Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Et Al - Document No. 9

Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen et al Doc.
9
Case 1:05-cv-02133-AA Document 9 Filed 09/07/2005 Page 1 of 6
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
EASTERN DIVISION
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY ) Case No. 1:05CV2133

COMPANY, )
)
Plaintiff, )
) JUDGE ANN ALDRICH
vs. )
)
BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE )
ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN and )
UNITED TRANSPORTATION UNION )
)
Defendants. )
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
Upon consideration of the Verified Complaint For Declaratory And Injunctive Relief, the
arguments of counsel, all other material of record, applicable principles of law, and findings by the Court
that:
1. Plaintiff Norfolk Southern Railway Company (“NSR”) is a corporation organized
and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is a “carrier” within the meaning of and
subject to the Railway Labor Act (“RLA”), 45 U.S.C. § 151 First;
2. Defendant Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (“BLET”), a
Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is an unincorporated labor
organization that is a “representative,” within the meaning of and subject to the RLA, of persons employed
by NSR in the “craft or class” of locomotive engineers. BLET, through its officials and officers, conducts
its business and acts for its members and other employees it represents in this judicial district;
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3. Defendant United Transportation Union (“UTU”) is an unincorporated labor
organization that is a “representative,” within the meaning of and subject to the RLA, of persons employed
by NSR as train service employees. UTU, through its officials and officers, conducts its business and acts
for its members and other employees it represents in this judicial district;
4. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (“AMFA”) is engaged in a labor
dispute with Northwest Airlines, Inc. (“Northwest”), relating to rates of pay, rules and working conditions
applicable to aircraft mechanics employed by Northwest. AMFA has engaged in a strike, work stoppage
or slowdown, or has otherwise interfered with the business of Northwest;
5. AMFA has established one or more picket lines at or outside premises of NSR
within this judicial district;
6. Defendants have permitted the employees of NSR to honor picket lines established
by AMFA at or outside NSR’s premises or have otherwise permitted those employees to cease or delay
performing their work for NSR;
7. Existing labor agreements between BLET and NSR, and between UTU and NSR,
arguably prohibit NSR’s employees from engaging in any strike, work stoppage, picketing, slowdown, or
refusal to cross picket lines established by, in furtherance of, or in support of AMFA in its dispute with
Northwest;
8. Disputes over the interpretation or application of labor agreements -- so-called
“minor disputes” -- are subject to mandatory arbitration under Section 3 of the RLA, 45 U.S.C. § 153.
Consol. Rail Corp. v. Ry. Labor Executives’ Ass’n, 491 U.S. 299, 306-07 (1989);
9. It is unlawful for a union to strike over a dispute that is subject exclusively to
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arbitration under RLA § 3. Bhd. of R.R. Trainmen v. Chicago River & Indiana R.R., 353 U.S. 30, 34-
39 (1957). This Court has jurisdiction to grant an injunction to bar defendant from engaging in any such
unlawful action. Id. at 39-42; Consol. Rail Corp., 491 U.S. at 304;
10. The actions of defendants against NSR presents a “minor dispute” in that it involves
disputes over the interpretation or application of collective bargaining agreements; accordingly, any attempt
by defendants to permit or induce the employees of NSR to engage in any strike, work stoppage, picketing,
slowdown, or refusal to cross picket lines violates the RLA;
11. NSR has met the particular standards for injunctive relief under Section 7 of the
Norris-LaGuardia Act, 29 U.S.C. § 107, as well as the general standards for preliminary injunctive relief
in this judicial circuit, and the Court specifically finds that:
(a) Defendants are permitting unlawful acts and unless enjoined, will continue to permit
unlawful acts;
(b) Defendants’ actions, unless enjoined, cause and will continue to cause substantial
immediate and irreparable injury to NSR, its customers, the national and local
freight and passenger transportation system, including interference withthe delivery
of hurricane relief supplies to the Gulf Coast area;
(c) The injuries that would be inflicted upon NSR, its customers, and the public by
denial of the requested relief would be greater than any that may be inflicted on
defendants if such relief is granted; and
(d) If defendants are permitted to continue to engage in unlawful acts, the injuries to
NSR will not be definitively ascertainable and NSR will have no adequate remedy
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at law;
THEREFORE, it is HEREBY ORDERED, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
65(b), that NSR is entitled to a Temporary Restraining Order, and that defendants BLET and UTU, their
officers, agents, servants, and all persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who constitute
a class so numerous it is impractical to bring them all before the Court individually and severally by name,
and all persons receiving notice of this Temporary Restraining Order, are hereby
(1) enjoined and restrained from, in any manner or by any means:
(a) directing, calling, causing, approving, authorizing, instigating, conducting,
threatening, continuing, encouraging, inducing or engaging in the current
strike, or any other strike, coercive self-help, sickout, slowdown, work
stoppage, refusal to work, job action, picketing, or refusal to cross a
picket line at or outside the premises of or against NSR or any of its
affiliates, and any and all acts of any kind whatsoever, in furtherance or
support thereof;
(b) interfering in any manner with any person employed by NSR or any of its
affiliates, while that person is performing his or her work and duties for the
carrier;
(c) attempting to induce any employee of NSR or any of its affiliates to cease
or delay, temporarily or permanently, in performing his or her work or
duties for the carrier; and
(d) otherwise interfering with the normal business operations of NSR or any
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of its affiliates; and
(2) directed to:
(a) notify their general chairpersons, local chairpersons, and all employees
under their jurisdiction that this Court has ordered that AMFA’s picket
lines be crossed;
(b) take all steps within its power to halt any strike, coercive self-help,
sickout, slowdown, work stoppage, refusal to work, job action, picketing
and refusal to cross a picket line and to prevent such actions from
occurring or continuing if commenced against NSR or its affiliates;
(c) rescind and withdraw prior orders, directions, requests, or suggestions that
a picket line be honored;
(d) take all steps necessary to notify, by the most expeditious means possible,
all of the employees of NSR and its affiliates that they represent of the
issuance and the contents of this Temporary Restraining Order; and
(e) take all steps necessary to encourage and ensure compliance with the
terms of this temporary restraining order; and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Restraining Order is on condition that a bond be
filed by NSR in the sum of Ten Thousand dollars ($10,000.00) on or before 12 o’clock p.m. on the 8th
day of September, 2005, conditioned to pay any costs awarded against plaintiff NSR and any damages
that may be incurred or sustained by defendants by reason of this Temporary Restraining Order, should
the same hereafter be dissolved on the ground that defendants wrongfully were enjoined or restrained
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herein; and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Temporary Restraining Order shall remain in force
until a hearing for an Injunction can be held on the 21st day of September, 2005, or until further order of
this Court; and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the United States Marshal, and all other local, state, and
federal law enforcement agencies coming within the jurisdiction of this Court, are hereby commanded to
enforce this Order, and to take into custody any persons violating the terms of this Order and bring them
before this Court for such action as this Court deems appropriate; and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that plaintiff and its attorneys or agents have leave to serve
additional true copies of this Order upon defendants BLET and UTU and upon any person acting in concert
or participation with BLET or UTU; and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that for the purpose of providing for service of notice of this
decree and of the restraining order awarded, in addition to the methods of service of process provided by
statute, notice may be given to BLET and UTU and all other persons by the posting of certified copies of
this Order at the entrances to NSR’s premises, which shall be considered prima facie evidence of notice
and knowledge of this Order to and by all persons who may commit, or attempt to commit, any act or acts
in violation thereof at or near the said premises of plaintiff.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
/s/ Ann Aldrich

ANN ALDRICH
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Dated: September 7, 2005

Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Et Al - Document No. 9

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Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen et al Doc.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY ) Case No. 1:05CV2133

TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

1. Plaintiff Norfolk Southern Railway Company (“NSR”) is a corporation organized

subject to the Railway Labor Act (“RLA”), 45 U.S.C. § 151 First;

2. Defendant Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (“BLET”), a

3. Defendant United Transportation Union (“UTU”) is an unincorporated labor

4. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (“AMFA”) is engaged in a labor

or slowdown, or has otherwise interfered with the business of Northwest;

within this judicial district;

performing their work for NSR;

8. Disputes over the interpretation or application of labor agreements -- so-called

9. It is unlawful for a union to strike over a dispute that is subject exclusively to

slowdown, or refusal to cross picket lines violates the RLA;

in this judicial circuit, and the Court specifically finds that:

freight and passenger transportation system, including interference withthe delivery

of hurricane relief supplies to the Gulf Coast area;

defendants if such relief is granted; and

THEREFORE, it is HEREBY ORDERED, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

(1) enjoined and restrained from, in any manner or by any means:

(a) directing, calling, causing, approving, authorizing, instigating, conducting,

threatening, continuing, encouraging, inducing or engaging in the current

strike, or any other strike, coercive self-help, sickout, slowdown, work

stoppage, refusal to work, job action, picketing, or refusal to cross a

picket line at or outside the premises of or against NSR or any of its

or delay, temporarily or permanently, in performing his or her work or

duties for the carrier; and

of its affiliates; and

(2) directed to:

sickout, slowdown, work stoppage, refusal to work, job action, picketing

occurring or continuing if commenced against NSR or its affiliates;

a picket line be honored;

issuance and the contents of this Temporary Restraining Order; and

terms of this temporary restraining order; and

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Restraining Order is on condition that a bond be

this Court; and

or participation with BLET or UTU; and

in violation thereof at or near the said premises of plaintiff.

/s/ Ann Aldrich

Dated: September 7, 2005

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