Morton v. Local 20, Teamsters, Chauffeurs, & Helpers Union
Morton v. Local 20, Teamsters, Chauffeurs, & Helpers Union
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff filed this action in the district court seeking damages on account of a secondary boycott against it. The primary strike commenced August 17, 1956' and continued until October 5, 1956.. Plaintiff claims that defendant’s activities were unlawful within the purview of § 303 of the Labor Management Relations-Act of 1947, 29 U.S.C.A. § 187, as well as being unlawful under the common law of the State of Ohio.
District Judge Kloeb, by his findings of fact and conclusions of law filed separately from his opinion, found that defendant had engaged in unlawful secondary activity that was violative of § 303 and also of the common law of Ohio. He awarded $19,619.62 compensatory damages plus $15,000.00 punitive damages.
The questions raised by appellant-defendant on this appeal have been resolved-on one or more prior occasions by the Supreme Court of the United States or by this court. Defendant seeks to distinguish this case from those that have preceded it in the various particulars upon which it bases its argument for reversal.
I. JURISDICTION WHERE FEDERAL CLAIM JOINED WITH NON-FEDERAL COMMON LAW TORT-ACTION
Defendant contends that a federal court is without jurisdiction to entertain a suit for damages based on a secondary boycott unlawful under state-law even though the suit also seeks damages under § 303 for an unlawful secondary boycott. This contention is directly contrary to the holding in the 1933 decision of Hurn v. Oursler, 289 U.S. 238, 53 S.Ct. 586, 77 L.Ed. 1148, as well as that in a number of recent cases decided by this court. Included among these are Flame Coal Company v. United Mine Workers of America, 303 F.2d 39 (6 Cir., 1962); White Oak Coal Company v.
“49 Stat. 452, as amended, 29 U.S.C. §§ 157, 158. We do not deal here with suits brought in state courts under §§ 301 or 303 of the Labor Management Relations Act, 61 Stat. 156, 158, 29 U.S.C. §§ 185, 187, which are governed by federal law and to which different principles are applicable. See, e. g., Smith v. Evening News Assn., 371 U.S. 195, 83 S.Ct. 267, 9 L.Ed.2d 246.”
Is it not implicit in the above that state courts are not subject to the pre-emption doctrine insofar as both § 301 and § 303 are concerned ?
II. DENIAL OF MOTION TO AMEND ANSWER
Prior to the trial date in the district court defendant asked for leave to file a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. Such leave was granted. The basis for the motion was set forth in defendant’s memorandum in support thereof, namely, that a state court order dismissing plaintiff’s action for the common law secondary boycott damages was res judicata and that such subject matter therefore could not be included in the instant suit in federal district court. The order of the state court reads as follows;
“It is Ordered that this matter be, and the same hereby is, dismissed otherwise than upon the merits, without the consent of the plaintiff, without prejudice to a, neiu action based upon the same subject matter,* and for the reason that the Court does not have jurisdiction of the subject matter under the decision of the United States Supreme Court in San Diego Building Trades Council v. Garmon, 49 ALC 485. Exceptions saved to the plaintiff and defendant’s costs taxed to the plaintiff.”
It is clear that the reason for its issuance was the doctrine of pre-emption. The state court’s citation of San Diego Building Trades Council v. Garmon, 359 U.S. 236, 79 S.Ct. 773, 3 L.Ed.2d 775 (1959) was obviously for the purpose of in
III. PROOF OF SECONDARY BOYCOTT
The findings of fact of the district judge as to secondary boycott activities violative of § 303 and of the state common law are amply supported by the evidence and are not clearly erroneous. Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Duberstein, 363 U.S. 278, 291, 80 S.Ct. 1190, 4 L.Ed.2d 1218. It would serve no useful purpose to here review the particular activities.
IV. DAMAGES
That compensatory and punitive damages are recoverable for unlawful secondary boycott activities cannot be disputed. Gilchrist v. United Mine Workers of America, 290 F.2d 36 (6 Cir., 1961), certiorari denied, 368 U.S. 875, 82 S.Ct. 120, 7 L.Ed.2d 76; Flame Coal Company v. United Mine Workers of America, 303 F.2d 39 (6 Cir., 1962). That such damages are not capable of precise ascertainment does not preclude their allowance. United Mine Workers of America v. Osborne Mining Co., 279 F.2d 716 (6 Cir., 1960), certiorari denied, 364 U.S. 881, 81 S.Ct. 169, 5 L.Ed.2d 103 ; Story Parchment Co. v. Paterson Parchment Paper Co., 282 U.S. 555, 51 S.Ct. 248, 75 L.Ed. 544 (1931). The basis upon which the lower court awarded compensatory damages in the amount of $19,619.62 was a reasonable and justifiable one. There was evidence to support the award and the trial court’s findings are not clearly erroneous. Commissioner v. Duberstein, supra. As to the punitive damage award of $15,000.00, we cannot say that there was an abuse of discretion. The fact that the activities here engaged in did not involve violence
For the foregoing reasons the judgment below is affirmed.
. San Diego Building Trades Council v. Garmon, 359 U.S. 236, 79 S.Ct. 773, 3 L.Ed.2d 775 (1959).
Italics supplied.
. One of the contentions advanced by appellant here is that the Board had exclusive jurisdiction of the subject matter of this controversy.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lester MORTON, d/b/a Lester Morton Trucking Company v. LOCAL 20, TEAMSTERS, CHAUFFEURS, AND HELPERS UNION, an Affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published