Opinion ID: 787046
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: September 30, 2002 Decision

Text: 22 After a bench trial, the district court issued its first opinion on September 30, 2002. The district court began by noting that [t]he central question in this case is whether Advance Cast Stone was bound to the Principal Agreement at any time after August 6, 1998, the date the Short Form Agreement was executed. R.23 at 10. If it was, then, under the Principal Agreement, the dispute regarding the Goodman Theatre Project was properly before the JAB, and the JAB's award would not be vacated. 4 The district court explained that, under this circuit's case law, an employer may adopt a collective bargaining agreement by its actions or a course of conduct that demonstrates an intent to be bound, even if the employer has not signed that agreement. The court held that, although the evidence was close, ACS did bind itself to the Principal Agreement and therefore rendered it susceptible to the jurisdiction of the JAB on January 18, 2001. Id. at 14.