Opinion ID: 2430576
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: In its original brief the Company contended the circuit court did not have jurisdiction of the subject matter because the enforcement of arbitration agreements is exclusively a federal matter under section 301(a) of the Labor Management Act of 1947, which relates to Suits for violation of contracts. 29 U.S.C.A. § 185. This contention was made despite the fact that the Company initiated these proceedings to contest the arbitration award in the state court. We gather from its later brief that it has abandoned this untenable position. Both parties apparently assume these proceedings are within the scope of section 301(a) and no question is presented on that score. See Mengel Company v. Nashville Paper Prod. and Spec. Workers Union, 6 Cir., 221 F.2d 644. Accepting this view, it appears that both federal and state courts have concurrent jurisdiction to enforce collective bargaining agreements, particularly agreements to arbitrate. See McCarroll v. Los Angeles County District Council of Carpenters, 49 Cal.App.2d 45, 315 P. 2d 322, and Coleman Company, Inc. v. International Union, Etc., 181 Kan. 968, 317 P.2d 831. The circuit court had jurisdiction.