Opinion ID: 472586
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: unemployment benefits claim

Text: 21 Appellant seeks to bring his claim against the TEC for unemployment benefits in federal court arguing that we have pendent jurisdiction. Even assuming there is pendent jurisdiction, pendent jurisdiction may not override the Eleventh Amendment. Pennhurst State School & Hospital v. Halderman, 465 U.S. 89, 104 S.Ct. 900, 919, 79 L.Ed.2d 67 (1984). The Eleventh Amendment prohibits a private citizen from bringing suit against a state in federal court unless the state consents. Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U.S. 1, 10 S.Ct. 504, 33 L.Ed. 842 (1890). The suit against the TEC is a suit against the state since the TEC is an agency of the state of Texas. Vick v. Texas Employment Commission, 514 F.2d 734, 737 (5th Cir.1975). The appellant's claim is thus barred by the Eleventh Amendment unless Texas has waived its sovereign immunity. There is no indication that the state has done so. The Texas unemployment compensation scheme provides for judicial review of the TEC's decisions in its courts. 7 Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 5221b-4(i); see, Ford Motor Co. v. Department of Treasury, 323 U.S. 459, 465, 65 S.Ct. 347, 351, 89 L.Ed. 389 (1945) (construing statutory language similar to art. 5221b-4(i) as a waiver of immunity from suit in state court only). But as the Supreme Court pointed out in Pennhurst, a state's consent to be used in its own courts does not constitute consent to such a suit in federal court. Pennhurst, 465 U.S. 89 n. 9, 104 S.Ct. at 907 n. 9. In short, there is nothing to indicate that Texas has waived its immunity from suit in federal court, and the appellant's claim is barred.V. CONCLUSION 22 Appellant has undertaken to broaden a routine industrial discharge claim into major constitutional and statutory civil rights claims. He does not allege facts which can substantiate such claims. He may or may not have a breach of contract claim under Sec. 301 not barred by limitation, but only if the collective bargaining agreement under which he worked lacks provision for the exclusiveness of the contract grievance remedy. We remand to the district court to resolve this issue through interpretation of the collective bargaining agreement. 23 AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART.