Opinion ID: 480737
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Effect of the Pension Fund's Duty

Text: 49 Local 449's next argument is that it is entitled to a reversal of the judgment against it on the ground that there was insufficient proof of its duty to enforce Stright's obligation to make contributions to the Pension Fund because the Fund had an obligation to see that contributions were made. Although we would agree that a union's duty of fair representation does not extend to overseeing an employer's contributions to a pension fund when the union neither controlled nor was in a position to oversee such contributions, Rosen v. Hotel Restaurant Employees and Bartenders' Union, 637 F.2d 592, 599 n. 10 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 898, 102 S.Ct. 398, 70 L.Ed.2d 213 (1981), we reject the present argument both because Local 449 apparently did not move for a directed verdict on this basis and because the evidence amply demonstrated that the initial responsibility for enforcing Stright's obligation fell on the Union. 50 Fed.R.Civ.P. 50(b) generally prohibits judgment n.o.v. on any ground not raised in a motion for a directed verdict. See Abehouse v. Ultragraphics, Inc., 754 F.2d 467, 473 (2d Cir.1985); 5A Moore's Federal Practice p 50.08, at 50-74 to 50-75 (2d ed.1986); 9 C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure Sec. 2537, at 598 (1971). Relief from this requirement is only available to prevent a manifest injustice. Sojak v. Hudson Waterways Corp., 590 F.2d 53, 54-55 (2d Cir.1978). 51 Local 449 does not appear to have included in its motion for a directed verdict any argument that the principal responsibility for enforcing an employer's obligation to make pension contributions fell upon the Pension Fund rather than on Local 449. Thus, its motion for judgment n.o.v. on this ground was properly denied unless there was manifest injustice in allowing the jury's verdict against it to stand. The trial evidence permits no such conclusion of injustice. The proof was that the Pension Fund had no knowledge that Stright was bound to a collective bargaining agreement prior to 1968, and hence had no basis on which to infer that pension contributions were required from Stright. Further, the proof was overwhelming that only Local 449 could monitor an employer's initial compliance with its pension contribution obligation and that both Local 449 and the Pension Fund understood that Local 449 would perform this function. Accordingly, Local 449's motion for judgment n.o.v. premised on the alleged superior duty of the Pension Fund to enforce Stright's obligation to make pension contributions was properly denied.