Opinion ID: 3036192
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Contract Repudiation Exception

Text: Martin alleges that on June 11, 2002, he filed his own petition for arbitration in accordance with Article 32 of the CBA. It is unclear whether he, in fact, did so. The record indicates that Martin’s counsel sent letters to AA and TWU on June 11 setting forth Martin’s version of the events of April 15. In an affidavit, Martin states that on June 11 his counsel also sent a petition for arbitration on his behalf to AA and TWU. AA denies that Martin sent a petition. Viewing the facts in a light most favorable to Martin and drawing inferences from the facts in his favor, we will assume that Martin’s counsel sent a petition for arbitration to AA and TWU with the June 11 letters. 9 The contract repudiation exception applies “when the conduct of the employer amounts to a repudiation of [the CBA’s] contractual procedures.” Vaca, 386 U.S. at 185. Martin argues that AA repudiated the arbitration provisions of the CBA by ignoring his June 11 petition. This argument depends on whether Martin had a right to file a petition for arbitration individually, without participation from TWU. We hold that he does not have an individual right to pursue arbitration. Martin contends that the RLA provides airline employees with a statutory right to pursue arbitration individually before an airline’s system board of adjustment.4 We disagree. The RLA provides railroad employees the right to pursue arbitration individually before the National Railroad Adjustment Board. 45 U.S.C. § 153 First (j). However, the RLA specifically provides that § 153 is not applicable to air carriers. 45 U.S.C. §§ 181 and 182; see also Air Line Pilots Ass’n, Int’l v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., 415 F.2d 493, 498 (8th Cir. 1969) (denying airline employees attorneys’ fees under 45 U.S.C. § 153 First (p) because 45 U.S.C. §§ 181 and 182 specifically provide that § 153 is not applicable to air carriers). We will not ignore the express statutory exclusions in §§ 181 and 182 in order to apply § 153 to the airline industry. Even if we were to assume for the sake of argument that Martin had an individual right to pursue arbitration, he has failed to show repudiation on the part of AA. Martin alleges AA ignored his individual petition for arbitration. However, simply alleging AA ignored his petition is not enough to show repudiation. Martin offers no evidence that AA knew he intended to pursue arbitration without the 4 Raised for the first time in one sentence in his reply brief, Martin claims that he also had a contractual right under the CBA to pursue arbitration on his own. We will not consider an issue first raised in a reply brief, absent some reason given by the appellant for failing to raise and brief the issue in his opening brief. United States v. Darden, 70 F.3d 1507, 1549 n.18 (8th Cir. 1995). Martin has not offered any explanation, and we will not consider the issue. 10 assistance of TWU but refused arbitration proceedings to him nonetheless. For example, Martin’s June 11 letter to AA does not reference his petition and does not suggest Martin intended to pursue arbitration on his own. Furthermore, AA did not receive Martin’s alleged individual petition in accordance with the arbitration procedures set forth in Article 32 of the CBA–the petition came directly from Martin, not from the International TWU as required. In addition, the record does not show that Martin ever revoked his authorization of TWU to act as his representative in the disposition of his grievance. Most telling, after TWU withdrew Martin’s unionbacked petition, Martin took no further action to pursue with AA his individual request for arbitration before filing the instant action.