Opinion ID: 500031
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: National Unions Close Down Local Rock Island Locals

Text: 21 Shortly after the March 4th Agreement and RITEA went into effect, the international unions here involved closed down or consolidated many of the locals serving former Rock Island employees. They maintain these closings or consolidations were an economic necessity because members had ceased paying dues. See Affidavit of Robert L. Hart, 5 Joint Appendix 1057, 1057-58. The appellants maintain that the closing or consolidation of the locals resulted from a conspiracy among the international unions, the CNW, and the local unions representing CNW employees to undermine the bargaining strength of the former Rock Island employees. See generally, 1 Joint Appendix 16-130. As evidence of this, they note that local union officials were unavailable to file grievances and that representatives of the internationals engaged in a pattern of falsely assuring former Rock Island employees that action would be taken on grievances. Id. Further, appellants maintain that in the confusion and consolidation, they were not informed of the safeguards, such as the March 4th Agreement and RITEA, enacted to assure their job-related rights. Id. Whatever the reasons for the closings or consolidations, they clearly made it more difficult for the former Rock Island employees to understand their rights and to determine whether they were being adequately protected by their internationals. 22