Opinion ID: 472041
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the reinstatement of jester

Text: 16 United makes two arguments on this issue. First, it argues that the only remedy available to the Board was to award liquidated damages and, second, that since United does not conduct regular business in Kentucky and only hires local labor for a given job, it cannot be compelled to reinstate an employee who would have lost his job anyway. 17 United's argument as to liquidated damages has no merit. The pertinent section of the Agreement reads: 18 The Joint Trade Board is hereby vested with complete authority and power to investigate mediate, or adjust, compose, and/or arbitrate or determine all issues and questions presented to such tribunal, and shall have power to set such liquidated damages as is just for any violation. 19 We read the above language to mean that the Board, in addition to the other powers it possesses, has the power to set liquidated damages in an appropriate situation. It would be totally inconsistent with labor agreements in general and the normal grievance resolution procedure to limit the Board as United suggests. 20 United's argument relative to the practical aspects of reinstatement of Jester, however, has merit. United bids on jobs all over the United States and when it is the successful bidder it customarily dips into the local labor pool via the Union hiring roll for the personnel it needs for the duration of the job. At the time Jester was ordered reinstated, the job was not yet completed but, as the legal aftermath of the arbitration hearing has dragged on, the job has been long since completed. It would appear that had Jester not had a disciplinary problem he would have stayed with the job to completion and then been terminated along with all the other local Union help. The record is not completely clear on this point, however, and the Union does not even address it in its brief. Accordingly, we remand the issue of reinstatement to the district court with instructions to determine when, in the normal course of events, Jester would have been terminated and award back pay to that point in time, less any unemployment compensation or other earnings received as directed in the April 5, 1985 amended judgment. 21 We thus AFFIRM the district court, except for the order of reinstatement of Jester, which is REVERSED and REMANDED for further proceedings.