Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02234/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02234-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 740
Nature of Suit: Railway Labor Act
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TAMMY WALLETT,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 06CV2234-LAB (NLS)

ORDER DISMISSING ACTION

[Dkt No. 6]

vs.

AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC.,

Defendant.

In September 2006, plaintiff Tammy Wallett ("Wallett"), proceeding pro se, filed a

Complaint against her former employer, American Airlines, Inc., in small claims court alleging

defendant breached a collective bargaining agreement when it terminated her stock options

upon her resignation. Defendant removed the case to federal court alleging original

jurisdiction in this court on grounds the collective bargaining agreement is governed by the

terms of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. §§ 151, et seq. Defendant then filed a Motion To

Dismiss ("Motion"), asserting Wallett's claim for breach of contract is preempted as a "minor

dispute" under that statute, triggering the application of a mandated grievance arbitration

provision, depriving this court of jurisdiction over the dispute.

The Motion was calendared to be heard December 11, 2006. On

November 29, 2006, an attorney purporting to act on Wallett's behalf presented for filing a

unilateral Dismissal Without Prejudice pursuant to FED. R. CIV. P. 41, as no responsive

pleading to her complaint has yet been filed. However, Wallett filed no substitution to

Case 3:06-cv-02234-LAB-NLS Document 12 Filed 12/20/06 Page 1 of 2
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authorize anyone to act on her behalf, and she remains in propria persona with respect to

any appearances in this case. The court twice telephonically notified her purported counsel,

then her, of the need for her to present a Request For Dismissal executed by herself in order

to accomplish her apparent objective, that the November 29, 2006 filing was ineffective. As

memorialized in the court's December 7, 2006 Minute Order, the hearing of the Motion was

taken off-calendar in consideration of the indication Wallett intended to voluntarily dismiss

the action. However, as of the date of this Order, she has taken no formal action in that

regard. The deadline to oppose the Motion passed on November 27, 2006 with no response

on the merits. Defendant served and filed a timely Reply, asking the court, among other

things, in consideration of Wallett's attempted voluntary dismissal and because she failed

to oppose the Motion, to rule on the papers and to grant the Motion. Pursuant to Civil Local

Rule 7.1(f)(3)(c), the court may construe a party's failure to oppose a motion as consent to

the granting of the motion. However, the court declines to reach the merits of defendant's

Motion in these circumstances. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED the dismissal result defendant requested is

GRANTED, but on grounds Wallett has manifested an intent not to prosecute her claims in

federal court at this time. Accordingly, this case is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE,

with the admonition that if Wallet seeks to pursue her claims in future by filing any action in

this or any other court, she must address as part of her pleading the preemption issue

asserted in defendant's Motion.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: December 20, 2006

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-02234-LAB-NLS Document 12 Filed 12/20/06 Page 2 of 2