Source: https://m.openjurist.org/502/us/93
Timestamp: 2019-07-22 20:29:36
Document Index: 520355729

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 401', '§ 301', '§ 185', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 301', '§ 185', '§ 301', '§ 301']

502 US 93 Wooddell v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 71 | OpenJurist
502 U.S. 93 - Wooddell v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 71
502 US 93 Wooddell v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 71
112 S.Ct. 494
116 L.Ed.2d 419
Guy WOODDELL, Jr., Petitioner
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS, LOCAL 71, et al.
No. 90-967.
Petitioner Wooddell, a member of Local 71 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), sued respondents, the Local and its officers, alleging, inter alia, that, because of his opposition to proposed union actions, they had violated his rights under Title I of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA) by discriminating against him in job referrals in the operation of a hiring hall provided for in the Local's collective-bargaining contracts with electrical contractors. He also contended that such conduct constituted violations of the IBEW Constitution and the Local's bylaws, which were allegedly breaches of contract redressable under § 301 of the Labor-Management Relations Act, 1947 (LMRA). Among other things, Wooddell sought injunctive relief, lost wages and benefits, and damages. The District Court dismissed all claims against all defendants. The Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of the LMRDA claim but otherwise affirmed the District Court, including its holding that Wooddell had no right to have the LMRDA claim tried to a jury. The Court of Appeals further held that § 301—which provides that "[s]uits for violation of contracts between . . . labor organizations . . . may be brought in . . . district court"—did not authorize a breach-of-contract action to be brought by an individual union member for an alleged violation of a union constitution.
1. Wooddell was entitled to a jury trial on the LMRDA cause of action. Although he seeks injunctive relief as well as damages, the injunctive relief is assertedly incidental to the damages. His claim for lost wages cannot be treated as restitutionary incident to an order reinstating him to a job from which he has been terminated, as the damages sought are for pay for jobs to which the union failed to refer him. Also, an LMRDA action is closely analogous to a personal injury action, a prototypical example of an action at law to which the Seventh Amendment right to jury trial applies. Thus, Teamsters v. Terry, 494 U.S. 558, 565, 570, 571, 110 S.Ct. 1339, ----, ----, ----, 108 L.Ed.2d 519—in which the Court found a right to a jury trial on a claim for an employer's breach of a collective-bargaining agreement under § 301 and a union's breach of the duty of fair representation—controls this case. Pp. 97-98.
We have before us two questions: whether a union member who sues his local union for money damages under Title I of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), 73 Stat. 519, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 401 et seq., is entitled to a jury trial, and whether under § 301(a) of the Labor-Management Relations Act, 1947 (LMRA), 61 Stat. 156, 29 U.S.C. § 185(a)1 the District Court had jurisdiction over the breach of contract suit brought in this case by a union member against his local union.
In the course of acting on two summary judgment motions filed by defendants, the District Court dismissed all claims against all defendants. The Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of the LMRDA free speech-job discrimination claim but otherwise affirmed the District Court, including its holding that petitioner had no right to have his LMRDA claim tried to a jury. With respect to the § 301 breach-of-contract claim, the Court of Appeals relied on prior circuit precedent2 in holding that § 301 did not authorize such an action to be brought by an individual union member. We granted certiorari to address both the jury trial and the § 301 issues. 498 U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 951, 112 L.Ed.2d 1039 (1991).
In Smith v. Evening News Assn., 371 U.S. 195, 198, 83 S.Ct. 267, 269, 9 L.Ed.2d 246 (1962), we held that the word "between" in § 301 refers to "contracts," not "suits," Id., at 200-201, 83 S.Ct., at 270-271. Hence, a suit properly brought under § 301 must be a suit either for violation of a contract between an employer and a labor organization representing employees in an industry affecting commerce or for violation of a contract between such labor organizations. No employer-union contract is involved here; if the District Court had § 301 subject-matter jurisdiction over petitioner's suit against his union, it is because his suit alleges a violation of a contract between two unions,3 and because § 301 is not limited to suits brought by a party to that contract, i.e., because one in petitioner's position may properly bring such a suit.4
It is clear in this case that petitioner charged a violation of a contract between two unions within the meaning of § 301.5 His amended complaint alleged that the constitution of the IBEW requires "all Local Unions to live up to all collective bargaining agreements" and that the IBEW Constitution and the by-laws of Local 71 "are contracts which are binding upon Local 71."6 App. 12-13. In its amended answer, Local 71 admitted these allegations, i.e. conceded that it had promised to comply with the collective-bargaining contracts. Petitioner also alleged generally that the defendants had breached the above mentioned contracts; more specifically, he alleged that he had been discriminated against in hiring-hall job referrals, contrary to the applicable collective-bargaining agreements and contrary to the IBEW Constitution.
Section 301(a) states: "Suits for violation of contracts between an employer and a labor organization representing employees in an industry affecting commerce as defined in the Act, or between any such labor organizations, may be brought in any district court of the United States having jurisdiction of the parties, without respect to the amount in controversy or without regard to the citizenship of the parties." 29 U.S.C. § 185(a).
Trail v. Teamsters, 542 F.2d 961 (CA6 1976). Other Courts of Appeals that have addressed this issue since Plumbers and Pipefitters v. Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 334, 452 U.S. 615, 101 S.Ct. 2546, 69 L.Ed.2d 280 (1981), have reached a contrary conclusion. See, e.g., DeSantiago v. Laborers Int'l Union of North America, Local No. 1140, 914 F.2d 125 (CA8 1990); Pruitt v. Carpenters Local Union No. 225, 893 F.2d 1216 (CA11 1990); Lewis v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffers, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, Local Union No. 771, 826 F.2d 1310 (CA3 1987); Kinney v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, 669 F.2d 1222 (CA9 1981).
The § 301 issue is stated as follows by both petitioner and respondents: "Does section 301 of the Labor-Management Relations Act create a federal cause of action under which a union member may sue his union for a violation of the union constitution?" Brief for Petitioner i; Brief for Respondents i. As the text makes clear, the answer to that question is in the affirmative but only if it is charged that the breach alleged violates a contract between two labor organizations.
Of course, for petitioner to bring suit, he must have personal standing. As the case comes to us, however, the sole issue is whether a suit by a union member alleging a violation of a contract between two unions is within the subject-matter jurisdiction conferred by § 301. Petitioner's standing to bring the suit is not disputed before this Court.
It is not disputed that the IBEW, as well as Local 71, is a labor organization representing employees in an industry affecting commerce.
The Joint Appendix 21-41 sets out selected provisions of the IBEW constitution. Included is a section entitled "Rules for Local Unions." Among the 23 rules prescribed, in addition to the rule requiring local unions to honor their contracts, is a rule requiring IBEW approval of all bylaws adopted and all agreements entered into by local unions. There is a reference in these rules to a "charter" of a local union, but if Local 71 has a charter or a constitution, or both, neither is a part of the record in this case. The complaint refers to bylaws of the local, but the record also omits setting out the relevant bylaws.