Opinion ID: 509547
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Irreparable Harm to the Plaintiffs, the Balancing of

Text: Equities, and the Public Interest 50 The district court also found that the plaintiffs had failed to show irreparable harm and concluded that the balancing of the equities and the public interest favored denial of the preliminary injunction. The district court's assessment of these factors may have been affected by its misunderstanding of the plaintiffs' position and its inappropriate deference to the Federation's interpretation. 51 The district court found that the plaintiffs had failed to meet their burden of showing irreparable harm. On remand, the plaintiffs may be able to show non-speculative irreparable harm through the continued rebates to the locals without appropriate financial oversight in a time of drastic financial constraints for the Federation. 17 See A.L.K. Corporation v. Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., 440 F.2d 761, 764 (3d Cir.1971). 52 The district court found that there was a real possibility of harm to the Federation if an injunction is issued abruptly halting the assistance locals 17 and 195 have received for years. The court concluded that this possibility outweighed any harm to the plaintiffs, particularly since it was unlikely that the plaintiffs would be able to prove that the rebate payments were unconstitutional. Id. The court's weighing of the equities may be altered by its reconsideration of the objectives of the LMRDA and by our conclusion that the plaintiffs' claim has a strong likelihood of success. In addition, we note that the district court's misunderstanding of the plaintiffs' position may have led it to overestimate the degree of potential harm to the Federation. The plaintiffs do not seek to terminate special financial assistance given to locals through proper budgetary and constitutional procedures, only the assertedly unconstitutional rebate payments. An injunction barring rebate payments would not prevent the Federation from making other forms of special assistance payments through constitutional means. 53 Finally, the district court noted the public's interest in furthering the independent operation of union democracies without judicial interference. The dangers of judicial intervention can be over-emphasized. Cf. Sabolsky, 457 F.2d at 1251. It may be, as the plaintiffs claim, that the true public interest lies in vindicating principles of union democracy by requiring the defendants to obey their own constitution. Section 501 embodies this public interest by imposing fiduciary responsibilities on union officials. 54 Our disposition of the good cause and judicial deference issues may thus alter the district court's analysis of the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction. We will therefore vacate the district court's denial of the motion and remand the application for preliminary injunction for reconsideration in the light of this opinion.