Opinion ID: 736984
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Plaintiffs' Path

Text: 24 The plaintiffs' attempts to navigate the Union's internal grievance procedure 2 began when they wrote a letter to International President DuBose challenging General Chairperson Thompson's (G.C.Thompson) decision. President DuBose responded by letter on December 20, 1991 upholding G.C. Thompson's decision. At that point, the plaintiffs appealed the actions of G.C. Thompson to the General Committee of Adjustment (the Committee). G.C. Thompson responded to this appeal by defending his position in a letter to the Committee. The Committee took no action, prompting the plaintiffs to request that their appeal be forwarded to the Union's Board of Appeals. When the Board of Appeals met, they determined that the plaintiffs should have appealed President DuBose's letter to the Board of Directors, and that having failed to do so, their appeal was now barred by the time limits. 25 The Union argues that the district court's dismissal of the plaintiffs' claims should be affirmed because Fulk and Cearlock did not exhaust their internal Union remedies. The plaintiffs argue that the summary judgment should be reversed because they had legitimate reasons for failing to correctly navigate the Union's internal appellate process. First, the plaintiffs argue that the Union failed to inform them that they had appealed through the wrong body. Second, the plaintiffs argue that the Union Constitution is ambiguous and unclear, and that this ambiguity should be construed against the Union. Finally, the plaintiffs argue that, even if they had completed their appeal properly, the Union could not have granted them a remedy comparable to the relief they are seeking in this § 301 action in federal court. 26