Opinion ID: 786209
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Continuing Legal Proceedings

Text: 23 The Plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction on March 26, 2002, to prevent RBX and the Unions from completing the effects negotiations that eventually produced the Settlement. The district judge denied the motion for a temporary restraining order as moot on April 16, 2002, because the Settlement had already been signed. On May 2, 2002, the district court heard arguments regarding the Plaintiffs' renewed motion for a preliminary injunction. The district judge denied the motion for a preliminary injunction, ruling that the Plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a strong likelihood of success on the merits. 24 The Plaintiffs then sought to amend their complaint on July 11, 2002, alleging a claim under the LMRDA, 29 U.S.C. § 411, that the Defendants deprived them of the right to sue promised by the LMRDA. RBX and the Unions opposed this amendment because it was filed only three weeks before the close of discovery and because, they asserted, it would not survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. The district judge agreed with the Defendants and denied the motion to amend on futility grounds. The Plaintiffs moved for reconsideration of this denial, arguing that the Settlement had divested the district court of subject matter jurisdiction, and thus the Unions, by allegedly acting in concert with RBX, effectively destroyed the Plaintiffs' lawsuit, all of which violated the LMRDA. The district court declined to reconsider its decision. 25 Both defendants moved for summary judgment in early August. The district court granted both motions on October 17, 2002. The district court did not rule against the Plaintiffs based upon a jurisdictional defect. Instead, it held that the Plaintiffs could not succeed on their § 301 claim because: 1) the Union had the authority to negotiate and enter into the settlement agreement; 2) the Union did not breach its duty of fair representation in representing the Plaintiffs; and 3) RBX did not breach the 1997 CBA. The district court granted the Defendants' motions for summary judgment and dismissed the case. Plaintiffs timely appealed, and we have jurisdiction over the final order of the district court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291.