Opinion ID: 2150565
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Was the resolution imposing fines for persistent violations of the production ceiling a portion of the contract

Text: The appellant relies upon Local 248 UAW v. Natzke (1967), 36 Wis. 2d 237, 153 N. W. 2d 602, and UAW v. Woychik (1958), 5 Wis. 2d 528, 93 N. W. 2d 336. Those cases held that a union's constitution and by-laws constitute a contract between the union and its members, which contract may be enforced in the state courts. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Simmons v. Avisco, Local 713, Textile Workers Union (1965), 350 Fed. 2d 1012, 1017, said: It is established law that a union cannot discipline its members except for offenses stated in its constitution and by-laws, and that the courts lack the power to recognize `implied offenses' and thereby rewrite the union's constitution and by-laws. This court does not disagree with the above statement, but it is apparent from its mere reading that the vice sought to be prevented is the imposition of discipline for offenses that are merely implied and are not clearly spelled out as obligations of membership. We see no reason why those obligations cannot be explicitly spelled out by methods other than the union's constitution and by-laws. In the instant case a resolution of the membership was passed that provided that, in case of persistent and/or flagrant violations of the production ceiling, a member may be charged with conduct unbecoming a union member. As previously discussed, we conclude that the resolution as so passed was not vague. It imposed with precision certain obligations upon union members. We conclude that such resolution constitutes as much a part of the contract defining the obligation of members as does the constitution and by-laws. Article 15, sec. 2, of the by-laws provides in part: These rights [of members] shall at all times be subject to the rules of procedure governing meetings and other uniform rules and regulations contained in the Constitution, By-Laws and other official rules of the Local Union. (Emphasis supplied.) It appears clear, therefore, that rules and regulations binding upon members can be promulgated by other than the passage of amendments to the constitution or the passage of by-laws. As is usual in contracts of any kind, the terms therein may encompass provisions for creating additional binding terms. We conclude that such additions to the contract were effectuated by the passage of the resolution.