Opinion ID: 1379638
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Local's argument as to collateral estoppel

Text: The Local contends that we need not reach the argument on the legal sufficiency of the challenged provisions, because the court correctly applied the principles of collateral estoppel to the attorney general's attempted defense of the presentation action. The Local relies on several of our prior decisions [2] to argue that collateral estoppel applies when the same issue is litigated in both actions, the issue is actually, finally and necessarily decided in the first action, the party against whom estoppel is asserted is either identical to or in privity with the original party against whom the issue was previously decided, and that original party had a full and fair opportunity to contest the issue in the first action. The Local argues that the court in Local 2238 actually and necessarily decided that the provisions of the agreement challenged in that case were legally sufficient. The Local points to language in the court's order granting summary judgment to the plaintiff-local in that case wherein the court ruled: The proposed collective bargaining agreement does not violate the State Personnel Act, the Rules and Regulations of the State Personnel Board, nor the RLMR. ( Local 2238, No. SF-87-1490(C), December 28, 1987.) The Local argues in addition that, for purposes of collateral estoppel, the provisions challenged in Local 2238 and those challenged here are indistinguishable. For example, the Local points to salary provisions in the agreements at issue in each case, provisions relating to future legislative appropriations, and provisions relating to leave, to argue that the same or sufficiently similar issues were conclusively decided in each case.