Court Opinion

ID: 9634836
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 13:25:51.086306+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:44:04.143794
License: Public Domain

LARSEN, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I agree with the majority that the evidence falls well short of the required proof of actual participation in or authorization of the tragic events of January 25, 1980 on the part of appellee, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America (IBT). Accordingly, I concur in affirming the order of the Superior Court absolving IBF from any liability.
1, however, dissent to the majority’s finding that “there is sufficient evidence from which the jury could properly hold that [appellee, Highway Truck Drivers and Helpers Local Union No. 107] participated in the calamity of January 25.” (Opinion, p. 858.) There is no dispute that the quality of proof required to hold a labor organization, in this case Local 107, liable for the acts of its officers, members or agents is governed by Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Labor Anti-Injunction Act of June 2, 1937, P.L. 1198, No. 308, 43 P.S. § 206h (Anti-Injunction Act). Section 206h of the controlling Act provides:
No officer or member of any association or organization, and no association or organization participating or interested in a labor dispute as herein defined, shall be held responsible or liable in any civil action at law or suit in equity or in any criminal prosecution for the unlawful acts of individual officers, members or agents, except upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal cases, and by the weight of evidence in other cases, and without the aid of any presumptions of law or fact, both of (a) the doing of such acts by persons who are officers, members or agents of any such association or organization; and (b) actual participation in, or actual authorization of, such acts, or of ratification of such acts after actual knowledge thereof by such association or organization. 1937, June 2, P.L. 1198, § 8.
*535The majority correctly observes that in Philadelphia Marine Trade Association v. International Longshoremen’s Association, 453 Pa. 43, 308 A.2d 98 (1973) we noted that Section 206h of the Anti-Injunction Act is patterned after § 6 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act, 47 Stat. 71, 29 U.S.C. § 106 which provides as follows:
No officer or member of any association or organization and no association or organization participating or interested in a labor dispute, shall be held responsible or liable in any court of the United States for the unlawful acts of individual officers, members, or agents, except upon clear proof of actual participation in, or actual authorization of, such acts, or of ratification of such acts after actual knowledge thereof.
Mar. 23, 1932, c. 90 § 6, 47 Stat. 71, 29 U.S.C. § 106. In Philadelphia Marine Trade Association we stated:
As the United States Supreme Court said in discussing that section in its opinion in the case of United Mine Workers of America v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715 [86 S.Ct. 1130, 16 L.Ed.2d 218] (1966), quoting its opinion in Brotherhood of Carpenters v. U.S., 330 U.S. 395, 403 [67 S.Ct. 775, 780, 91 L.Ed. 973] (1947): “... whether § 6 should be called a rule of evidence or one that changes the substantive law of agency ... its purpose and effect was to relieve organizations ... and members of those organizations from liability for damages or imputation of guilt for lawless acts done in labor disputes by some individual officers or members of the organization, without clear proof that the organization or member charged with responsibility for the offense actually participated, gave prior authorization, or ratified such acts after actual knowledge of their perpetration.”
We believe that § 206h of the Pennsylvania Labor Anti-Injunction Act was intended to have the same purpose as § 6 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act.
Id., 453 Pa. at 52, 308 A.2d at 103.
The majority in holding there is clear proof that Local 107 participated in the dire events of January 25, 1980, points to *536the following evidence: (a) that William Crossan, Robert Kendig and Robert Ballinger along with two other strikers were at lunch that day for two hours and during that time they “drank continuously”; (b) that Kendig let air out of automobile tires in the 3M parking lot; (c) that Kendig and Crossan went to Kendig’s home to check on his children and while there Kendig got a gun to bring back to the picket line; (d) that Crossan did not object to Kendig bringing the firearm on the picket line; (e) that Kendig was a shop steward; (f) that Crossan was a chief steward; (g) that alcoholic beverages were consumed in some quantity on the picket line that day; and, (h) that George Massimini, a union business agent, was seen delivering alcoholic beverages to the strikers on the picket line.
Although these activities are objectionable and inconsistent with sensible picket line conduct, they hardly constitute “clear proof” that Local 107 participated in or authorized the deplorable gunfire that injured the appellants. The shooting on January 25, 1980 was an isolated act of two members of the local union (Ballinger and Kendig) which occurred after ten consecutive weeks of peaceful and lawful picketing. To hold that there is “clear proof” that Local 107 participated in this senseless shooting, as the majority does, is to torture the evidentiary standard of Section 206h. I would affirm the entire order of the Superior Court.