2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 5-12-2005 

# Hu ghes v . ABB Inc P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 04-3064

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Hu ghe s v . ABB Inc " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1203. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1203NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL I N TH E UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS

F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

____________________ N O . 04- 3064

____________________ W I LLI A M L. H U G H ES,

Appellant v. A B B IN C . ; UAWLO C A L 2 2 5 5 ; WA D EB IRC H F IE LD , IN D IV ID UA LLY

AND AS PRESIDENT OF UAW L OCAL2255

_______________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt F o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . N o. 04- cv- 00619) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C l ar ence C . N ew comer

______________________________________ S u b m itted U n d er T h ir d C ir cu itL A R 3 4 . 1 (a):

A pr i l 19, 2005 B e f o re : R O T H , F U E N T E S a n d B E C K E R , C i r cui tJudges .

( Fi l ed M ay12, 2005 )

________________________

OP I NI ON

________________________ B E C K E R , C i r cui tJudge . W ill iam H u g h e s a p p e a ls f ro m a n o rd e r o f

th e D istric t C o u rt d ism iss in g h is2

compl ai ntagai ns thi s for m erempl oy er , defe ndantA B B I nc. , defe ndantU A W L ocal 2255, and the uni on’ s pr es i dent , defe ndantW ade Bi r chfi el d, r emoved fr om t he C om m on Pl eas C o u rto f B u ck s C o u n ty(P en n sy lvan ia) t o the E astern D istri ct of P en n sy lvan ia, fo r fa il u re t o s t at e a c l ai m forr el i ef. Fed. R . C i v. P. 12( b) ( 6) . T he compl ai nt , w hi ch al l eged br eac h of contr act , m i s r epr es ent at i on, unl aw ful , w i l l ful and mal i ci ous conduct , and negl i gence , w as f o u n d ed u p o n the th eo rythat H u g h es w as n o t perm itted to p arti cipa te i n a v o lun tary reti rem en t pro g ram , co ll ec ti v elyb arg aine d fo r be tw ee n A B B an d U n it ed A u to W o rke rs U ni on L ocal 2255, of w hi ch H ughes w as a mem ber , thatw as offe r ed t o a ce r t ai n gr oup of empl oy ees i n M ar ch 2001 and a gai n i n J ul y2001. H ughes di d notw i s h t o par t i ci pat e ( by r et i r i ng ear l y ) i n M ar ch, buthe bec ame se r i ous l yi l l i n J ul y . H ughes cl ai m s nevert o have r ece i ved the s econd r et i r ementpacka ge w hi ch he s ay s i s i n vi ol at i on of the uni on agreem ents . H ughes ar gues t hathi s compl ai ntw as bas ed on s t at e l aw , and henc e the D i s t r i ct C our terr ed i n appl y i ng fede r al l aw i nvol vi ng col l ect i ve bar gai ni ng agr eement s and a fe d era l si x -m o n th statute o f li m it ati o n s. H e a lso a ll eg es th at his d u e p roc ess righ ts w ere vi ol at ed s i nce the fa ct s w er e notr evi ew ed bya tr i erof fa ct . W e di s agr ee. B r eac hes of c o l l e c t i v e b a r g a i n i n g a g r e e me n t s a r e g o v e r n e d b yf e d e r a l l a w, a n d a n ys t a t e l a w c l a i ms for breaches of c oll ect i ve b argai ning agreem ents are pr eem pted byfede ral l aw and m ust be br oughtunders ect i on 301 of the LaborM anage m entR el at i ons A ct , 29 U . S. C . § 185, beca us e the cl ai m s ar e “f ounded di r ect l yon r i ght s cr eat ed bycol l ect i ve bar gai ni ngA lit a n yo f c a se s s u p p o rts th is p ro p o sitio n : s ee, e. g. , A l l is - C halm ers C or p. v. Lueck , 1 4 7 1 U .S . 2 0 2 , 2 1 0 (1 9 8 5 ), B ei delm an v. Str oh B r ew er y C o. , 1 8 2 F . 3 d 2 2 5 , 2 3 2 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ), Li ngl e v. N

or ge D i v. of

M agi c C hef

, I nc . , 4 8 6 U . S . 3 9 9 , 4 0 3 -04 & n . 3 (19 8 8 ). 3 agr eement s . ” M or eover , beca us e H ughes ’ s t at e l aw cl ai m s ar e pr eempt ed by§ 301, t hey

1 had t o have be en fi l ed w i thi n s i x m ont hs aft erhe di s cover ed thathi s appea l s t o t he uni on f o r p a rt ic ip a tio n in th e v o lu n ta ry re tir e m e n t p ro g ra m w o u ld b e f u tile . See D el

C os t el l o v. Int ’l B hd . of Team st ers , 4 6 2 U .S . 1 5 1 (1 9 8 3 ). A t th e late st, H u g h e s w a s a w a re th a t h is appea l s t o t he uni on w er e fut i l e byt he end of J anuary2003. B utH ughes ’ compl ai ntw as notfi l ed unt i l D ece m ber10, 2003, m or e than fourm ont hs aft ert he s t atut e of l i m i t at i ons had expi r ed. H ughes has at t empt ed t o evade t he appl i cabi l i t yof the § 301 s t atut e of l i m i t at i ons byr eca s t i ng hi s compl ai ntas ar i s i ng undert he Labor - M anage m entR epor t i ng & D i s cl os ur e A ct( “LM R D A ”) , 29 U . S. C . § 431 et s eq . T h is a rg u m e n t is le g a lly f ri v o lo u s . T he LM R D A i s noti m pl i cat ed byt he fa ct s al l eged i n H ughes ’ compl ai nt , fort he s ect i ons of the LM R D A r el i ed upon byH ughes r el at e t o uni on m ember s ’ equal r i ght s i n t he governm entand managementof thei runi on and uni on m ember s ’ r i ghtt o fr ee s peec h and as s embl yi n t he managementof thei runi on. T he or derof the D i s t r i ctC our tw i l l be af fi r m ed.