Opinion ID: 406129
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Questions of Federal Law

Text: 47 The arbitrator decided that, under the collective bargaining agreement, certain individuals were employees for purposes of that agreement. Appellees here argue that enforcement of the arbitrator's decision would violate federal labor law, specifically 29 U.S.C. §§ 157, 158, and 186(c)(5). The resolution of this question involves a determination as to whether those individuals are employees under federal labor law. See Joint Council of Teamsters, No. 42 v. Associated General Contractors, 662 F.2d 531 (9th Cir. 1981), aff'g 520 F.Supp. 3, 4 (C.D.Cal.1981); Local 814, International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. NLRB, 512 F.2d 564, 566-67 (D.C.Cir.1975). The majority, however, accepts the findings of the arbitrator as dispositive on this issue. 48 This is error. The Supreme Court made clear in Barrentine v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc., 450 U.S. 728, 737-46, 101 S.Ct. 1437, 1443-48, 67 L.Ed.2d 641 (1981) that the decision of an arbitrator on issues of federal law is not binding on the courts where the federal statutory rights of employees are at stake. See also Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co., 415 U.S. 36, 94 S.Ct. 1011, 39 L.Ed.2d 147 (1974). The district court in this case had an obligation to take evidence on and decide the issue of whether the individuals involved were employees under the federal statutes cited, and thus whether the arbitrator's decision was inconsistent with federal law. As the Supreme Court in Barrentine noted, the findings of the arbitrator may be accorded evidentiary weight as appropriate in a subsequent court proceeding. Id. at 743 n. 22, 101 S.Ct. at 1446 n.22 (quoting Gardner-Denver, 415 U.S. at 60 n.21, 94 S.Ct. at 1025 n. 21). This is not the same as saying that the court can abdicate its responsibility to decide issues of federal law, as I believe the majority has done here. I would remand to the district court for further proceedings.