Opinion ID: 704034
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Preemption of Quesnel's Claim

Text: 7 The sole issue before us is whether Quesnel's state law claims are preempted as a matter of law under Sec. 301(a) of the Labor-Management Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 185(a). 3 It is well-established that Sec. 301 completely preempts a state law claim if the resolution of the claim necessitates analysis of, or substantially depends on the meaning of, a collective bargaining agreement. Lingle v. Norge Division of Magic Chef, Inc., 486 U.S. 399, 405-06, 108 S.Ct. 1877, 1881-82, 100 L.Ed.2d 410 (1988); Allis-Chalmers Corp. v. Lueck, 471 U.S. 202, 220, 105 S.Ct. 1904, 1915-16, 85 L.Ed.2d 206 (1985); Magerer v. John Sexton & Co., 912 F.2d 525, 528 (1st Cir.1990). 8
9 Assuming Quesnel is subject to the CBA, we must determine whether resolution of his claims in the instant case necessitates analysis of, or substantially depends upon the meaning of, the CBA. If so, then his claims must be dismissed as preempted in light of the foregoing principles. Having carefully examined the CBA, we think that the district court correctly found that the CBA is directly implicated in any resolution of Quesnel's claims. The CBA sets forth the terms and scope of the employment relationship of all district agents, encompassing rates of pay, wages, and conditions of employment. Significantly, the CBA sets forth grievance procedures for alleged wrongful termination. Determination of whether Quesnel was indeed wrongfully terminated, and whether his failure to follow grievance procedures set forth in the CBA nonetheless precludes his claim would require a court, as the district court found, to immerse itself in the CBA's terms. Interpretation of the CBA is therefore crucial to any resolution of Quesnel's claim. 10
11 Because we find that resolution of Quesnel's claims require interpretation of the CBA, his claims are preempted if Quesnel is indeed subject to the CBA's terms. Quesnel wisely does not dispute this; rather, he claims that his employment relationship with Prudential was governed not by the CBA, but solely by the Agent's Agreement, and therefore his claims should be adjudicated in state court. At the very least, Quesnel argues, there exists a genuine issue of material fact as to whether he is subject to the CBA. 4 12 Whether Quesnel is subject to the CBA is in this case, however, a question of law, not of fact. See Coll v. PB Diagnostic Systems, Inc., 50 F.3d 1115, 1122 (1st Cir.1995) (interpretation of contract is a question of law); Whitney Bros. v. Sprafkin, 3 F.3d 530, 534 (1st Cir.1993) (same). After examining the CBA and the Agent's Agreement, we conclude that it is clear that Quesnel is indeed subject to the CBA's terms. First, the CBA was effective on the date Quesnel became a district agent, and by its terms encompasses all District Agents employed or hereafter to be employed by Prudential, including those agents employed in the company's Massachusetts offices. 13 Second, regardless of the fact that Quesnel was not a Union member, he is a member of the bargaining unit for whose benefit the CBA was created. The Union was and is obligated under Sec. 9(a) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 159(a), to represent the interests of all employees in collective bargaining, including nonmembers. See Vaca v. Sipes, 386 U.S. 171, 87 S.Ct. 903, 17 L.Ed.2d 842 (1967) (unions must fairly represent all employees in a unit for which it is exclusive bargaining representative). Therefore, the fact that Quesnel is not a Union member does not remove him from the bargaining unit for whose benefit the CBA was created. See Saunders v. Amoco Pipeline Co., 927 F.2d 1154, 1156 (10th Cir.1991) (individual employee is bound by terms of collective bargaining agreement even if not a union member). Indeed, in his brief Quesnel essentially concedes that he was a member of the bargaining unit of the CBA, and maintains that he could have invoked the CBA's grievance and arbitration procedures, but properly chose not to. Quesnel cannot pick and choose among his avenues of remedy, however; having been a member of the bargaining unit and received the benefits of the CBA while employed, Quesnel cannot now disclaim it. The grievance procedures set forth in the CBA is exclusive of other dispute resolution mechanisms. 14 Finally, we do not think that the Agent's Agreement displaces or in any way substitutes for the CBA. The Agent's Agreement does not deal with terms and conditions of employment or with grievance procedures, as does the CBA. Rather, the Agent's Agreement merely delineates Prudential's business policies applicable to district agents. Moreover, Articles XXVI and XXVII of the CBA specifically reference and amend the Agent's Agreement, a strong indication that the Agent's Agreement is not intended to supplant, but merely to supplement, the CBA. We therefore find that Quesnel is subject to the terms of the CBA, and that his claims are, accordingly, preempted.