Court Opinion

ID: 9531708
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:14:04.001544+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:34.111182
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(concurring).
Briefing in this case and argument before the Court reveals a difference of opinion between opposing counsel on the scope of review. Counsel for appellee suggests, in her briefing, that this Court should give deference to the Department of Labor because of its expertise and a “resolution of factual issues” which falls within that expertise. It appears to this special writer that we are reviewing the case on questions of law. Therefore, no deference should be given to the expertise of the *571Department of Labor which upheld a grievance herein and was thereafter affirmed by the circuit court. Rather, our scope of review should be Permann v. Department of Labor, Unemployment Ins. Div., 411 N.W.2d 113 (S.D.1987); In re Guardianship of Viereck, 411 N.W.2d 102, 107 (S.D.1987) (see special concurrence of Henderson, J., citing Pullman-Standard v. Swint, 456 U.S. 273, 102 S.Ct. 1781, 72 L.Ed.2d 66 (1982); Inwood Labs. v. Ives Labs., 456 U.S. 844, 102 S.Ct. 2182, 72 L.Ed.2d 606 (1982); Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, 395 U.S. 100, 89 S.Ct. 1562, 23 L.Ed.2d 129 (1969); United States v. United States Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. 364, 68 S.Ct. 525, 92 L.Ed. 746 (1948)). We accord no deference to the conclusions of law reached by the Department of Labor or the circuit court.
Agreeing with the rationale of my colleague, Justice Sabers, very pointedly I wish to augment his conceptualization by this remark: The Department of Labor erred in awarding appellee a 10% salary increase in extra pay because appellee applied himself for the agreed 7-hour day, a normal school day; it appears that an award for more than a 7-hour day would increase his salary over the agreed salary schedule found in the Appendix of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.