Opinion ID: 726159
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Application of the O'Neill Standard

Text: 25 If there is no genuine issue of material fact as to whether Mr. Young received fair representation, we must affirm the district court's order granting UAW-LETC's motion for summary judgment. To fulfill the Union's duty, the representation provided by Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard need only avoid being arbitrary, that is, so far outside [the] 'wide range of reasonableness' [accorded union representatives] as to be irrational. O'Neill, 499 U.S. at 67, 111 S.Ct. at 1130. To breach this duty the union must arbitrarily ignore a meritorious grievance or process it in perfunctory fashion. Vaca, 386 U.S. at 191, 87 S.Ct. at 917. 26 The Union did not disregard Mr. Young's grievance, nor did the Union process it in a perfunctory fashion. On the contrary, Mr. Johnston requested, and the Union accepted, arbitration. An employee does not have the absolute right to arbitrate every grievance. See Vaca 386 U.S. at 194-95, 87 S.Ct. at 918-19. Mr. Young argues that it was irrational to bring Mr. Leonard into the case only two weeks prior to the arbitration. However, the decision to bring Mr. Leonard into the case at all was a concession to Mr. Young; the collective bargaining agreement between the Union and the UAW-LETC does not provide for outside representation. 27 In an attempt to minimize Mr. Leonard's contributions, Mr. Young argues that the ultimate responsibility to provide fair representation fell upon Mr. Johnston, the representative provided by the Union. We cannot overlook Mr. Leonard's contributions so easily. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard discussed Mr. Young's case on several occasions, and both conferred frequently with Mr. Young. Mr. Leonard actively participated in the arbitration hearing: making objections to evidence offered by UAW-LETC, examining Mr. Hill, and cross-examining a witness offered by UAW-LETC. Mr. Leonard contributed greatly to the fairness of Mr. Young's grievance procedure. 28 Turning to the first substantive basis for Mr. Young's discharge, Mr. Young cannot refute that he was fairly represented with regard to his work performance, 2 the principal battleground upon which both Mr. Young and Mr. Johnston determined to make their stand. Mr. Johnston brought in and prepared an outside witness, Mr. Hill, who testified to Mr. Young's good work performance under the direct examination of Mr. Leonard at the arbitration hearing. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard objected to various materials that were introduced by UAW-LETC to prove Mr. Young's poor work performance, and Mr. Leonard cross-examined a UAW-LETC witness who testified to Mr. Young's poor work performance. These efforts by Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard were quite reasonable even if unsuccessful. It is true that Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard failed to offer evidence of how Mr. Young's sick leaves adversely affected his monthly performance reports. However, the failure to present a particular argument is insufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact in light of the other efforts made by Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard. To conclude otherwise would allow the Union's good faith, nondiscriminatory judgment to be substituted by that of this court, which we are unwilling to do. See Stevens, 18 F.3d at 1447-48; Service Employees Int'l Union, Local No. 579, 229 N.L.R.B. at 695. 29 With respect to the second ground cited for Mr. Young's termination--dishonesty 3 the factual ... landscape at the time of the union's actions forecloses the conclusion that the Union's representation of Mr. Young was irrational. See O'Neill, 499 U.S. at 67, 111 S.Ct. at 1130. Up to the time of the arbitration hearing, Mr. Young had denied ever speaking with Mr. Mumey concerning the alleged pilfering at UAW-LETC when asked by UAW-LETC management. Assuming, as we must, that Mr. Young told Mr. Johnston and Mr. Young about the statements prior to the arbitration hearing, it was reasonable for them to focus on the issue they felt mattered most--work performance. This plan accommodated Mr. Young's intention to continue to deny the statements during the arbitration hearing. Mr. Mumey's testimony at the arbitration hearing came as a surprise. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard objected, but the arbitrator allowed Mr. Mumey to testify via telephone. Confronted with his testimony, Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard fell back on the next line of defense, the post-hearing brief. In their brief, Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard argued that Mr. Young's statements to Mr. Mumey were confidential under the whistle-blower protections provided under the Job Training Partnership Act, see 29 U.S.C. § 1579(a); 20 C.F.R. § 636.2. Based on his belief that his statements were confidential, Mr. Young offered information to the government that was meant to benefit UAW-LETC by exposing a potentially grave problem. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard argued that this conduct was not dishonest; if anything Mr. Young's willingness to speak to government officials proved him to be honest and forthright. These arguments are not so arbitrary as to be irrational. 30 That Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard did not track down all the newspaper ads placed by UAW-LETC employees and had not interviewed Mr. Mumey nor other UAW-LETC employees concerning the alleged wrongdoing prior to the arbitration hearing is insufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard believed that dishonesty would not be an issue during the discharge proceedings, and prepared accordingly. Mr. Young also believed the statements would not be an issue and planned to continue to deny them if asked. Likewise, the failure of Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard to attain an advance copy of the Department of Labor's audit of the UAW-LETC program fails to defeat the UAW-LETC's motion for summary judgment. Mr. Johnston called Mr. Jorgensen and was told that no Department of Labor official would comment on the then ongoing investigation of UAW-LETC. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Leonard's approach may not have been wise in retrospect, but it was certainly within the wide range of reasonableness that we must afford them.