Opinion ID: 483628
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Derivative Nature of Injury

Text: 27 The chain of causation between the injury and the alleged restraint in the market should lead directly to the immediate victims of any alleged antitrust violation. Generally, employees have been denied standing where their injuries were merely derivative of that of the employer. Id. at 541 n. 46, 103 S.Ct. at 910 n. 46 (and cases cited therein). The question then is whether the injuries in the present case (lost wages, lost business opportunities, and lost union dues) are direct injuries suffered by the class members or are derivative of the injuries suffered by the vessel owners. 28 The crewmembers and the union contend that they were directly injured because calculation of their wages and union dues was completely and inextricably intertwined with the artificially low selling prices of the raw tuna established by the canneries. They further argued that they were joint venturers with the vessel owners, and, therefore, directly injured by any conduct affecting the vessel owners. 29 Both arguments ignore the fact, admitted by the class members, that what exists between the vessel owners and the crewmembers is an employer-employee relationship. The vessel owners have complete control over negotiations of the sale of the fish. Once a sale has been completed, the crewmembers are paid their wages (after deducting expenses) either on a share of the catch or per-ton basis. Then, and only then, are the union dues calculated. Thus, any injury suffered by the class members is derived from any injury suffered by the vessel owners during the sale of the fish. When the employer reacts to [a] loss by terminating employees, or when employees receive diminished salary or commissions, as a result of the employers' weakened market position, these employees suffer derivative injury only. Note, Employee Standing Under Section 4 of the Clayton Act, 81 Mich.L.Rev. 1846, 1859 n. 69 (1983). Furthermore, we find no evidence to indicate that the class members satisfy the requirements of joint venturers. 1 30