Opinion ID: 785012
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Application of the Ohio Revised Code's Statute of Limitations

Text: 20 The Union removed this case to federal court since the action arose under § 301 of the LMRA. Actions filed under § 301 of the LMRA are subject to the appropriate state statute of limitations, since it contains no federal limitations provision of its own. Aloisi v. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, 321 F.3d 551, 556 (6th Cir.2003) (citing United Parcel Serv. v. Mitchell, 451 U.S. 56, 60, 101 S.Ct. 1559, 67 L.Ed.2d 732 (1981)). The appropriate statute of limitations utilized in an Ohio case seeking to challenge a party moving to vacate, modify, or correct an arbitration award is the Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C.) § 2711.13, United Steelworkers of America, Local 4839 v. New Idea Farm Equipment Corp., 917 F.2d 964, 967 (6th Cir. 1990), which provides: 21 [a]fter an award in an arbitration proceeding is made, any party to the arbitration may file a motion in the court of common pleas for an order vacating, modifying, or correcting the award as prescribed in sections 2711.10 and 2711.11 of the Revised Code. Notice of a motion to vacate, modify, or correct an award must be served upon the adverse party or his attorney within three months after the award is delivered to the parties in interest, as prescribed by law for service of notice of motion in an action. 22 Alternatively, in order to confirm an award once final, parties must move under O.R.C. § 2711.09, Id., which provides: 23 [a]t any time within one year after an award in an arbitration proceeding is made, any party to the arbitration may apply to the court of common pleas for an order confirming the award. Thereupon, the court shall grant such an order and enter judgment thereon, unless the award is vacated, modified, or corrected as prescribed in sections 2711.10 and 2711.11 of the Revised Code. 24 Therefore, the proper characterization of the action determines its timeliness. New Idea, 917 F.2d at 967. 25 The Company asserts that any action taken by the Union, at this time, is barred by the O.R.C. statute of limitation. The Company further argues that the arbitrator was without authority to re-hear this dispute and re-issue another arbitration decision. However, as this court stated in New Idea, the proper characterization of the events in the instant case is necessary to determine timeliness and the proper authority. Id. We will deal with timeliness first. 26 After the first arbitration award was issued in December of 1998, the parties went back and forth for almost a year disputing the proper application of the issued remedy. The Union understood the arbitration's conclusion to require that Longaberger workers be equitably compensated to the degree that the existing Glost Packers have been compensated since the fall of 1994, which included more than the $.26 per hour difference as determined by the Job evaluation chart. Apparently, the $3/per hour add on that was requested, and clarified in the supplemental arbitration award, was part of the compensation the Union understood to be included in the difference in wage rate. 27 Conversely, the Company's understanding was that the difference in wage rate it was ordered to pay the Union employees, merely included the $.26/per hour increase as determined by the Job Evaluation chart, since the arbitrator made a point in the initial arbitration award to state that he was persuaded by the Company's evidence with respect to the reasons for not applying the incentive rate to the Packer's work in the Longaberger ware. For these reasons, clarification of the arbitration award was necessary to move forward in the proceedings. By way of literal interpretation, clarification of an award is neither controlled by O.R.C. §§ 2711.09 nor 2711.13. 2 28 Traditionally, if an arbitration award is ambiguous and in need of clarification, courts are made to remand back to the arbitrator to clarify its meaning and intent. M & C Corp. v. Erwin Behr Gmbh & Co., 326 F.3d 772, 782 (6th Cir.2003) (holding that a remand is proper both at common law and under the federal law of arbitration contracts, to clarify an ambiguous award or to require the arbitrator to address an issue submitted to him but not resolved by the award (quoting Green v. Ameritech Corp., 200 F.3d 967, 977 (6th Cir.2000))). Although, the Union's request for clarification did not come through a request to remand in the federal courts, it is important to recognize that the parties involved needed clarification before any appropriate recourse of federal or state actions became necessary. See New Idea, 917 F.2d at 969 (citing United Steelworkers v. Timken Roller Bearing Co., 324 F.2d 738, 740 (6th Cir.1963) (holding that a court is not required to enforce an award that is not clear as to its meaning)). 29 Therefore, the Union did not violate the three month statute of limitations to vacate, modify or correct an arbitration award under O.C.R. § 2711.13 since the Union did not request such a remedy. Additionally, the Union did not violate the required one-year time frame in which to receive a guaranteed confirmation of an arbitration award under O.C.R. § 2711.09, as that also was not the requested remedy. The Union did request, however, clarification of the award, as its remedial meaning was clearly in dispute. To fully understand the breadth of the arbitrator's power to clarify, we visit the issue as to whether or not the arbitrator exceeded his power in clarifying and subsequently issuing a supplemental award. 30