Opposition Brief — EEOC v. Arabian American Oil Co.
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Nos. 89-1838 and 89-1845
IN THE
Supreme Court of the United States
OCTOBER TERM, 1989
ALI BOURESLAN and EQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION,
2 Petitioners,
ARABIAN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY and
ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY,
Respondents.
On Petitions for Writ of Certiorari to the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit
BRIEF IN OPPOSITION FOR RESPONDENTS
ARABIAN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY
AND ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
Of Counsel: PAUL L. FRIEDMAN
JOHN D. ROADY (Counsel of Record)
HUTCHESON & GRUNDY THOMAS J. O’SULLIVAN
3300 Citicorp Center ANNE D. SMITH
1200 Smith Street WHITE & CASE
Houston, Texas 77002 1747 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 872-0013
June 22, 1990 Attorneys for Respondents
WILSON - Eras Printing Co., Inc. - 789-0096 - WasHiIncTon, D.C. 20001
QUESTION PRESENTED
Did Congress intend to extend the provisions of Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to a U.S.-incorpo-
rated employer that employs citizens of the United States
exclusively in a foreign country?
(i)
QUESTION PRESENTED
F i i i ls all i Q _— =. —_ = 225
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF AUTHORI TIE
PE —
STATUTORY PROVISIONS INVOLVED D
STATEMENT OF THE CASE oo... ecceececcceeeeeeees
REASONS FOR DENYING THE PETITION ............
I.
II.
III.
THERE IS NO CONFLICT AMONG THE CIR-
CUITS ON THE QUESTION WHETHER
CONGRESS INTENDED TITLE VII TO AP-
PLY EXTRATERRITORIALLY ....
THE FIFTH CIRCUIT’S DECISION PROP-
ERLY APPLIED, AND IS CONSISTENT
WITH, THIS COURT’S PRECEDENTS ............
A. The Requisite Clear Expression Of Affirma-
tive Intent Cannot Be Found In Title VII's
Definition Of Commerce ....
B. The Requisite Clear Expression of Affirma-
tive Intent Cannot Be Found In The Nega-
tive Inference From The Alien Exemption
Provision a
THE EXTRATERRITORIAL APPLICATION
OF TITLE VII IS A POLICY MATTER FOR
CONGRESS TO DECIDE
11
14
17
iv
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
CASES Page
Akgun v. Boeing Co., No. C89-1819D (W. D. Wash.
June 7, 1990) 9
American Banana Co. v. United Fruit Co., 218
U.S. 347 (1909) ..... 12
Andrus v. Glover Constr. Co., 446 U.S. 608
(1980) 19
Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping
Corp., 109 S. Ct. 683 (1989999999 6, 8, 18
Benz v. Compania Naviera Hidalgo, S. A., 358 U.S.
188 (1957) passim
Blackmer v. United States, 284 U.S. 421 (1932). 12
Bryant v. International Schools Servs., Inc., 502
F. Supp. 472 (D.N.J. 1980), rev’d, 675 F.2d 562
IL 8, 9, 21
Cleary v. United States Lines, Inc., 728 F. 2d 607
(8d Cir. 1984) 9
Espinoza v. Farah Mfg. Co., 414 U.S. 86 (1973) 17
Foley Bros. v. Filardo, 336 U.S. 281 (1949)........ 8, 4, 12
Lavrov v. NCR Corp., 600 F. Supp. 923 (S.D.
ü» 0 ee 9
Love v. Pullman Co., 13 Fair Emp. Prac. Cas.
(BNA) 423 (D. Colo. 1976), aff’d, 569 F.2d 1074
et 8, 9, 21
McCulloch v. Sociedad Nacional de Marineros de
Honduras, 372 U.S. 10 (1963) passim
Sandberg v. McDonald, 248 U.S. 185 (1918)......8, 12, 18
Seville v. Martin Marietta Corp., 638 F. Supp. 590
(D. Md. 1986) ........................ 9
Steele v. Bulova Watch Co., 344 U.S. 280 (1952) .. 16
United States v. Bowman, 260 U.S. 94 (1922)... 12
Vermilya-Brown Co. v. Connell, 335 US. 377
n 18
STATUTES
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967,
29 U.S.C. $§ 621-8688444 ccceeeeeeeee 19, 21, 23
e cccccccecccccccceccnececcassecsncceesenses 19, 21
A i 21
29 U.S.C. § 628 (h) (2) 19
v
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued
Page
Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e
2000e-17 passim
42 U.S.C. § 2000e(b) 14,17
42 U.S.C. § 20000 (gp ))) 18, 15, 17
42 U.S.C. 5 2000] (h⁵ ecneeenenneeeeneneee 14
42 U.S.C. f 2000e(i) ..................... 18
42 U.S.C. § 2000-1 Il 5, 13
42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2 17
Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, 22
U.S.C. 66 5001-5117————— 19
22 U.S.C. § 5001 .......................... 19
Consumer Product Safety Act, 15 U.S. 0. 88 2051
D ..... — 16
15 U.S.C. § 2062 (a) (12) Err 16
Export Administration Act, 50 U.S.C. app.
T 19
50 U.S.C. app. § 2415 ()))) 19
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C.
r 16
, .. 16
Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, 29
U.S.C. 88 141-144, 169-1877 7, 14
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
of 1959, 29 U.S.C. §§ 401-531 14
29 U.S.C. § 402 (ed 14
Logan Act, 18 U.S.C. § 958 19
National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 151-
BR 7, 14
Noise Control Act of 1972, 42 U.S.C. §§ 4901-
KT 16
42 U.S.C. § 4902 (7) . * 16
Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of
1968, 42 U.S.C. §§ 268-26) 16
42 U.S.C. § 263 (4) — a 16
Transportation Safety Act of 1974, 49 U.S.C.
D.. ö 16
49 U.S.C. § 1802 (17. 16
vi
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued
REGULATIONS Page
29 C. F. R. § 1606.1(c) (19700) U 10
45 Fed. Reg. 85,633 (1980) 10
TREATISES
Restatement (Third) of Foreign Relations Law
of the United States (1986)))))))))): 4, 5, 16
LEGISLATIVE MATERIALS
Foreign Investment and Arab Boycott Legislation:
Hearings Before the Subcomm. on International
Finance of the Senate Comm. on Banking, Hous-
ing and Urban Affairs, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. 165
„ 10
H. R. 406, 88th Cong, Ist Sess. (1963) 15
H. R. 7152, 88th Cong., Ist Sess. (1963) 15
Interpretive Memorandum on Title VII, 110 Cong.
Rec. 7212 (1964) 14
110 Cong. Rec. 12,811 (1964) 15
129 Cong. Rec. 34,499 (1983)))))))) cecccceeccccceeeeeeeee 21
MISCELLANEOUS
Appellee Aramco Court of Appeals Record Ex-
cerpts (No. 87-2200)0 v5ʒĩ0 22
Decision No. 85-16, Emp. Prac. Guide (CCH)
§ 6857 (1985) ....... 11
En Bane Brief of Amicus Rule of Law Committee,
Boureslan v. Aramco, 857 F.2d 1014 (5th Cir.
1990) (en bane) (No. 87-22060)))))): 22
Kirschner, Extraterritorial Application of Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act, 34 Labor L.J. 394
A 17
Policy Statement No. 88-15, EEOC Compl. Man.
(CCH) 9 2187 (1989) 11, 19, 20
IN THE
Supreme Court of the United States
OCTOBER TERM, 1989
Nos. 89-1838 and 89-1845
ALI BOURESLAN and EQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION,
7 Petitioners,
ARABIAN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY and
ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY,
Respondents.
On Petitions for Writ of Certiorari to the
United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit
BRIEF IN OPPOSITION FOR RESPONDENTS
ARABIAN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY
AND ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
ts Arabian American Oil Company (“Aram-
co”) and Aramco Services Company (“ASC”) respect-
fully request that this Court deny the petitions for a
writ of certiorari filed by the Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity Commission (“EEOC”) and Ali Salim Boureslan
(“Boureslan”) that seek review of the en banc decision
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit.“
1 The information required by Rule 29.1 of the Rules of this Court
is included in Appendix A.
F.2d 1271 (1990) (Pet. App. Ia-27a)
The panel decision is reported at 857 F.2d 1014 (1988)
(Pet. App. 28a-76a). The district court decision that
was affirmed by both the panel and the en banc court is
reported at 653 F. Supp. 629 (1987) (Pet. App. 77a-
82a).
STATUTORY PROVISIONS INVOLVED
The most relevant provisions of Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e-2000e-17, and
of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967,
29 U.S.C. §§ 621-634, are set out in Appendix B, 2a-6a.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Aramco was at all relevant times a Delaware corpora-
tion whose principal place of business and records were
5
5
8
naturalized American eiti-
national origin is Lebanese, whose race is
religion is Moslem. Boureslan was
employed as a cost engineer by ASC in Houston from
2“Pet. App.” refers to the Appendix to the Petition for Certiorari
filed by the Solicitor General on behalf of the EEOC.
* Aramco employed a multinational workforce, including Saudi
Arab and U.S. citizens as well as citizens of any other countries.
the creation in 1988 of the national oil company of
Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco),
of
3
i
;
was transferred to Saudi Arabia to work for Aramco.
It is doubtful that Congress reserved the question of
Title VII’s application for the courts to decide. It is
much more likely that Congress never considered the
issue.
Pet. App. 81a. The district court also dismissed Boures-
lan’s state law claims.
4 Respondent ASC also moved to dismiss the complaint on two
additional grounds: (i) that Boureslan did not work for ASC at
the time of the alleged discrimination, and (ii) that, by failing to
assert claims against ASC in his EEOC charges, Boureslan failed
to exhaust his administrative remedies against ASC. Pet. App. 30a-
314. ASC maintains, contrary to Petitioner Boureslan’s assertion
(Boureslan Pet. 4), that the ASC motion was granted on these
grounds as well.
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A
peals for the ireuit affirmed the district court’s
decision. Following this Court’s reasoning in Foley, the
majority held that a statute should not be applied extra-
territorially absent a clear expression of intent by Con-
gress. The panel found that “[(e)xtraterritorial applica-
tion is not directly addressed in Title VII“ itself (Pet.
App. 34a), and that the EEOC had pointed to only three
general statements in the extensive legislative history
that the EEOC believed supported its argument that the
37a-38a.
statute applies outside the United States. Id. at
fall far short of the clear expression of congressional
intent required to ove: come the presumption against
extraterritorial application. To rely on such
general policy statements would effectively adopt a
presumption in favor of extraterritorial application.
Id. at 38a. Congress simply “did not turn its attention”
to the possibility of the extraterritorial application of
Title VII, and “[{i)t is not for this court to decide this
policy issue for the legislative branch.” Pet. App. 41a.
The dissenting opinion conceded that (t] erritoriality
is considered the normal, and natiorality an exceptional,
basis for the exercise of jurisdiction.” Pet. App. 44a
n.2, quoting Restatement (Third) of Foreign Relations
Law of the United States § 402 comment b (1986). The
dissent also acknowledged the presumption that Congress
intends legislation to apply only within the territorial
jurisdiction of the United States absent a contrary in-
tent. Id. at 43a-44a. Expressly eschewing reliance only
on “the broad jurisdictional language” of Title VII ( Pet.
App. 45a) now relied on by the EEOC (EEOC Pet. 8-9),
the dissent nevertheless purported to find the requisite
clear congressional] intent necessary to overcome the pre-
sumption by negative inference from the statute’s exemp-
tion of employers “with respect to the employment of
aliens outside any State” (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-1, the
“alien exemption provision”). Pet. App. 46a-47a, 74a.
Adopting an analytical framework concededly never ap-
plied by any court (Pet. App. 51a-52a & n.10), the dis-
sent analyzed the “reasonableness” of applying Title VII
extraterritorially [ blefore examining the language and
legislative history” of the Act. Id. at 5la-52a (emphasis
added). The dissent concluded that because extraterri-
torial application would “in general be reasonable” (Pet.
App. 67a), “we do not need to search for an affirmative
expression of congressional intent to apply Title VII
extraterritorially.” Jd. at 68a-69a (emphasis in origi-
nal).
On rehearing en banc, the court by a vote of 9-5 again
affirmed the district court’s dismissal of Boureslan’s com-
plaint. Pet. App. la-2a, 7a. The en banc majority stated
that respect for “the right of nations to regulate conduct
within their own borders” underlies the established pre-
sumption that statutes do not have extraterritorial ap-
The en banc court rejected the argument that a nega-
tive inference from the alien exemption provision was a
States, “ ”
parallel ens to foreign countries or procedures.
provision for actions involving foreign violations. Pet.
App. 5a. Furthermore, if Title VII applied extraterri-
torially, the plain language of the Act necessarily would
extend to foreign employers and impose Title VII “on a
foreign employer who had the grace to employ an Amer-
ican citizen in its own country”—a result the court was
reluctant to attribute to Congress. Id. at 6a.
Finally, the court noted that Congress knows how to
give extraterritorial effect to one of its statutes when
it desires to do so, citing Argentine Republic v. Amerada
Hess Shipping Corp., 109 S. Ct. 683, 691 (1989). Pet.
App. 6a. As illustrated by the language of a number of
statutes that do apply extraterritorially, Congress is
aware of “the need to make a clear statement of extra-
— — 2 —.
sions for enforeing those rights.“ Id. The court declined
to conclude that Congress had “balanced Title VII's im-
tween the lines.” Pet. App. 7a.
7
1. The petition should be denied because there is no
conflict among the circuits on the question whether Con-
gress intended Title VII to apply extraterritorially. Fur-
thermore, the absence of any conflict among the circuits
is not overcome either by the existence of a handful of
2. This Court has consistently held that legislation of
Congress is presumed to apply only within the territory
only by a clear and affirmative expression of contrary
intent. he Fifth Circuit properly concluded that such a
clear expression of congressional intent is not present in
the language and legislative history of Title VII.
The requisite clear expression of affirmative congres-
sional intent cannot be found in Title VII's definition of
“ecommerce.” The statutes on which Title VII's defini-
tional provisions were based—the Labor Management Re-
lations Act of 1947 and the National Labor Relations
Act—have been held by this Court not to have extra-
territorial application. Benz v. Compania Naviera Hi-
dalgo, S. A., 353 U.S. 138, 142, 147 (1957); McCulloch
v. Sociedad Nacional de Marineros de Honduras, 372 US.
10, 19 (1963).
Nor can the requisite clear expression of intent be
found in the negative inference from the alien exemp-
tion provision of Title VII. Such a negative inference is
not a reliable or proper source of congressional intent to
tion of a statute. See Sandberg v. McDonald, 248 US.
185, 195 (1918). Congress knows how to provide ex-
pressly for extraterritorial application when it wants a
statute to apply beyond the borders of the United States.
See Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp.,
109 S. Ct. 683, 691 (1989).
make such important policy decisions where “the possi-
bilities of international discord are so evident and retali-
ative action so certain.” Benz v. Compania Naviera
Hidalgo, S. A., 353 U.S. at 147. Congress has not ex-
pressed its intent that Title VII apply extraterritorially,
and the Fifth Circuit properly declined to make the
choices that are assigned to Congress.
I. THERE IS NO CONFLICT AMONG THE CIRCUITS
ON THE QUESTION WHETHER CONGRESS
INTENDED TITLE VII TO APPLY EXTRATERRI-
TORIALLY
The Fifth Circuit is the first and only court of ap-
peals to have decided the question of the extraterritorial
application of Title VII. Although the EEOC cites a
number of district court decisions for the proposition
that Title VII applies to employers abroad, the district
courts that have considered the question all rely on
Bryant v. International Schools Servs., Inc., 502 F. Supp.
472 (D.N.J. 1980), rev'd on other grounds, 675 F.2d 562
(3d Cir. 1982), whieh based its reasoning on dicta in a
footnote in Love v. Pullman Co., 18 Fair Emp. Prac.
Cas. (BNA) 423, 426 n.4 (D. Colo. 1976), aff'd on other
grounds, 569 F.2d 1074 (10th Cir. 1978). Not only was
cance of the district court decisions it cites by reference to
its own interpretation of Title VII in favor of extraterri-
torial application, going back “at least 15 years.” EEOC
* The third case cited by the EEOC is Seville v. Martin Marietta
Corp., 638 F. Supp. 590 (D. Md. 1986). While Seville and the recent
district court decision in Akgun v. Boeing Co., No. C89-1319D (W. D.
Wash. June 7, 1990), adopt Bryant’s negative inference rationale,
the district court v. NCR Corp., 600 F. Supp. 923 (S.D.
|
10
Pet. 14.“ During the 26 years since the passage of Title
VII, however, the EEOC’s own views on extraterritorial
application have been far from consistent. From 1964
until 1970, it was silent on the issue. In 1970, it issued
29 C. F. R. § 1606.1(c) (1970) (emphasis added). This
regulation was amended to delete the “domiciled or re-
siding” language in 1980, sixteen years after Congress
enacted Title VII, “to conform with coverage of Title
VII.“ 45 Fed. Reg. 85,633 (1980). Nothing was substi-
tuted for the deleted language, and today the regulation
remains silent on the geographic reach of the statute.
In 1985, the EEOC stated in a published decision that
Title VII “contains no [statutory] provision specifically
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addressing its territorial reach” and that the legislative
of Act is similarly silent on this issue.” De-
No. 85-16, Emp. Prac. Gui (CCH) § 6857
agency nevertheless concluded by negative
inf the alien exemption provision that Title
VII “ apply to covered employers with respect to their
employment of U.S. citizens outside the United States.”
not until September 1988, however, immedi-
ately before the panel decision in this case was rendered,
that the policy statement that
Title VII applied to employers of U.S. citizens in foreign
Policy Statement No. 88-15, EEOC Compl.
Man. ‘CCH) § 2187 (1989).
the General Counsel of the EEOC
to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in sup-
port of the extraterritorial application of Title VII
Pet. 14), his statement was contrary to the
EEOC’s own regulation that was then in force. In fact,
24 years the EEOC never articulated any guidance
to how its assumed extraterritorial jurisdiction was
be exercised, and for at least ten of the last 20 years
agency’s own regulation was directly contrary to the
tion the EEOC now claims it has held consistently.
In contrast, the Fifth Circuit’s decision in this case is
first thoughtful judicial examination of the issue of
extraterritorial application of Title VII by any court
the decision by a court of appeals. The law on
has not been developed in any other circuit,
enough for this Court to deny review.
THE FIFTH CIRCUITS DECISION PROPERLY
—
=
=
5
5
3
:
554 Brees
if
5
reflect the necessary clear expression of congressional in-
tent to apply Title VII extraterritorially is soundly based
12
on, and consistent with, this Court’s decisions concerning
the extraterritorial application of legislation. It there-
fore should not be subject to further review.
The panel and en banc majorities correctly started
with the established presumption that “the legislation of
the Congress, unless a contrary intent appears, is meant
to apply only within the territorial jurisdiction of the
United States. Foley Bros. v. Filardo, 336 U.S. 281,
285 (1949). Pet. App. 3a, 32a.“ Noting the fundamental
concept of sovereignty—“[t]he respect for the right of
nations to regulate conduct within their own borders“
that underlies this presumption, the court determined
that the suggestion of contrary congressional intent ad-
vanced by petitioners was insufficient to overcome the
presumption against extraterritorial application of Title
VII. Id. at 2a.
The EEOC concedes that when faced with the question
whether Congress intended extraterritorial application of
other statutes that regulate “the relationship between
employer and employee” (EEOC Pet. 11), this Court al-
ways has found that Congress must express its purpose
clearly and affirmatively. McCulloch v. Sociedad Nacional
de Marineros de Honduras, 372 U.S. 10, 21-22 (1963);
Benz v. Compania Naviera Hidalgo, S.A., 353 U.S. 138,
147 (1957); F Bros. v. Filardo, 336 U.S. 281, 285
(1949). As this rt stated in Benz:
[S]uch a ‘sweeping provision’ as to foreign applica-
bility was not specified in the Act.... For us to
run interference in such a delicate field of interna-
tional relations there must be present the affirma-
tive intention of the Congress clearly expressed.
In applying this presumption, the Fifth Circuit followed a long
line of authority, including Blackmer v. United States, 284 U.S.
421, 437 (1932); United States v. Bowman, 260 U.S. 94, 98 (1922) ;
Sandberg v. McDonald, 248 U.S. 185, 195 (1918); and American
Banana Co. v. United Fruit Co., 213 U.S. 347, 357 (1909).
13
353 U.S. at 146-147 (emphasis added). The identical
language was used again by this Court in McCulloch.
372 U.S. at 21-22. The EEOC attempts to avoid the clear
import of these decisions by arguing that while Title VII
admittedly regulates “the relationship between employer
and employee and thus operates in a field in which other
statutes have been held not to apply extraterritorially,”
it is a statute prohibiting discrimination and not just
one regulating employment. EEOC Pet. 11-12. This ar-
gument is unconvincing.’
Put in its most basic terms, the EEOC argues that the
presumption against extraterritorial application of U.S.
laws long recognized by this Court is overcome in this
case by two provisions in the language of Title VII: (1)
the statute’s definition of “commerce”, which includes the
phrase “or between a State and any vlace outside thereof,”
42 U.S.C. § 2000e(g), and (2) a negative inference from
the exemption of employers “with respect to the employ-
ment of aliens outside any State,” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-1,
from which petitioners infer the coverage of U.S. citizens
employed outside of any state. EEOC Pet. 8-9. These
provisions, plus one sentence from one committee report
in the extensive legislative history of Title VII, are as-
serted to be a sufficient expression of congressional intent
The EEOC concedes that where the application of a statute
extraterritorially would violate international law, an even “more
stringent variant of the presumption” applies. EEOC Pet. 7 n.4.
It suggests, however, that the presumption should not be as strin-
gent here because the application of Title VII extraterritorially
“would not violate international law.” Jd. Leaving aside the doubt-
ful accuracy of this unsupported assertion, the prospects for strains
in international relations, infringements of sovereignty, conflicts
with foreign laws, cultures, values and religions, and the practical
problems involved are simply too great to extend Title VII to for-
eign workplaces in the absence of a specific and clear expression
of affirmative intent.
14
to overcome the presumption against extraterritorial ap-
plication of U.S. laws. Id. at 10-11.”
A. The Requisite Clear Expression Of Affirmative In-
tent Cannot Be Found In Title VII’s Definition Of
“Commerce”
Title VII defines “employer” as “a person engaged in
an industry affecting commerce,” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(b),
and defines “an industry affecting commerce” by refer-
ence to the meaning of “affecting commerce” in the
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of
1959, 29 U.S.C. § 402 (e). 42 U.S.C. §2000e(h). That
Act in turn defines “industry affecting commerce” as an
industry included under the Labor Management Relations
Act. This Court expressly has held that the Labor Man-
agement Relations Act does not have extraterritorial ap-
plication. Benz v. Compania Naviera Hidalgo, S.A., 353
U.S. at 142, 147.
The legislative history of Title VII also refers to the
National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”), 29 U.S.C.
58 151-168. See Interpretive Memorandum on Title VII,
110 Cong. Rec. 7212 (1964) (“The term ‘affecting com-
merce’ is also familiar, since this is the standard of
coverage employed in the National Labor Relations Act
. . .). Yet even though the NLRA contained broad lan-
guage that clearly referred by its terms to foreign com-
merce, this Court refused to find a congressional intent
to apply the NLRA extraterritorially because there was
not “any specific language” in the Act reflecting congres-
sional intent to do so. McCulloch v. Sociedad Nacional de
Marineros de Honduras, 372 U.S. at 19.
10 The impact of this sentence, which referred to a House bill
that contained references to “foreign commerce” and “foreign
nations” that were later deleted (see infra p. 15), is diluted by the
indirect nature of the subcommittee’s role in developing the legisla-
tion that became Title VII. See Pet. App. 40a-4la n.4.
15
Significantly, Title VII as passed by the House of
Representatives originally contained specific language
that referred to “foreign commerce” and “foreign na-
tions.” The Senate deleted this language from the earlier
House version, and Congress passed the Senate version.“
These actions are wholly inconsistent with the notion of
a clearly expressed congressional intent to apply Title VII
extraterritorially. Indeed, they evidence a decision by
Congress not to have the statute extend to employers op-
erating overseas.
Perhaps because of this legislative history and the
Benz and McCulloch decisions of this Court, the dissent
did not rely on the definitional sections of Title VII relat-
ing to “employer,” “commerce” and “industry affecting
commerce”—including the phrase “between a State and
any place outside thereof” in Title VII’s definition of the
term “commerce.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e (g). Rather, it
characterized them as “traditional Commerce Clause lan-
guage” that serves merely as “a ‘nexus’ requirement, pro-
viding a basis for Congress’s exercise of power under the
Commerce Clause.” Pet. App. 18a. The EEOC, in con-
trast to the dissent and unlike its arguments below, now
characterizes that language as an affirmative, clear state-
ment of congressional intent to extend Title VII’s cover-
u Section 2 of H.R. 405 (later part of Section 701 of Title VII of
H.R. 7152) as passed by the House of Representatives included a
finding by Congress that the practice of employment discrimination
“adversely affects the domestic and foreign commerce of the United
States” (section 2(a)), and a declaration that the provisions of the
Act were necessary, inter alia, “[t]o remove obstructions to the
free flow of commerce among the States and with foreign nations
(section 2(c)(1)) (emphasis added). H.R. 405, 88th Cong., Ist
Sess. (1963); H.R. 7152; 88th Cong., Ist Sess. (1963).
These provisions were deleted by the Senate. Senator Dirksen
inserted an annotated copy of the House bill that reflects the dele-
tion of the foreign commerce language in the Congressional Record
on June 5, 1964 in anticipation of debate on the Senate’s substitute
bill, the Dirksen-Mansfield Amendment. 110 Cong. Rec. 12,811-817
(1964) (remarks of Sen. Dirksen).
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1747 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 872-0013
Attorneys for Respondents
Mie
June 22, 1990
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A
As required by Rule 29.1, the parent and subsidiaries
of Aramco and ASC are as follows:
Aramco is a Delaware corporation. Aramco has one
subsidiary, Trans-Arabian Pipe Line Company. Aramco
is owned by Transocean Chevron Company, Exxon Over-
seas Corporation, Mobil International Petroleum Corpora-
tion and TexacoInternational Trader, Inc. All of Aramco’s
assets, business and employees recently were transferred
to Saudi Aramco.
ASC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian
Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), which is a Saudi Arabian
company that is wholly owned by the Government of
Saudi Arabia. All of ASC’s subsidiaries are wholly
owned.
APPENDIX B
Relevant provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e-2000e-17:
§ 2000e. Definitions
For the purposes of this subchapter— * * *
(b) The term “employer” means a person
employed by an employer, except that the term “em-
ployee” shall not include any person elected to public
office in any State or political subdivision of any
State by the qualified voters thereof, or any person
chosen by such officer to be on such officer’s per-
sonal staff, or an appointee on the policy making
level or an immediate adviser with respect to the
exercise of the constitutional or legal powers of the
office. The exemption set forth in the preceding sen-
tence shall not include employees subject to the civil
a a
3a
service laws of a State government, governmental
agency or political subdivision.
(g) The term “commerce” means trade, traffic,
commerce, transportation, transmission, or commu-
nication among the several States; or between a
State and any place outside thereof; or within the
District of Columbia, or a possession of the United
States; or between points in the same State but
through a point outside thereof.
(h) The term “industry affecting commerce”
means any activity, business, or industry in com-
merce or in which a labor dispute would hinder or
obstruct commerce or the free flow of commerce and
includes any activity or industry “affecting com-
merce” within the meaning of the Labor-Management
Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, and further
includes any governmental industry, business, or
activity.
(i) The term “State” includes a State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Wake
Island, the Canal Zone, and Outer Continental Shelf
lands defined in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands
Act.
§ 2000e-1. Subchapter not applicable to employment
of aliens outside State and individuals
for performance of activities of religious
corporations, associations, educational in-
stitutions, or societies
This subchapter shall not apply to an employer
with respect to the employment of aliens outside any
State, or to a religious corporation, association, edu-
4a
cational institution, or society with respect to the
employment of individuals of a particular religion
to perform work connected with the carrying on by
tion, or society of its activities.
§ 2000e-2. Unlawful employment practices
Employer practices
(a) It shall be an unlawful employment practice
for an employer—
(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge
any individual, or otherwise to discriminate
against any individual with respect to his com-
pensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of
employment, because of such individual’s race,
color, religion, sex, or national origin; or
(2) to limit, segregate, or classify his em-
ployees or applicants for employment in any
way which would deprive or tend to deprive any
individual of employment opportunities or other-
wise adversely affect his status as an employee,
because of such individual’s race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin.
Relevant provisions of the Age Discrimination Act of
1967, 29 U.S.C. §§ 621-634:
§ 623. Prohibition of age discrimination
(f) Lawful practices; age an occupational qualifica-
tion; other reasonable factors; laws of foreign
workplace; seniority system; employee benefit
plans; discharge or discipline for good cause
It shall not be unlawful for an employer, employ-
ment agency, or labor organization—
(h) Practices of foreign corporations controlled by
American employers; foreign persons not con-
trolled by American employers; factors deter-
mining control
whose
.
sa
voters thereof,
on such
the
— ,
legal powers of
preceding
to
The term
a citizen
a workplace in a foreign
12271,
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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.