Opinion ID: 1364283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plaintiff's complaint and defendants' motion.

Text: Plaintiff's complaint alleged that he had been employed by defendant Transcon Lines; that on May 29, 1975 he was injured in the performance of his duties, requiring medical care and treatment; that he applied for and received workers' compensation benefits under applicable Oregon statutes; that on July 1, 1975 his employment was terminated; that The termination of plaintiff was a wrongful act, motivated by plaintiff's pursuit of his workmen's compensation claim, and was contrary to plaintiff's right to seek compensation as provided by law without fear of reprisal, discrimination or retaliation and that, as a result, he suffered general damages and was also entitled to punitive damages. Defendants filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings and/or for summary judgment on the grounds that plaintiff's complaint failed to state a cause of action and that the court was without subject matter jurisdiction because    [U]nder ORS 659.400 to 659.435, primary jurisdiction for resolution of an alleged unlawful employment practice based on the termination of an employee for the filing of a workmen's compensation claim is vested exclusively in the Oregon Bureau of Labor. ORS 659.410 makes it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate against an employee for making a claim for workers' compensation. ORS 659.435 provides that such an employee may file a complaint with the Bureau of Labor. From an affidavit filed by plaintiff in opposition to defendants' motion it appears that plaintiff did not file such a complaint.