Court Opinion

ID: 9495042
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 15:53:09.065891+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:56:47.026326
License: Public Domain

POOLER, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The majority describes the central question on this appeal as “whether the [Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission] has jurisdiction under Rule 60(b)” to reopen an order that has been deemed an order of the Commission by virtue of 29 U.S.C. § 659(a). Op. at 227. Section 659(a) provides in pertinent part:
If, within fifteen working days from the receipt of the notice issued by the Secretary the employer fails to notify the Secretary that he intends to contest the citation or proposed assessment of penalty, ... the citation and the assessment, as proposed, shall be deemed a final order of the Commission and not subject to review by any court or agency.
(emphasis added). In contrast, I believe there are two central issues: (1) whether the Commission has the inherent authority to reconsider or reopen its own deemed orders and (2) if so, whether the excusable neglect standard set forth in Rule 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure should be used to determine if reopening is merited.
“Review” used by itself suggests an examination of the determination of an inferior tribunal. See Black’s Law Dictionary 1320 (7th ed.1999) (describing as forms of “review,” appellate review of the decisions of lower courts or administrative agencies). “Reconsider” and “reopen,” on the other hand ordinarily refer to a reexamination of a tribunal’s own decision or order. Section 659(a) prohibits review but does not prohibit reconsideration or reopening. The absence of a prohibition is important because we have long recognized “that an agency may, on its own initiative, reconsider its interim or even its final decisions, regardless of whether the applicable statute and agency regulations expressly provide for such review” as long as it does so reasonably promptly and on notice to the prevailing party. Dun & Bradstreet v. U.S. Postal Serv., 946 F.2d 189, 193 (2d Cir.1991). Section 659(a)’s silence on reconsideration or. reopening of Commission orders strongly suggests that the Commission has the inherent power to reconsider or reopen its own final orders including its deemed orders.
The majority, however, holds that because the Commission’s order is only a “deemed” order, it is not subject to reopening or reconsideration. The premise underlying this holding is that the Commission never acquired jurisdiction over the controversy under 29 U.S.C. § 659(c), which grants the Commission jurisdiction to review citations if the employer files a timely notice of contest. In the majority’s opinion, the Commission, never having acquired jurisdiction, cannot reopen its order. In 1981, the Third Circuit decided this jurisdictional question in favor of the Commission, holding that “the Commission must have had jurisdiction at some point [because] [i]f it never had jurisdiction, the *231citations would be final orders of a Commission which never had jurisdiction, and thus would have no effect.” J.I.Hass Co., Inc. v. OSHRC, 648 F.2d 190, 193 (3d Cir.1981). I agree — whether deemed or actual — an order of the Commission must be one that is within its jurisdiction and thus subject to reopening or reconsideration.
The Secretary also argues that even if the Commission has jurisdiction to reopen or reconsider its orders, it erred by reopening based only on a finding of excusable neglect. The Secretary contends that only facts sufficient to demonstrate equitable tolling will justify reopening a deemed order. Because the majority found no jurisdiction, it did not reach this alternative argument. Having concluded that the Commission did have jurisdiction, I also conclude that it properly employed an excusable neglect standard. The Commission conducts its proceedings in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure unless it has adopted a different rule. 29 U.S.C. § 661(g). Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allows a court to grant relief from an order or judgment upon a finding of excusable neglect provided that a motion is made within one year. Thus, the Commission used the appropriate standard.
In sum, although 29 U.S.C. § 661(g) and Rule 60(b) do not give the Commission jurisdiction, the Commission has inherent authority to reconsider or reopen its own deemed orders and Rule 60(b) provides the appropriate standard for acting on an application to reopen. Therefore, I would affirm the Commission’s order and must dissent.