Opinion ID: 519533
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Summary Judgment See-Saw.

Text: 11 Degan filed suit in Louisiana state court in March 1986, claiming breach of contract and seeking both partial and full pension benefits previously promised him by Ford's and the union's representatives. Ford removed the suit to federal district court, predicating jurisdiction on both diversity and federal question grounds, the latter including Ford's contention that Degan was alleging a breach of the collectively-bargained retirement plan and that thus his cause of action was preempted by section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), 29 U.S.C. Sec. 185. 1 12 In March 1987, Ford filed a motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of Degan's suit, contending that the suit was time-barred under either the six-month limitations period set forth in section 10(b) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), 29 U.S.C. Sec. 160(b), or the limitations periods stated in ERISA, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1144. The district court denied the motion, holding that because the appropriate statute of limitations in straightforward section 301 suits is the state statute pertaining to contract actions, Louisiana's ten-year statute was applicable. 13 In November 1987, Ford again filed for summary judgment, setting forth the same timeliness claims. In February 1988, the court announced that it had made a mistake in its earlier denial of the defendants' summary judgment motion. Observing that Degan had brought suit against both Ford and the union, the court characterized Degan's suit as a hybrid section 301 action and explained: 14 A hybrid Sec. 301 suit is a suit comprising two causes of action. First, the employee seeks relief under Sec. 301 alleging a breach of the collective bargaining agreement. Second, the suit against the Union is for a breach of the Union's duty of fair representation. 15 The plaintiff's claims indicate that he is asserting a hybrid Sec. 301 claim. He has alleged that Ford breached the collective bargaining agreement by failing to pay the benefits which he asserts are rightly due to him. He also sued the union claiming that it breached its duty of fair representation by inducing him to take the lump sum separation payments without informing him of the ramifications of his decision. 16 Following DelCostello v. International Bhd. of Teamsters, 462 U.S. 151, 163, 103 S.Ct. 2281, 2289, 76 L.Ed.2d 476 (1983), the district court applied the six-month statute of limitations in section 10(b) of the NLRA and held that Degan's suit was time-barred. 17 We review the district court's action de novo, applying the same standards which the court used. See Brooks, Tarlton, Gilbert, Douglas & Kressler v. United States Fire Ins. Co., 832 F.2d 1358, 1364 (5th Cir.1987). Thus, we review the record independently, make any factual inferences in favor of the nonmovant, and then ask whether the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Reid v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co., 784 F.2d 577, 578 (5th Cir.1986). In addition, summary judgment may be affirmed, regardless of the correctness of the district court's rulings, when we find in the record an adequate, independent basis for that result. See Schuster v. Martin, 861 F.2d 1369, 1371 (5th Cir.1988). 18