Court Opinion

ID: 9478487
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:50:20.101155+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:46:27.514466
License: Public Domain

SEYMOUR, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I concur in the judgment of the majority reversing the district court’s decision in favor of CCI and Local 222, and remanding for entry of judgment in favor of Barnard. I write separately because I believe that the majority opinion is broader than it needs to be.
The majority correctly notes that in order to override the decision of the special subcommittee, Barnard must establish both that the union breached its duty of fair representation, and that the company breached the collective bargaining agreement when it changed his seniority date. See Vaca v. Sipes, 386 U.S. 171, 87 S.Ct. 903, 17 L.Ed.2d 842 (1967); Hines v. Anchor Motor Freight, Inc., 424 U.S. 554, 96 S.Ct. 1048, 47 L.Ed.2d 231 (1976); see also DelCostello v. International Bhd. of Teamsters, 462 U.S. 151, 163-65, 103 S.Ct. 2281, 2289-91, 76 L.Ed.2d 476 (1983).
I agree that the union breached its duty of fair representation by failing to raise the timeliness issue on behalf of Barnard. Cf. Foust v. International Bhd of Elec. Eng’r, 572 F.2d 710, 715-16 (10th Cir.1978). I also believe it breached this duty by failing to notify Barnard of the grievance proceeding or inviting him to attend. See Smith v. Hussmann Refrig. Co., 619 F.2d 1229, 1241 (8th Cir.1980).
In addition, on this record, I am convinced that Barnard established a breach of the collective bargaining agreement by showing that the special subcommittee considered the grievance when it was not timely filed under the terms of the contract. Because such procedural requirements may sometimes be waived, equitably tolled, or justifiably excused, see generally, F. El-kouri & E. Elkouri, How Arbitration Works at 191-198 (4th ed. 1985), I cannot agree with the majority that the time limits *700are jurisdictional. Nonetheless, as the district court recognized, there is insufficient evidence in this record to determine whether any equitable principle enabled the special committee to address the merits of the grievance. Therefore, neither the union nor CCI rebutted Barnard’s breach of contract showing.
For this reason, I concur in the judgment reversing the district court.