Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00924/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00924-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 740
Nature of Suit: Railway Labor Act
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgement

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ORDER GRANTING UNIONS’ UNOPPOSED MOTION TO INTERVENE 

Case No. 2:14-cv-01056-TLN-DAD

132148\862824 

WEINBERG, ROGER & 

ROSENFELD A Professional Corporation 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 200 

Alameda, California 94501 

(510) 337-1001 

MATTHEW J. GAUGER, Bar No. 139785

WEINBERG, ROGER & ROSENFELD 

A Professional Corporation 

428 J Street, Suite 520 

Sacramento, CA 95814 

Telephone (916) 443-6600 

Fax (916) 4420244 

E-Mail: mgauger@unioncounsel.net 

Attorneys for Applicants for Intervention BLET, 

BMWE, BRS, IBEW, NCFO, SMART-MD, and SMART-TD 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORP., 

et al., 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

STATE OF CALIFORNIA, et al., 

Defendant. 

and 

TRANSPORTATION DIVISION OF THE 

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SHEET 

METAL, AIR, RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION 

WORKERS; MECHANICAL DIVISION OF 

THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 

SHEET METAL, AIR RAIL AND 

TRANSPORTATION WORKERS; 

BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE 

ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN; 

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF 

ELECTRICAL WORKERS; NATIONAL 

CONFERENCE OF FIREMEN & OILERS 

DISTRICT OF LOCAL 32BJ, SEIU; 

BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD 

SIGNALMEN; and BROTHERHOOD OF 

MAINTENANCE OF WAY EMPLOYEES 

DIVISION/IBT, 

Applicants for 

Intervention. 

Case No. 2:15-cv-00924-KJM-EFB

ORDER FOR UNIONS’ UNOPPOSED 

MOTION TO INTERVENE 

Judge: Hon. Kimberly J. Mueller 

Date: June 17, 2016 

Time: 10:00 a.m. 

Courtroom: 3 

Case 2:15-cv-00924-KJM-JDP Document 37 Filed 05/17/16 Page 1 of 3
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WEINBERG, ROGER & 

ROSENFELD A Professional Corporation 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 200 

Alameda, California 94501 

(510) 337-1001 

2

ORDER GRANTING UNIONS’ UNOPPOSED MOTION TO INTERVENE 

Case No. 2:15-cv-00924-KJM-EFB

132148\862824 

Before the court is an unopposed motion by the Transportation Division and the 

Mechanical Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation 

Workers (“SMART-TD” and “SMART-MD” respectively), Brotherhood of Locomotive 

Engineers and Trainmen (“BLET”), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“IBEW”), 

National Conference of Firemen & Oilers District of Local 32BJ, SEIU (“NCFO”), Brotherhood 

of Railroad Signalmen (“BRS”) and Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees 

Division/IBT (“BMWED”) (hereinafter collectively referred to as “the Unions”) requesting leave 

to intervene in the above-captioned case pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a)(2), or, 

alternatively, pursuant to Rule 24(b). ECF No. 34. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a) provides: 

On timely motion, the court must permit anyone to intervene 

who . . . claims an interest relating to the property or transaction 

that is the subject of the action, and is so situated that disposing of 

the action may as a practical matter impair or impede the movant’s 

ability to protect its interest, unless existing parties adequately 

represent that interest. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a)(2). In determining whether intervention as of right is appropriate, the court 

applies a four-part test: 

(1) the application for intervention must be timely; (2) the applicant 

must have a ‘significantly protectable’ interest relating to the 

property or transaction that is the subject of the action; (3) the 

applicant must be so situated that the disposition of the action may, 

as a practical matter, impair or impede the applicant’s ability to 

protect that interest; and (4) the applicant’s interest must not be 

adequately represented by the existing parties in the lawsuit. 

Southwest Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. Berg, 268 F.3d 810, 817 (9th Cir. 2001) (citation 

omitted). “In determining whether intervention is appropriate, courts are guided primarily by 

practical and equitable considerations, and the requirements for intervention are broadly 

interpreted in favor of intervention.” United States v. Aerojet Gen. Corp., 606 F.3d 1142, 1148 

(9th Cir. 2010) (quoting United States v. Alisal Water Corp., 370 F.3d 915, 919 (9th Cir. 2004)). 

Here, the court finds that the Unions have satisfied the four requirements under 

Rule 24(a)(2): (1) the motion is timely; (2) the Unions have a significantly protectable interest in 

their employee members’ coverage under California’s Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act 

Case 2:15-cv-00924-KJM-JDP Document 37 Filed 05/17/16 Page 2 of 3
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WEINBERG, ROGER & 

ROSENFELD A Professional Corporation 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 200 

Alameda, California 94501 

(510) 337-1001 

3

ORDER GRANTING UNIONS’ UNOPPOSED MOTION TO INTERVENE 

Case No. 2:15-cv-00924-KJM-EFB

132148\862824 

of 2014 (“the Act”), Cal. Labor Code §§ 245–249, which may be rendered worthless for practical 

purposes if plaintiffs prevail and the court finds the Act is preempted by federal law, see CSX 

Transp., Inc. v. Georgia Pub. Serv. Comm’n, 944 F. Supp. 1573, 1577–78 (N.D. Ga. 1996); 

(3) similarly, disposition of the action may, as a practical matter, impair or impede the Unions’ 

ability to protect this interest; and (4) the Unions’ interest is not adequately represented by the 

existing parties in the action, see Southwest Ctr., 268 F.3d at 822 (setting forth three-prong test 

for inadequacy of representation). See generally Mem. P. & A. Mot. Intervene, ECF No. 35 at 5–

8.

Accordingly, the court GRANTS the Unions’ unopposed motion to intervene 

under Rule 24(a)(2). 

 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: May 16, 2016

 

Case 2:15-cv-00924-KJM-JDP Document 37 Filed 05/17/16 Page 3 of 3