Case Title: Michael J. Waldvogel Trucking, LLC v. State Labor & Indus. Review Comm'n

Citation: 2012 WI 28

Docket Number: 2011AP000329-FT

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2012-03-21T00:00:00Z

Document:
2012 WI 28 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2011AP329-FT 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
Michael J. Waldvogel Trucking, LLC, 
          Petitioner-Respondent-Petitioner, 
     v. 
State of Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review 
Commission, 
          Respondent-Appellant, 
Daniel M. Berceau, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW OF A DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS 
Reported at: 336 Wis. 2d 477, 801 N.W. 2d 350 
(Ct. App. 2011 – Unpublished) 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
March 21, 2012   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
March 6, 2012 
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
Circuit   
 
COUNTY: 
Langlade 
 
JUDGE: 
Fred W. Kawalski 
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
ROGGENSACK, J., dissents.    
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:    
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
For the petitioner-respondent-petitioner there were briefs 
by John B. Rhode and Sommer, Olk, Schroeder & Payant LLP, 
Antigo, and oral argument by John B. Rhode. 
 
For the respondent-appellant, Labor and Industry Review 
Commission, there was a brief and oral argument by William S. 
Sample. 
 
 
2012 WI 28
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2011AP329-FT 
(L.C. No. 
2010CV111) 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
Michael J. Waldvogel Trucking, LLC, 
 
          Petitioner-Respondent-Petitioner, 
 
     v. 
 
State of Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review 
Commission, 
 
          Respondent-Appellant, 
 
Daniel M. Berceau, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAR 21, 2012 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW of a decision of the Court of Appeals.  Dismissed as 
improvidently granted.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   On December 1, 2011, we granted Michael 
J. Waldvogel Trucking, LLC's (Waldvogel Trucking) petition for 
review of an unpublished decision of the court of appeals, 
Michael J. Waldvogel Trucking, LLC v. LIRC, No. 2011AP329-FT, 
unpublished slip op. (Wis. Ct. App. June 28, 2011), that 
reversed an order by the Langlade County Circuit Court1 reversing 
                                                 
1 The Honorable Fred W. Kawalski presided. 
No. 
2011AP329-FT   
 
2 
 
the Labor and Industry Review Commission's (LIRC) determination 
that Daniel Berceau (Berceau) is eligible for unemployment 
benefits.   
¶2 
After reviewing the record and the parties' briefs, 
and after hearing oral argument, we conclude that Waldvogel 
Trucking's petition for review was improvidently granted. 
¶3 
For purposes of explaining our decision, we briefly 
relate the following undisputed facts.  Beginning in January 
2008, Berceau was employed by Waldvogel Trucking as a dairy 
transport driver, a position that required Berceau to maintain a 
valid commercial driver's license.  In May 2009, due to lack of 
work, Berceau was laid off indefinitely.  Three months later, 
however, on August 12, 2009, Waldvogel Trucking recalled 
Berceau.  Pursuant to both federal law and company policy, 
Berceau was required to submit to a pre-employment drug test.  
Berceau 
tested 
positive 
for 
marijuana 
metabolites.  
Consequently, on August 18, 2009, Waldvogel Trucking discharged 
Berceau. 
¶4 
Berceau filed for unemployment benefits.  Rejecting 
Waldvogel Trucking's argument that Berceau was discharged for 
"misconduct 
connected 
with 
[his] 
work" 
under 
Wis. 
Stat. 
§ 108.04(5) (2009-10),2 LIRC concluded that Berceau was eligible 
for unemployment benefits. 
                                                 
2 All subsequent references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to 
the 2009-10 version unless otherwise indicated. 
No. 
2011AP329-FT   
 
3 
 
¶5 
The circuit court disagreed, and Berceau appealed.  
The court of appeals then reversed the order of the circuit 
court and remanded the cause for reinstatement of LIRC's 
decision. 
¶6 
Waldvogel Trucking petitioned this court for review, 
asking us to answer a single question: whether an employee, 
recalled 
from 
an 
indefinite 
lay-off, 
is 
eligible 
for 
unemployment benefits when he renders himself ineligible for his 
job by using illegal drugs.  We granted Waldvogel Trucking's 
petition for review and heard oral argument on March 6, 2012. 
¶7 
Upon further reflection, however, we conclude that the 
petition for review was improvidently granted.  Wisconsin Stat. 
§ 108.04(8)(a) provides, in relevant part, that an employee is 
ineligible for unemployment benefits for a stated period if the 
employee "fails, without good cause, to accept suitable work 
when offered . . . ."  On June 26, 2011, the legislature created 
§ 108.04(8)(b). 
 
2011 
Wis. 
Act 
32, 
§ 2403t. 
 
Section 
108.04(8)(b)1.b. clarifies that an employee's failure to accept 
an offer of work under subsection (8)(a) includes "[t]he 
employer's withdrawal of or failure to extend an offer of work 
due to a positive test result" for illegal drugs.  See id.  
Section 108.04(8)(b) went into effect on July 1, 2011.  See id., 
§§ 9354(2q), 9400. 
¶8 
Given 
the 
legislature's enactment of Wis. Stat. 
§ 108.04(8)(b), the issue presented by Waldvogel Trucking's 
petition for review is not likely to recur.  See Wis. Stat. 
§ (Rule) 809.62(1r)(c)3.  Because a decision by this court in 
No. 
2011AP329-FT   
 
4 
 
the instant case would not develop or clarify the law, see 
§ 809.62(1r)(c), we conclude that Waldvogel Trucking's petition 
for review was improvidently granted. 
¶9 
By the Court.—The review of the decision of the court 
of appeals is dismissed as improvidently granted. 
¶10 Justice PATIENCE DRAKE ROGGENSACK dissents. 
 
 
 
No. 
2011AP329-FT   
 
 
 
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