Opinion ID: 1285977
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: amendment of contribution award

Text: 8. The hearing examiner, in awarding backpay to Shelby and Walker, charged the union with the entire amount of the award and allowed them to seek contribution from the railroad for such backpay as had accrued within 6 months of the commencement of the proceedings under consideration. The district court, in reviewing the hearing examiner's determinations, permitted the union to seek contribution from the railroad for 50 percent of the backpay award. The trial court found there was insufficient evidence to support the hearing examiner's findings of fact that Shelby had discussed his dissatisfaction with company representatives; that his complaints to the union were more numerous than his complaints to the railroad; that the union should have been more aware of his complaints and that the union had an obligation to initiate meaningful action to rectify the discriminatory aspects of the settlement; and that the union was continually made aware of the dissatisfaction of both Shelby and Walker. In its conclusions of law, the district court held that, with the exception of the matters relating to contribution, the conclusions of the hearing examiner were justified by the facts contained in the record. The trial court concluded that the union was entitled to a 50-percent contribution from the railroad, but submitted no memorandum on the contribution issue which would assist this court in understanding the trial court's evaluation of the testimony. As indicated earlier in this opinion, the Administrative Procedure Act clearly limits the scope of review of the lower court. A careful review of the evidence presented to the hearing examiner discloses that his conclusion regarding the contribution obligation of the railroad is supported by substantial evidence in view of the entire record as submitted and is not arbitrary or capricious. Therefore, we hold that the order of the hearing examiner as to contribution by the railroad, limiting its obligations to backpay wages due within 6 months of the filing of the petition, should be reinstated, and that the finding of the district court rejecting this particular finding of the hearing examiner was clearly erroneous. Affirmed in part; reversed in part; and remanded for amendment of the order for judgment consistent with this opinion. OTIS, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.