Opinion ID: 579465
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Company's Breach of the Collective Bargaining Agreement

Text: 24 Because Bennett was a nonprobationary employee when she was summarily discharged, the Company's entire defense collapses. The district court found that at least two provisions of the collective bargaining agreement were breached. First, Article 10, Sections 1 and 2 provide that the Company shall be reasonable in granting leaves of absence for, inter alia, illness and physical disability. The Company refused to investigate Bennett's injury or to consider her medical documentation, but simply fired her. We agree with the district court that the Company's action was unreasonable. Second, Article 7, Section 3 of the agreement provides: 25 No employee shall be summarily discharged. Employees shall first be suspended pending completion of the Employer's investigation of the incident. The Union President will be notified of the suspension within twenty-four (24) hours. Company will notify the employee of its decision in writing with a copy to the Local Union. 26 That procedure was not followed here. We therefore agree with the district court that Bennett's summary discharge violated the agreement. 27