contracts between employers and labor organizations representing employees in an industry affecting commerce may be brought in a District Court of the United States having jurisdiction of the parties without respect to the amount in controversy or citizenship of the parties. Plaintiffs’ complaint alleges that each employer, the Union, and the Joint Area Committee have breached their duty of fair representation in reaching the decision not to dovetail the Branch employees. Viewing these allegations in the light of the principles enunciated in Humphrey v. Moore, 375 U.S. 335, 84 S.Ct. 363, 11 L.Ed.2d 370, plaintiffs have stated a cause of action that arises under Section 301(a) of the Labor Management Relations Act.

Plaintiffs contend that failure of the Joint Area Committee to require the continuation of the dovetailed seniority lists was a breach of their duty to arrive at a fair, impartial decision and was a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. They allege that Rodgers and Branch breached the Collective Bargaining Agreement by refusing to insist on its provisions with respect to mergers, purchases, acquisitions and sales which require that seniority lists of the employees of both companies be dovetailed.

Plaintiffs’ complaint further alleges that the Union breached its duty:

“(a) By refusing to insist that the seniority lists be dovetailed as the collective bargaining agreement requires ;
“(b) By failing to recognize the written agreement between Rodgers and Branch as an agreement of merger, sale or acquisition;
“(c) By failing to take an actual and vigorous position in support of plaintiffs herein;
“(d) By failing to resolve the dispute at the union level where the collective bargaining agreement could admit of but one just proper answer;
“(e) By undertaking to represent employees of both Rodgers and Branch, where a conflict of interests was involved;
“(f) By submitting the seniority dispute to the Joint Area Committee where it was impossible to reach a fair decision;

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Bluebook (online)
234 F. Supp. 901, 57 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2361, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zeaner-v-highway-truck-drivers-helpers-local-107-paed-1964.