Opinion ID: 457776
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the timeliness of peterson's complaint

Text: 17 As a threshold matter, we reject the union's claim that Peterson's complaint was untimely filed. The Supreme Court has held that the National Labor Relations Act's (NLRA) six-month statute of limitations for the filing of unfair labor practice claims is applicable to suits against a union for breach of the duty of fair representation. DelCostello v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 462 U.S. 151, 169, 103 S.Ct. 2281, 2293, 76 L.Ed.2d 476 (1983). Prior to DelCostello, federal courts applied the relevant state statute of limitations to breach of duty suits against labor unions. See, e.g., Price v. Southern Pacific Transportation Co., 586 F.2d 750, 752 (9th Cir.1978). 18 Until quite recently, we had repeatedly refused to give DelCostello retroactive effect. See, e.g., Rodriquez v. Union Carbide Corp., 735 F.2d 365, 365-66 (9th Cir.1984); Barina v. Gulf Trading & Transportation Co., 726 F.2d 560, 564 (9th Cir.1984). However, we have now made it clear that DelCostello is to be given retroactive application when doing so serves to lengthen rather than shorten the limitations period that would otherwise be applicable under state law. See Aragon v. Federated Department Stores, Inc., 750 F.2d 1447, 1451 (9th Cir.1985); Glover v. United Grocers, Inc., 746 F.2d 1380, 1382 (9th Cir.1984), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 105 S.Ct. 2357, 86 L.Ed.2d 258 (1985). 19 The parties disagree as to the date on which Peterson's cause of action arose. The union maintains that the cause of action accrued either in February, 1978, when Peterson first became aware of the union's alleged error, or in November, 1978, when Arbitrator Scearce dismissed the non-injury grievance as untimely. Peterson contends that the cause of action did not arise until November 13, 1981, the date that his injury grievance was ultimately dismissed by Arbitrator Volz. 20 We need not determine the exact date that Peterson's cause of action accrued because we conclude that the complaint was timely filed whether the cause of action arose as early as 1978 or as late as 1981. If, as the union contends, Peterson's claim accrued in 1978, the timeliness of the complaint would be assessed under California's three-year statute of limitations, 4 and would be timely commenced regardless of which accrual date suggested by the union is applicable. 5 If, as Peterson argues, the cause of action did not accrue until November, 1981, his complaint would be timely under the NLRA's six-month statute of limitations. 6