Opinion ID: 485678
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Grievance IV: Seniority Preference Grievance

Text: 33 Local 4-447 filed a grievance claiming that Chevron failed to fill a temporary technician position in accordance with the seniority preference provisions of Article III, Section 6, which provides: All temporary assignments other than training for a basic job or to fill a vacancy in a basic job will be considered special assignments ... Selection will ... give preference to senior employees who are qualified and have satisfactorily performed in their regular assignments. (emphasis added) 34 Chevron objects to the arbitration of this grievance for reasons similar to those upon which it objects to the arbitration of Grievances 2 and 3. The grievance/arbitration procedure only applies to matters covered by the collective bargaining agreement. The agreement only covers those job classifications listed in Article I, Section 1 and Article III, Section 1, Exhibit B. The parties have submitted conflicting affidavits as to whether the work performed by temporary technicians fits within one of these provisions. 35 If the work of a temporary technician is not covered by Article I, Section 1 or Article III, Section 1, Exhibit B then the collective bargaining agreement does not cover the position and Chevron would not be required to conform to the collective bargaining agreement when hiring employees for the position. One of the provisions with which Chevron would not have to comply is the arbitration clause. Thus, Chevron contends that the District Court should decide whether the temporary technician position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement because if it is not, the parties did not agree to arbitrate issues concerning that position. Parties are not required to arbitrate issues which they did not agree to arbitrate. Warrior & Gulf, 363 U.S. at 582, 80 S.Ct. at 1852. 36 This Court finds that Chevron's argument is not persuasive. Local 4-447's claim does constitute a grievance since it asserts that Chevron failed to comply with a provision in the collective bargaining agreement--Article III, Section 6. In addition, it is appropriate for this grievance to go to arbitration, since it involves the application and interpretation of several provisions in the collective bargaining agreement. Whether the position of temporary technician is covered by the collective bargaining agreement involves an interpretation of Article I, Section 1 and Article III, Section 1. The contract reserves such a determination for the arbitrator. If the position of temporary technician is not covered by the collective bargaining agreement, then Local 4-447's claim that Chevron violated Article III, Section 6 by not hiring employees according to the seniority preference provisions is without merit, but this determination is for an arbitrator since the parties agreed to arbitrate the claim which Local 4-447 asserts. 37 In sum, the Court finds that the four grievances discussed above are arbitrable. Accordingly, the District Court's order granting summary judgment to Local 4-447 is affirmed.