Opinion ID: 599160
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Exhaustion of Internal Union Procedures

Text: 32 Johnson argues that the district court improperly held that he had failed to exhaust his internal union procedures before bringing suit because exhaustion would have been futile. At Local 149's executive board meeting in February 1985, Johnson attempted to introduce thirteen motions during the new business portion of the meeting. President Robert Holmes ruled the motions out of order. President Holmes did not allow Johnson to present the motions at the next meeting because they related to other charges then pending before the board. Although Johnson had the right to appeal the decision to the board as a whole, he did not do so. Johnson did file charges with the board against President Holmes, alleging Holmes had not fulfilled his duties as president. In September 1985, the board dismissed the charges. Johnson also sent a copy of the charges to the International Union, but received no response. 33 Generally, a union member must exhaust internal procedures before turning to federal court. This policy is based on deferring judicial consideration of disputes arising over internal union matters such as those involving the interpretation and application of a union constitution. Clayton v. International Union, UAW, 451 U.S. 679, 688, 101 S.Ct. 2088, 2095, 68 L.Ed.2d 538 (1981) (emphasis original). Requiring exhaustion is especially appropriate where the claims concern only internal union affairs. See Geddes v. Chrysler Corp., 608 F.2d 261, 264 (6th Cir.1979). However, we held that exhaustion would not be required when pursuing internal remedies would be futile. Terwilliger v. Greyhound Lines, Inc., 882 F.2d 1033, 1039 (6th Cir.1989), cert. denied, 495 U.S. 946, 110 S.Ct. 2204, 109 L.Ed.2d 531 (1990); Geddes, 608 F.2d at 264-65. In Geddes, we held that exhaustion would not be required if the internal remedies are clearly biased against plaintiffs or if resort to internal union remedies might be futile ... because ... the position of the union has hardened against that of the plaintiffs. Id. 34 Johnson argues that the evidence showed that the executive board's position had hardened against Johnson. Johnson testified to factions on the board and that his appeal would have been directed to an opposing faction. Another witness testified that only board members who voted against President Holmes had difficulties in presenting new business. Johnson also argues that the 16-3 vote of the executive board dismissing Johnson's charges against him indicates the bias against Johnson. 35 However, Bill Anderson testified that no faction voted consistently in Holmes's favor. Additionally, no specific evidence was adduced that the appeal of Holmes's ruling to the board would have been biased. There are thirty to forty members on the board and no evidence was shown that all members, or even a majority of them, voted consistently in Holmes's favor. Further, the vote on his charges brought against Holmes does not necessarily indicate how the board would have ruled on a narrow appeal from Holmes's ruling against the motion. There is a vast difference between appealing a single parliamentary ruling and bringing charges against a union president for not carrying out his duties. We do not find that the district court's conclusion was clearly erroneous; therefore, we hold that Johnson should have pursued his internal union remedies before filing this action.