Petition for a Writ of Certiorari — United States Steel Corp. v. United Mine Workers of America
Supreme Court brief1972
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OCTOBER TERM, 1971
UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION e¢ al.,
Petitioners
Vv.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA et al.,
Respondents
PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
and APPENDICES
NICHOLAS UNKOVIC
LEONARD L. SCHEINHOLTZ
HARLEY N. TRICE II
REED SMITH SHAW & McCLAYy
747 Union Trust Building
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
Counsel for Petitioners, United
States Steel Curporation, ~ Jones
& Laughlin Steel Corporation and
Bethlehem Mines Corporation
CLYDE W. ARMSTRONG
RALPH T. DESTEFANO
THORP, REED & ARMSTRONG
2900 Grant Building
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
Counsel for Petitioner, -
Republic Steel Corporation
SMITH BROS... LAW PRINTERS. 620 SECOND AVENUE. PITTSBURGH. PA. 15219
hints | APR 29 1st?
INTHE © edt Stata Tats ROK J8_CLeEs
Supreme Court of the Unit i
acme PAGE
ana rapier nde megan ae Ra oaion oi 2
Ne ea ere ny <a as 2
QUESTIONS PRESENTED ..... Pear pawn eae ee 2
STATUTES AND RULES INVOLVED ........... 3
STATEMENT OF THE CASE ................. ceo ee
REASONS FOR GRANTING WRIT .............. 10
I ee cn eee, eis 20
antag ne when ea 21
TABLE OF CITATIONS
CASES
Atomic Oil Co. of Oklahoma, Inc. v. Bardahl Oil
Company, 419 F.2d 1097 (10th Cir. 1969) .... 16
Bethlehem Mines Corporation, et al. v. United Mine
Workers, et al., F.2d —— (3rd Cir. 1972),
PE NE aos oo or ee Pe es 9n.6
Boys Markets v. Retail Clerks Union, Local 770,
ee a ee AE eae ec eo eae hak 10-12
Duke Power Co. v. Greenwood County, 25 F.Supp. .
gg a ye ee 14n.8
‘Elgin J. & E. Ry. Co. v. Brotherhood of Railroad
- Trainmen, 196 F.Supp. 158 (N.D. il. ELD.
1961), 302 F.2d 540 (7th Cir. 1962) ...... 17: n. 10
Friend v. United States, 388 F.2d 579 (D.C. Cir.
RRR RR atin, Se ence 13
International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union v.
Donnelly Garment Co., 147 F.2d-246 (8th Cir.
1945) cert. denied, 325 U.S. 852 (1945).....
Ri ep Rate Cae rene! cle rage™ hater 13-15 & 17-18
Janssen v. Shown, 53 F.2d 608 (9th Cir. 1931) .... 12
Lawrence v. St. Louis-San Francisco R. Co., 278 U.S.
Se Not ee a as ee
vi
il
Index.
CASES _ PAGE
Madison Shipping Corp. v. National Maritime Union,
204 F.Supp. 22 (E.D. Pa. 1962) ........ 12&14n.8
. Meeker v. Stuart, 298 F.2d 902 (D.C. Cir. 1961),
affirming 188 F.Supp. 272 (D.D.C. 1960) ..... 12
Monolith Portland Mid. Co. v. Reconstruction F.
Corp., 128 F.Supp. 824 (S.D. Cal. 1955) ....14n.8
Pacific Maritime Ass’n. v. International Longshore.
& W.U., 454 F.2d 262 (9th Cir. 1971) ........ 13
Powelton Civic Home Own. Ass’n. v. Department of
H. & U. Dev., 284 F.Supp. 809 (E.D. Pa. 1968) 14n.8
Sinclair Refining Co. v. Atkinson, 370 U.S. 195
LARS a RNa aeE cme: ini Moni Neath ee eta
Teamster Local 174 v. Lucas Flour Co., 369 U.S.
ee ee hn EU Lt a ar eat E 11 |
United Motors Service v. Tropic-aire, 57 F.2d 479
GG EDS kp cc hon bh each eee ks 15-16
United States v. Concentrated Phosphate Export
Ass’n., Inc., 393 U.S. 199 (1968) ............ 13
United States Steel Corporation, et al. v. United
Mine Workers of America, et al., 317 7 <ee.
eee Cee Pe SE bik ances eines 3
United States Steel Corporation, et al. v. United -
Mine Workers of America, et al., —— F.2d
[a ee: GED. EA aks cae nea ca ea ees 3
West v. Zurhorst, 425 F.2d 919 (2nd Cir. 1970) .... 16
ili
Index.
STATUTES AND RULES : _ PAGE
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Federal Rule 65(c) ......-------- 5, 9, 13, 15 & 16
Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947, as
amended, 61 Stat. 156, 29 U.S.C. §185(a) ....
Oe ee ON eae Sk Nea ak ee a 4,10-11, 14 &15
Norris-LaGuardia Act, 47 Stat. 70,
29 U.S.C. §101 et seq. ...... 6-8, 10-12, 14-15 & 17-19
OTHER AUTHORITIES
72 Cong. Rec. 4630 (1932) (Remarks of Senator
ee erie cree rose ee ee oe eee 19
7 Moore’s Federal Practice, 165.09, p. 1657 (2nd ed.
BE eC ey rains aaa eee bee 15 n. 9
In THE
Supreme Court of the United States
OCTOBER TERM, 1971
UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION et al.,
Petitioners
Vv.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA et al.,
Respondents
PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS .
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT .
United States Steel Corporation, Jones & Laughlin
Steel Corporation, Bethlehem Mines Corporation, and
Republic Steel’ Corporation, petitioners, respectfully
pray that a writ of certiorari issue to review the deci-
sion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third
Circuit entered in the above-entitled consolidated cases.
on February 3, 1972, in which the court reversed the
District Court’s order which had denied respondents’!
motion for award of reasonable costs, expenses and at-
torneys’ fees.
1. Respondents are individually designated in the
caption of the opinion of the Court of Appeals set forth
in Appendix B, infra, pp. 26-30.
Questions Presented.
OPINIONS BELOW
The opinion of the District Court for the Western
District of Pennsylvania, entered September 30, 1970,
is reported at 317 F.Supp. 1070 (Appendix A, infra, pp.
21-25). The opinion of the United States Court of’ Ap-
peals for the Third Circuit (Appendix B, infra, pp. 26-
53) is reported at ——— F.2d -——, and was filed on Feb-
ruary 3, 1972.
JURISDICTION
The judgment of the Court of Appeals ( Appendix C,
infra, p. 54) was entered on February 3, 1972.
The jurisdiction of this Court is invoked under 28
U.S.C. § 1254 (1).
The jurisdiction of the District Court was by virtue
of 29 U.S.C. § 185.
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
Four employers sought and obtained preliminary
injunctions under § 301 of the Labor-Management Rela-
tions Act of 1947, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 185) to en-
join a strike over an arbitrable dispute. They posted in-)
junction bonds pursuant to Federal Rule 65 (c) totalling
$4,000 conditioned to pay “costs and damages” incurred
by any party found to have been wrongfully enjoined.
The preliminary injunction was reversed and remanded
for a hearing de novo on the merits. At that hearing, the
injunction proceedings were, by agreement of the par-
ties, continued indefinitely because the work stoppage
Statutes and Rules Involved.
had ended. Thereafter, the defendant unions filed a mo-
tion for reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses under
§ 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act (29 U.S.C. § 107). The
amount of such attorneys’ fees and expenses substan-
tially exceeded the aggregate amount of the injunction
bonds. The questions presented for determination are:
1. Whether the bond provisions of £ 7 of Norris-
LaGuardia, which provide for the payment of reasonable
attorneys’ fees and expenses, are applicable where an in-
junction is sought and obtained unfler § 301 to enjoin a.
strike over an arbitrable dispute;
2. Whether any recovery may be had on an injunc-
tion bond when there has been no decision on the merits
as to the employers’ right to injunctive relief;
3. Whether attorneys’ fees are recoverable on a’
bond posted in a § 301 injunction action Pursuant to Fed-
eral Rule 65 (c) and conditioned only to pay “costs and
damages” ; and
4. Whether employers who: obtain an injunction
under § 301 may be held liable for an amount in excess
of that specified in the bonds posted pursuant to Fed-
eral Rule 65 (c) and approved by the District Court.
STATUTES AND RULES INVOLVED
The statutory provisions and rules involved are:
Section 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act, 47 Stat. 71, 29
U.S.C. Section 107; Section 301 of the Labor-Manage-
ment Relations Act of 1947, as amended, 61 Stat. 156, 29
U.S.C. Section 185(a); and Federal Rule of Civil Pro-
cedure 65 (c). They are printed in Appendix D, infra,
pp. 55-57.
Statement of the Case.
| STATEMENT OF THE CASE
On June 22, 1970, petitioners, United States Steel
Corporation, Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, and
Bethlehem Mines Corporation? filed actions under Sec-
tion 301 of the Labor-Management Relations Act of
1947, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 185 (the “Act”), to enjoin
the respondents from engaging in work stoppages over
disputes which were subject to resolution through the
Settlement of Local and District Disputes procedure of
the National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement of 1968.
After a hearing on petitioners’ applications for pre-
liminary injunctions, the District Court by orders dated
June 24, 1970 (R. 35a, 39a and 48a)* as amended on
’ June 25, 1970 (R. 37a, 46, 49a and 51a), preliminarily en-
joined the respondents from engaging in, or continuing
to engage in, work stoppages at petitioners’ mines; from
picketing, or in any other manner interfering with the
orderly resumption of, or continuation of, operations;
and directed respondents, their officers, representatives
and members to utilize the Settlement of Local and Dis-
trict Disputes procedure of the labor agreement for the
resolution of any grievances, differences or local trouble
at petitioners’ mines. Each of the four orders further
provided that “Bond in the amount of $1,000 has been
approved and filed with the Court by plaintiff.” ( R. 38a,
47a, 50a and 52a).
2. On June 25, 1970, petitioner Republic Steel Cor-
poration filed a similar action under Section 301 seek- ©
ing the same relief.
3. All references to the appendix filed by wer]
ents in the Court of Appeals are designated “R.
et’ oo Sere
Statement of the Case.
Each of the petitioners filed a bond pursuant to
Rule 65(c) of the Federai Rules of Civil Procedure, the
condition of the bond being that “the plaintiff shall be
liable to the defendants for such costs and damages, not
exceeding the sum of $1,000.00, as defendants or any
other person may sustain by reason of the Preliminary
Injunction, if the Court finally decides that plaintiff is
not entitled thereto.”* No complaint was made by the
respondents to the District Court as to the conditions or
the amount of the bond.
Respondents filed immediate appeals from the
orders granting the preliminary injunctions, and on
June 30, 1970, the United States Court of Appeals for the
Third Circuit summarily reversed and remanded these
cases to the District Court “without prejudice to a re-
quest for a hearing de novo on the application for a pre-
liminary injunction” (R. 7la). The court stated that it
was taking this action “because we find that the parties
were effectively denied the opportunity to develop their
respective positions by erroneous rulings of the[Dis-
trict] Court” (R. 66a), and emphasized that “we have
not reached the issue of the merits of the request for a
preliminary injunction” (R. 71a).
On July 9, 1970, pursuant to the order of remand,
the District Court commenced a de novo hearing on peti-
tioners’ application for a preliminary injunction, and on
the following day, based upon certain representations
4. See R. 40a for the injunction bond given in Civil
Action No. 70-725; the bonds given by petitioners gnd
approved by the District Court in Civil Action Nos. 70-
724, 70-727 and 70-728 are identical in every material re-
spect.
Statement of the Case.
and stipulations of counsel for the respective parties,5
the District Court entered an order continuing the hear-
ing until further notice by the court (R. 76a).
On August 14, 1970, respondents filed their Motion
for Award of Reasonabie Costs, Expenses, and Attor-
neys’ Fees (R. 78a). After a hearing, the District Court
in an opinion dated September 30, 1970, denied the mo-
tion (R. 139a). The court concluded that insofar as the
motion related to expenses and attorneys’ fees incurred
in connection with the appeal, the order of the Court of
Appeals prescribing that each party was to bear its own
costs was dispositive of the question of costs on appeal
(R. 142a). The District Court also concluded that the
requests for costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees incurred
by the respondents in opposing the requests for the pre-
liminary injunction in the District Court should be
denied as being prematurely made, since there had been
pol Tay “no final determination of respendents' claims for injunc-
tive relief (R. 142a). These conclusions by the District
Court made it unnecessary for the court to decide
whether the terms of Section 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia .
Act, 29 U.S.C. § 107, requiring security for reasonable at-
torneys’ fees and legal expenses must be read into a bond
filed precedent to the issuance of an injunction against
5. These stipulations were that to the knowledge
of the defendants no picketing, work stoppage or strike
existed at the time, and none was known to be antici-
pated in the immediate future, and that the plaintiffs, in
good faith, would utilize their best efforts to comply
with the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of
1969 and counsel for the respective defendants would
counsel the officers and members of the defendant ”
unions to refrain from any work stoppage or picketing
at plaintiffs’ mines (R. 76a).
Statement of the Case.
concerted activity alleged to be in violation of a collec-
tive bargaining agreement (R. 143a).
On October 21, 1970, respondents appealed from the
order of the District Court denying their motion for
costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees. Thereafter, on De-
cember 10, 1970, petitioners filed a motion to dismiss the
appeals on the ground that the order, which denied re-
spondents’ motion without prejudice as premature, was
not a final order. On January 12, 1971, the Court of Ap-
peals denied petitioners’ motion to dismiss without opin-
ion.
In its opinion of February 3,,.1972, reversing the
decision of the District Court, the Court of Appeals
treated the stipulation continuing the hearing on the
application for a preliminary injunction as ending the
lawsuit for all practical purposes because the work stop-
pages complained of had ceased (Appendix B, p. 33).
It did so, even though answers and counterclaims were
subsequently filed by certain of the respondents and the
case will eventually come up for final hearing (R. 6a,
14a, 23a, 33a).
The Court of Appeals held that the bond provisions
of § 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act, that a plaintiff shall
file an undertaking for loss, expense, or damage, includ-
ing costs, together with a reasonable attorneys’ fee be-
fore a preliminary injunction can issue in a labor dis-
pute, apply in a federal court even when, as here, the
injunction is sought under § 301 of the Labor-Manage-
ment Relations Act of 1947. as amended (Appendix B,
p. 40). The Court of Appeals further held that if, in a
labor dispute, the plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunc-
tion tenders, and the district court approves, a bond
Statement of the Case.
conditioned for “costs and damages”, that undertaking
must be construed to include all the elements of damage
which are recoverable under § 7 of Norris-LaGuardia, in-
cluding attorneys’ fees (Appendix B, p. 43). Finally,
the Court of Appeals held (with one judge dissenting)
that in any case involving a labor dispute, including an
action for an injunction sought under § 301, the liability
of the plaintiffs, though not of the surety, for loss, ex-
pense or damage, including attorneys’ fees, under $7 of
Norris-LaGuardia, must be fixed by the district court
without regard to any limitation in the injunction bond
( Appendix B, p. 50).
Judge Kalodner, while concurring in the reversal of
the District Court’s order, dissented from the majority’s
direction to the District Court to enter a judgment
against petitioners in the injunction proceedings for an
amount in excess of that stipulated in the injunction
bonds. In the dissenting judge’s view, when defendants
seek recovery of their reasonable attorneys’ fees and ex-
penses in the same proceedings in which the preliminary
injunctions were improvidently issued, they are limited
in their recovery, by virtue of § 7(e) of Norris-LaGuar-
dia; to the amounts specified in the injunction bonds
(Appendix B, p. 51) ; and he termed the majority’s con-
struction of § 7(e) in permitting recovery in the same
proceedings of an amount in excess of the injunction
bonds as “impermissible judicial legislation” (Appen-
dix B, p. 53).
The effect of the majority’s decision was to hold
petitioners liable under § 7 of Norris-LaGuardia to re-
spondents and certain other parties to the litigation not
Statement of the Case.
involved in this petition for certiorari® for approxi-
mately $11,350 in attorneys’ fees and expenses, even
though there has never been a decision on the merits
that petitioners were not entitled to the injunctive relief
they sought under § 301, and even though the bonds they
posted under Federal Rule 65(c) were conditioned only
to pay “costs and damages”, and the aggregate amount
of the injunction bonds was only $4,000.
6. On February 28, 1972, the same panel, in a per
curiam opinion (with Judge Kalodner again concurring
in part and dissenting in part), reached the same con-
clusions with respect to the remaining parties to this
litigation. Bethlehem Mines Corporation, et al. v. United
Mine Workers, et al., F.2d , 79 LRRM 2816.
Petitioners also intend to file a petition for certiorari
with respect to this decision by the Court of Appeals.
c $Y
10
Reasons for Granting Writ.
REASONS FOR GRANTING WRIT
1. This case raises an important question of fed-
eral law which has not been, but should be, settled by
this Court. In Boys Markets v. Retail Clerks Union, Lo-
cal 770, 398 U.S. 235 (1970), this Court held that, not-
withstanding the anti-injunction provisions of § 4 of
the Norris-LaGuardia Act, a federal court has jurisdic-
tion under § 301(a) of the Labor-Management Relations
Act of 1947, as amended, to enjoin a strike over an ar-
bitrable grievance. The present case involves the unde-
cided question as to whether the bond provision -of § 7
of the Norris-LaGuardia Act applies to an action
brought under § 301(a) in which an employer seeks and
obtains a preliminary injunction barring a strike over
an arbitrable grievance.
In reaching the conclusion in Boys Markets that the
literal terms of § 4 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act must
be accommodated to the subsequently enacted provisions
of § 301(a) of the Labor-Management Relations Act of
1947, as amended, this Court pointed out that the Nor-
ris-LaGuardia Act “was responsive to a situation totally
different from that which exists today” (398 U.S. at
250). However, this Court emphasized that its holding
was a narrow one, dealing “only with the situation in
which a collective bargaining contract contains a man-
datory grievance adjustment or arbitration procedure”
(398 U.S. at 253), and it adopted from the dissenting
opinion in Sinclair Refining Co. v. Atkinson, 370 US.
195 (1962), certain guidelines to be followed by a fed-
eral court in determining whether an injunction would
be appropriate despite the Norris-LaGuardia Act.
11
Reasons for Granting Writ.
While this Court, in Boys Markets, was dealing
specifically with $4 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act, the
same rationale is applicable to the bond provision con-
tained in § 7 of that Act. If the district court, on the
basis of the principles adopted in Boys Markets, de-
termines that the case is one in which an injunction
would be appropriate despite Norris-LaGuardia, that
Act—and this includes § 7 — has no application.
The Court of Appeals improperly interpreted Boys
Markets as relating only to § 4 of the Norris-LaGuardia
Act and to no other provision of that Act, and er-
roneously concluded that every other provision of Nor-
ris-LaGuardia applies to a § 301 injunction action, even
though it recognized that “some of the specific findings
of fact required by § 7 are inappropriate in a $301 case”
(Appendix B, p. 39). |
One of the principal factors which prompted this
Court to reverse Sinclair was its desire to re-establish
the federal policy of labor law uniformity under § 301
expressed in Teamster Local 174 v. Lucas Flour Co., 369
U.S. 95 (1962). The decision of the Court of Appeals in
this case offends that policy of uniformity.
Section 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act provides
that an employer obtaining an injunction must post a
bond to compensate the union for any loss, expense or
damage caused by the improvident or erroneous issu-
ance of the injunction, including attorneys’ fees incurred
in defending against the injunction. While, as this
Court noted in Boys Markets (398 U.S. at p. 247, n. 15),
one half of the states have enacted so-called “little
Norris-LaGuardia Acts’, only eight of them have bond
provisions expressly requiring the payment of attor-
12
Reasons for Granting Writ.
neys’ fees as in § 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act.? Thus,
tho dooiaian. Kf tha Courtr Vi taeppedm wlli scive ‘vw re-
create the very lack of uniformity found offensive in
Boys Markets and, at least in those states which do not
have bond provisions similar to $7 of Norris-LaGuardia,
will undoubtedly cause a return to the use of removal
proceedings under 28 U.S.C. $1441 and to maneuvering
from one court to another which will, again, “frustrate
any relative uniformity in the enforcement of arbitra-
tion agreements” (398 U.S. at 246). F
2. In deciding that the respondents were entitled
to recover on the injunction bonds even though there
has not been a decision on the merits as to petitioners’
right to injunctive relief, the Court of Appeals decided
a federal question in a way which substantially con-
flicts with the decision of this Court in Lawrence v. St.
Louis-San Francisco R. Co., 278 U.S. 228 (1929), and
with the decisions of the Courts of Appeal for the
Ninth and District of Columbia Circuits in Janssen v.
Shown, 53 F.2d 608 (9th Cir. 1931), and Meeker v.
Stuart, 298 F.2d 902 (D.C. Cir. 1961), affirming 188
F.Supp. 272 (D.D.C. 1960). These cases all hold that
there can be no recovery of damages caused by the is-
suance of a preliminary injunction, even if set aside,
unless final judgment after trial is in favor of the party
who has been enjoined. See, also, Madison Shipping
Corp. v. National Maritime Union, 204 F.Supp. 22 (E.D.
Pa. 1962).
- %. See Hawaii Rev. Laws, Act 200, §7, L. (1963);
Mass. Laws Ann., ch. 214, $9A (1955); Minn. Stat. Ann.,
No. 13A, $185.13 (1966); N.J. Stat. Ann., 2A, Ch. 15,
$52 (1952); N.Y. Consol. Laws, Lab. $807.3 (McKinney
Supp. 1965) ; Nth. Dak. Cent. Code Ann., Vol. 7, 34-08-08
(1961); Pa. Stat. Ann., tit. 43, §206 (j) (1964); and
Utah Code Ann., 34-19-5 (1971).
. 13
Reasons for Granting Writ.
The Court of Appeals improperly concluded that
the effect of the stipulation of July 10, 1970, continu-
ing the hearing on petitioners’ application for a pre-
liminary injunction, was to end the lawsuit because by
then the work stoppage complained of had ceased. In
essence, then, the Court of Appeals treated the case as .
being moot. It is well settled, however, that an issue re-
mains “live” unless subsequent events make it absolute-
ly clear that the alleged wrongful behavior could not
reasonably be expected to recur: United States v. Con-
centrated Phosphate Export Ass’n., Inc., 393 U.S. 199,
203 (1968); Pacific Maritime Ass’n v. International
Longshore. & W. U., 454 F.2d 262 (9th Cir. 1971) ; Friend
v. United States, 388 F.2d 579, 581 (D.C.:.Cir. 1967).
Moreover, the fact that answers and counterclaims
have been filed by respondents after the renewed hear-
ing on the application for a preliminary injunction was
continued indefinitely demonstrates beyond any ques-
tion that the lawsuit has not ended.
3. The decision of the Court of Appeals permitting
. respondents to recover for attorneys’ fees and expenses,
a liability not specified in the injunction bond, is in di-
rect conflict with the decision of the Eighth Circuit in
International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union v. Don-
nelly Garment Co., 147 F.2d 246 (8th Cir. 1945) cert.
denied, 325 U.S. 852 (1945).
In the present case, the injunction: bonds were
posted by petitioners pursuant to Federal Rule 65(c)
and, in conformity with the requirements of this rule,
were conditioned to pay “costs and damages” incurred
by any party found to have been wrongfully enjoined.
The District Court did not require, and the bonds did
not contain, any undertaking to pay reasonable at-
14
Reasons for Granting Writ.
torneys’ fees and expenses as provided in $ 7 of the Nor-
ris-LaGuardia Act, and no objection was raised by re-
spondents to the terms and conditions of the bond. Nev-
ertheless, the Court of Appeals, contrary to the de-
cision of the Eighth Circuit in Donnelly, supra, * con-
cluded that the provisions of £ 7 of the Norris-LaGuar-
dia Act must be read into a bond filed in a § 301 injunc-
tion action, and held that respondents were, therefore,
entitled to recover attorneys’ fees and expenses under
the injunction bond. The Third Circuit expressly de-
clined to follow and apply the Eighth Circuit’s decision
in the Donnelly case, because, in its view, which it ar-
rived at by tortured and erroneous reasoning, Donnelly
and other cases which have followed it “are based upon
a misinterpretation in Heiser [v. Woodruff, 128 F.2d
178 (10th Cir. 1942) ] of the holdings of Tullock v. Mul-
vane [184 U.S. 497 (1902)] and Oelrichs v. Spain [82
U.S. 211 (1872)]". The Court of Appeals cites no au-
thority for its holding that a bond posted in a § 301
injunction action conditioned to pay “costs and dam-
ages” must be construed to include liability for attor-
neys’ fees and expenses by virtue of § 7 of the Norris-
8. The Court of Appeals also recognized that its
decision conflicted with Madison Shipping Corp. v. Na-
tional Maritime Union, 204 F.Supp. 22 (E.D. Pa. 1962),
and Duke Power Co. v. Greenwood County, 25 F.Supp.
419 \W.DS.C. 1938). See, also, Powelton Civic Home
Owners Ass'n. v. H.E.W., 284 F.Supp. 809 (E.D Pa.
1968). and Monolith Portland Midwest Co. v. Reconstruc-
tion Finance Corp., 128 F.Supp. 824,878 (S.D. Cal. 1955),
which the Court of Appeals regarded as not being in
point on the interpretation of the bond, while conceding
that they support the proposition that attorneys’ fees
are not ordinarily an element of damages in the federal
courts (Appendix B, p. 42, n. 5).
15
Reasons for Granting Writ.
LaGuardia Act, and there is none. It is appropriate for
this Court to resolve the conflict between the Third and
the Eighth Circuit on this important issue, since the de-
cision on this question will materially affect the type
of bond to be given in every £ 301 suit for injunctive re-
lief in a federal court.
4. The decision of the Court of Appeals is also in
direct conflict with the decision of the Eighth Circuit
on the issue of whether respondents are entitled to re-
cover an amount in excess of that specified in the in-
junction bonds. These bonds were posted pursuant to
federal Rule 65 (c) and approved by the District Court.
No effort was ever made by respondents to obtain an
increase in the amount of these bonds. In spite of this.
the Court of Appeals concluded that petitioners were
liable to respondents for an amount substantially in ex-
cess of the limits of the bonds which had been posted.
The Court of Appeals again recognized that its de-
cision on this question was in conflict with the decision
of the Eighth Circuit in International Ladies Garment
Workers’ Union v. Donnelly Garment Co., supra, and
with an earlier decision of the Eighth Circuit in United
Motors Service v. Tropic-aire, 57 F.2d 479 (8th Cir.
1932), which the Third Circuit expressly declined to
follow on the grounds that the Eighth Circuit had “mis-
apprehended the holdings of the Supreme Court cases on
which it relied” (Appendix B, p. 44). The Donnelly
case holds that the monetary amount of an injunction
bond, whether posted pursuant to Federal Rule 65 (c)
r $ 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act, is the limit of a
9 7 Moore’s Federal Practice, "65.09. p. 1657 (2nd
ed..-1971).
16
Reasons for Granting Writ.
plaintiff's liability and the measure of a defendant’s pro-
tection for the wrongful issuance of an injunction. The
United Motors Service case is to the same effect as toa
bond posted under Federal Rule 65 (c) as is West v.
Zurhorst.425 F.2d 919 (2nd Cir. 1970), and Atomic Oil
Co. of Oklahoma, Inc. v. Bardahl Oil Company, 419 F.2d
1097 (10th Cir. 1969).
The Third Circuit, asserting that no Supreme Court
authority had been called to its attention holding that
the liability of a plaintiff who has been improperly
granted an injunction is limited to the amount of the
bond he furnished, found the authority of the Eighth
Cireuit in Donnelly on this issue “unpersuasive” ( Ap-
pendix B, pp. 46-47).
The reasoning of the Third Circuit in reaching the
conclusion that respondents are not limited to the
amount of injunction bonds is far more unpersuasive. It
Starts with the wholly unfounded assertion that the
Donnelly approach “would rule out any liability for
wrongfully obtaining an injunction in any case where
the court did not require the posting of a bond”: ( Appen-
dix B. p. 47). What the Court of Appeals completely
overlooked is the fact that no injunction issued under
Federal Rule 65 is effective unless and until an injunc-
tion bond is posted pursuant to Federal Rule 65/c). As
the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit aptly ob-
served in Atomic Oil Co. of Oklahoma, Inc. v. Bardahl
Oil Company, 419 F.2d 1097, 1100 (10th Cir. 1969) :
“Rule 65(c) states in mandatory language that the giv-
ing of security is an absolute condition precedent to the
issuance of a preliminary injunction.”
.
17
Reasons for Granting Writ.
Moreover, the Court of Appeals’ effort to distin-
guish the holdings of the cases upon which Donnelly re-
lied is itself erroneous. Thus, Lawrence v. St. Louis-San
Francisco R. Co., 278 U.S. 228 (1929), is not a state
court proceeding as the Court of Appeals asserts (Ap-
pendix B, pp. #@), but involved a preliminary injunction
issued by a federal court.1°
Therefore, the decision of the Third Circuit holding
petitioners liable for an amount in excess of that speci-
fied in the injunction bonds posted pursuant to Federal
Rule 65(c) has created a serious conflict on a highly
important question which this Court should resolve.
5. Quite apart from the conflict in the circuits cre-
ated by the holding that petitioners are liable for an
amount in excess of the injunction bonds, the basis upon
which the Court of Appeals arrived at this result in-
volves a serious misinterpretation of the language of $ 7
of the Norris-LaGuardia Act and of the intent of Con-
gress in adopting the bond provision. The key language
is that “[n]o temporary restraining order or temporary
injunction shall be issued except on condition that com-
plainant shall first file an undertaking with adequate
10. Similarly, the Court of Appeals misread Elqin
J.& E. Ry. Co. v. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, 302
F.2d 540 (7th Cir. 1962), as standing for the proposition
that the plaintiff's liability under § 7 of Norris-LaGuar-
dia is open ended. It came to this conclusion because its
reading of the circuit court and district court opinions
did not disclose whether a bond was filed or, if so, in
what amount. Actually, as the opinion of the district
court clearly shows, the plaintiff there did post an in-
junction bond which provided the basis for recovery:
Elgin J. & E. Ry Co. v. Brotherhood of Railroad Train-
men, 196 F.Supp. 158, 167 (N.D. Ill. E.D. 1961).
18
Reasons for Granting Writ.
security in an amount to be fixed by the court sufficient
to recompense those enjoined from any loss, expense or
damage caused by the improvident or erroneous issuance
of such order or injunction, including all reasonable
costs (together with a reasonable attorney’s fee) and
expense of defense against the order... .” (Appendix
D, p. 56).
The Court of Appeals erroneously interpreted this
language to mean that the court is to fix the amount of
“adequate security” but not the extent of the complain-
ant’s “undertaking”’. This construction of § 7 leaves the
plaintiff's liability completely open ended and is in di-
rect conflict with the Eighth Circuit’s decision in Don-
nelly that even under § 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act
the liability of the plaintiff is limited to the penal sum of
the injunction bond.
Properly read, the quoted language from § 7 means
that the complainant must file “an undertaking . . . in an
amount to be fixed by the court’, and the words “with
adequate security” are intended to modify the word
“undertaking”. So interpreted, the injunction bond is the
limit of the plaintiff's liability.
This construction is not only consistent with the
plain language of § 7 but is also supported by the legis-
lative history of the Act. Thus, Wisconsin Senator John
J. Blaine, one of the authors of the Act, in reporting on
the bill to the Senate on February 24, 1932, stated:
“.. Finally, before such an order may be issued the
* complainants must furnish a bond sufficient to in-
demnify the defendants against any loss and ex-
pense, including costs and attorneys fees, resulting
19
Reasons for Granting Writ.
from the issuance of the temporary restraining
order if it is not sustained after a hearing.” 72 Cong.
Rec. 4630 (1932) (Remarks of Senator Blaine).
There is not the slightest suggestion in the legisla-
tive history of § 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act that Con-
gress intended the plaintiff's liability on the “under-
taking” to be open ended. As dissenting Judge Kalodner
so aptly pointed out, the majority’s construction of £ 7
as permitting the respondents to recover in full their at-
torneys’ fees and expenses in the same proceedings in
which the injunction bonds were issued, even though
. they substantially exceed the aggregate amounts of the
posted injunction bonds, is nothing more than imper-
missible judicial legislation, which clearly transgresses
the procedural scheme of § 7.
Conclusion.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, it is respectfully sub-
mitted that this petition for a writ of certiorari should
be granted.
NICHOLAS UNKOVIC
LEONARD L. SCHEINHOLTZ
HARLEY N. TRIcE II
REED SMITH SHAW & McCLay
747 Union Trust Building
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
Counsel for Petitioners, United
States Steel Corporation, Jones
& Laughlin Steel Corporation and
Bethlehem Mines Corporation
CLYDE W. ARMSTRONG
RALPH T. DESTEFANO
THORP, REED & ARMSTRONG
2900 Grant Building
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
Counsel for Petitioner, Republic
Steel Corporation
21
APPENDIX A
IN THE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
Civil Action
UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION, Nos.
et al. L 70-724 .
v. [= "70-725
UNITED MINE WORKERS, et al. 70-727
70-728
Opinion
In these consolidated civil actions, the immediate
' matters before the Court are Motions for defendants for
an award of reasonable costs, expenses and attorney
fees. One group of attorneys have entered their ap-
pearances on behalf of the defendant Union, all of its
Districts and Locals, and all of the individual defend-
ants. The second group have entered their appearances
in Civil Action 70-724 on. behalf of Local 1248, in Civil
Action 70-725 on behalf of Local 762, in Civil Action 70-
727 on behalf of Local 762 and individual defendants
Monborne and Krawitz, and in Civil Action 70-728 on
behalf of defendant Trbovich. The defendants seek only
. thosé costs, expenses and attorney fees incurred in op-
possing plaintiffs’ requests for preliminary injunctions
in this Court on June 23, 24 and 25, 1970 and in appeal-
ing to the Circuit Court of Appeals from the Order of
this Court dated June 25, 1970, granting the preliminary
relief sought. !
1. By stipulation, the parties have agreed that
costs and expenses have been advanced by Mr. Engle in
Appendiz A.
The Court has conducted a hearing upon the Mo-
tions and considered the briefs and arguments of coun-
sel. It is concluded that the Motions should be denied.
The actions sought to invoke the Court’s jurisdic-
tion under § 301 of the Labor Management Relations
Act of 1947, as amended, 29 U.S.C. $185. Plaintiffs re-
quested preliminary injunctive relief compelling the
defendants to cease from engaging in a work stoppage
or picketing and to submit to the Settlement of Local
and District Disputes provision of the National Bitumi-
nous Coal Wage Agreement of 1968.
Consolidated evidentiary hearing were conducted, |
arguments heard and briefs submitted during all of
which time the aforementioned counsel represented the
defendants. The Court entered Orders granting the-plain-
tiffs’ prayers for preliminary injunctions against all of
the defendants named therein, and approved bonds in
the amount of one thousand dollars, each conditioned as
follows:
“NOW, the condition of this obligation is such,
that the plaintiff shall be liable to the defendants
for such costs and damages, not exceeding the sum
of $1,000.00, as defendants or any other person may
sustain by reason of the Preliminary Injunction, if
the Court finally decides that plaintiff is not en-
titled thereto.” .
Subsequent to the original decree, the Court en-
tered a modifying order so as to exclude from the terms
the amount of $730.94 and that reasonable attorney fees
for services rendered by Mr. Engle are $3,380.00; by Mr.
Owens, $1,120.00; by Mr. Joseph A. Yablonski, $3,580.00;
by Mrs. Feldman, $1,640.00, and by. Mr. Kenneth J. Ya-
blonski, $900.00.
23
Appendix A.
of the preliminary injunctions the cofendant Interna-
tional Union.
In granting the preliminary injunctions it was con-
cluded that the collective bargaining agreement pro-
vided a procedure, ultimately resulting in arbitration,
which the parties to the agreement contemplated would
be utilized to resolve a dispute of the nature in question.
Appeals from the Orders granting preliminary in-
junctions were perfected by all counsel for the defend-
ants and the Court of Appeals reversed and remanded.
In its Memorandum the Court stated:
“We therefore summarily reverse and remand these
cases to the district court without prejudice to a
request for a hearing de novo on the application for
a preliminary injunction. We emphasize that we
have not reached the issue of the merits of the re-
quest for a preliminary injunction.” (Emphasis
supplied. )
After remand, the plaintiffs requested a de novo
hearing upon the applications for preliminary injunc-
tions. The hearing was conducted and the parties stipu-
lated to an indefinite continuance of the hearing upon
conditions agreed to by the parties.
The question presented is whether the defendants
are entitled to costs, expenses and reasonable attorney
fees incurred in opposing the requests for preliminary
injunctions in this Court and in prosecuting their suc-
cessful appeals. |
The Order of the Court of Appeals prescribes that
each party is to bear its own costs. This determination
is dispositive of the question of costs on appeal and can-
24
Appendiz A.
_ not be reconsidered here. It is also proper to infer from
the aforementioned Order that each party is to bear his
or its own expenses and attorney fees incurred on ap-
peal. :
There remains for consideration defendant’s re-
quests for costs, expenses and attorney fees incurred by ;
the defendants in opposing the requests for prelimi-
nary injunctions in this Court. I conclude this request is
prematurely made. It is the generally followed federal
rule that there can be no recovery of damages caused by
a preliminary injunction even if set aside, unless final
judgment after trial is in favor of the party who has
been enjoined. Madison Shipping Corp. v. National Mari-
time Union, 204 F. Supp.-22, 23 (E. D. Pa. 1962) ; Meek-
er v. Stuart, 188 F. Supp. 272, 276 (D. D. C. 1960),
aff'd, 289 F. 902 (D. C. Cir. 1961), and cases cited
therein; 3 Barron & Holtzoff, Fed. Prac. & Proced.
§ 1435 (1958).
There has been no final determination of plaintiffs’
claims for injunctive relief. The Court of Appeals ex-
pressly reversed the trial court on procedural grounds
alone and did not reach or consider the merits of the
lower court’s decrees. Due to the agreement and stipu-
lation of counsel for the parties, the merits of plaintiff’s
requests have not been reached by this Court. In the
present posture of the case, the requests for both pre-
liminary and final injunctive relief remain pending be-
fore the Court. Absent any final determination upon the
merits of the requests for injunctive relief, defendants
are not entitled to recover. 2
This conclusion now made renders it unnecessary
for the Court to decide whether the terms of Section 7 of
ee |
25
Appendix A.
the Norris LaGuardia Act, 29 U.S. C. A. § 107, requir-
ing security for reasonable attorney’s fees and legal ex-
penses, must be read into a bond filed precedent to the
issuance of an injunction against concerted activity al-
leged to be in violation of a collective bargaining agree-
ment.
An appropriate Order is entered.
Order.
Now, this 30th day of September 1970, defendants’
Motions for costs, expenses and attorney fees are here-
by denied without prejudice to their right to re-submit
similar motions should the outcome of the proceedings
warrant the same.
/s/ WALLACE S. GOURLEY, SDJ,
Senior District Judge. |
Appendix B.
APPENDIX B
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
Nos. 19,454 through 19,458
UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION
v.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DISTRICT
4, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DIS-
TRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERI-
CA; UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 6321; UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA LOCAL NO. 1248
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
Appellant in 19,454
DISTRICT 4, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA
Appellant in 19,455
DISTRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA
Appellant in 19,456
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 6321
Appellant in 19,457
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 1248
Appellant in 19,458
Appendiz B.
Nos. 19,459 through 19,465
JONES & LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION
v.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DISTRICT
4, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DIS-
TRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERI-
CA; UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 2399; UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA LOCAL NO. 762; UNITED MINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL NO. 6159:
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL
NO. 6330 .
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
. Appellant in 19,459
DISTRICT 4, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA
Appellant in 19,460
DISTRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA
Appellant in 19,461
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 2399
Appellant in 19,462
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 762
Appellant in 19,463
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 6159
Appellant in 19,464
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 6330
Appellant in 19,465
Appendiz B.
Nos. 19,466 through 19,476
BETHLEHEM MINES CORPORATION
v.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DISTRICT
2, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA,
OWEN F. SLAGEL, President; UNITED MINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL NO. 1386,
CHARLES KRAWETZ, President; UNITED MINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL NO. 850, ED-
WARD F. MONBORNE, President; UNITED
MINE. WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL NO.
1368, THOMAS WATSON, President; UNITED
MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL NO.
6394, JOSEPH T. MUCKO, JR. President;
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL
NO. 6411, ROBERT C. BROWN, President; DIS-
TRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERI-
CA, MICHAEL BUDZANOSKI, President;
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL
NO. 1190, CHARLES WASHLACK, President;
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL
NO. 2874, STANLEY C. WERSTLER, President;
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL
NO. 1197, JOHN A. DZIAK, President
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
Appellant in 19,466
DISTRICT 2, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA. OWEN F. SLAGEL, President,
Appellant in 19 467
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 1386, CHARLES KRAWETZ.
President. Appellant in 19,468
TTT
Appendiz B.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 850, EDWARD F. MONBORNE,
President,
Appellant in 19,469
- UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 1368, THOMAS WATSON,
President,
Appellant in 19,470
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
‘ LOCAL NO. 6394, JOSEPH T. MUCKO, JR.
President,
Appellant in 19,471
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 6411, ROBERT C. BROWN,
President,
Appellant in 19,472
DISTRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA, MICHAEL BUDZANOSKI,
President,
Appellant in 19,473
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 1190, CHARLES WASHLACK,
President,
Appellant in 19,474
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 2874, STANLEY C. WERST-
LER, President,
Appellant in 19,475
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 1197, JOHN A. DZIAK,
President,
Appellant in 19,476
30
Appendix B.
Nos. 19,477 through 19,481
REPUBLIC STEEL CORPORATION
v.
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DISTRICT
4, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA; DIS-
TRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERI-
CA; UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 9873; UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA LOCAL NO. 688
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
Appellant in 19,477
DISTRICT 4, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA
| Appellant in 19,478
DISTRICT 5, UNITED MINE WORKERS OF
AMERICA
Appellant in 19,479
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 9873
Appellant in 19,480
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL NO. 688
Appellant in 19,481
APPEALS FROM THE UNITED STATES District COURT
FoR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
Argued December 1, 1971
Before Seitz, Chief Judge, KALODNER and GIBBONS,
Circuit Judges
Appendiz B.
Opinion of the Court |
(Filed February 3, 1972)
GIBBONS, Circuit Judge.
Appellants, labor unions and individual union mem-
bers, appeal from the order of the district court denying
their motion for costs, expenses, and attorney's fees.
United States Steel Corp. v. United Mine Workers of
America, 317 F. Supp. 1070 (W.D. Pa. 1970). The dispute
had its genesis in actions filed by the appellees, United
States Steel Corporation, Jones & Laughlin Steel Corpo-
ration, Bethlehem Mines Corporation and Republic Steel
Corporation seeking injunctions against work stoppages
which they alleged were in violation of union contracts
containing “Settlement of Local and District Disputes”
grievance-arbitration procedures. The steel companies
contended that by virtue of £301 of the Labor-Manage-
ment Relations Act of 1947, 29 U.S.C. £185 (1971), the
work stoppages should be enjoined pending resolution
of the underlying disputes through the contract griev-
ance arbitration procedures. After a two-day hearing
the district court entered an order in each case granting
a preliminary injunction. Each order contained the lan-
guage:
“Bond in the amount of $1,000.00 has been ap-
proved and filed with the Court by plaintiff.”
A separate bond, identical in form, was filed by each
plaintiff. The condition of the bond was in each case as
follows:
“WHEREAS, plaintiff has applied for a Prelimi-
nary Injunction against defendants, enjoining and
restraining them from the commission of certain
acts, as more particularly described in the Com-
Appendiz B.
plaint; NOW, the condition of this obligation is
such, that the plaintiff shall be liable to the de-
fendants for such costs and damages, not exceed-
ing the sum of $1,000.00, as defendants or any
other person may sustain by reason of the Prelimi-
nary Injunction, if the Court finally decides that
plaintiff is not entitled thereto.”
Neither the orders granting preliminary injunction nor
the bond in any case made reference to the authority
under which the court required that the bond be posted.
The record discloses no opportunity for the defendants
to examine the bond prior to its approval and filing.
The applications for preliminary injunctions were
strenuously opposed by the defendants who contended
that the work stoppage did not fall within the coverage
of the contract grievance-arbitration provisions. When
the orders were entered defendants promptly appealed.
On their motion we summarily reversed. Bethlehem
Mine Corporation v. United Mine Workers of America,
No. 19,040 (3rd Cir., filed July 2, 1970). That reversal
was on the ground that the district court because of an
erroneous view of the applicable law had effectively de-
nied the parties the opportunity to develop their respec-
tive positions in the abbreviated hearing which it con-
ducted. The preliminary injunction was, therefore, im-
providently granted. We remanded “without prejudice to
a request for a hearing de novo on the application for a
preliminary injunction.” The order on remand specified,
“Each side to bear its own costs.”
After remand the plaintiffs renewed their request
for a preliminary injunction and the district court set
the matter down for a de novo hearing commencing July
~ eae
33
Appendix B.
9, 1970. Instead of proceeding with the hearing, how-
ever, the parties with the approval of the district court
entered into a stipulation providing:
“At the hearing, counsel for the respective defend-
ants have represented to the Court that, to their
knowledge, no picketing, work stoppage or strike
exists at present and none is known to be antici-
pated in the immediate future. Also, counsel for the
respective parties have agreed to an indefinite con-
tinuance of the hearing upon the oral stipulation
that plaintiff, in good faith, will utilize its best ef-
forts to comply with the Federal Coal Mine Health
and Safety Act of 1969 and that-counsel for the re-
spective defendants, based upon the conditions in
the mines as they are known to exist at present, will
counsel the officers and membership of defendant-
unions to refrain from any work stoppage or picket-
ing at plaintiffs’ mines.
NOW, THEREFORE, this 10th day of July, 1970,
in accordance with the represenations and stipula-
tions of counsel, it is hereby Ordered that the hear-
ing upon plaintiffs’ application for preliminary in-
junction be continued until further notice by the
Court.”
The effect of this stipulation, although it purported to
continue the hearing on plaintiffs’ application for a pre-
liminary injunction, was to end the lawsut for all prac-
tical purposes. By then the work stoppages complained
of had ceased.
On August 14, 1970 the defendants moved for the
award of reasonable costs, expenses and atttorneys’
fees. This claim was based upon $7 of the Norris-La-
Guardia Act, 29 U.S.C. $107 (1971) which in relevant
part provides:
34
Appendix B.
“No temporary restraining order or temporary in-
junction shall be issued except on condition that
complainant shall first file an undertaking with
adequate security in an amount to be fixed by the
court sufficient to recompense those enjoined for
any loss, expense, or damage caused by the im-
provident or erroneous issuance of such order or
injunction, including all reasonable costs (together
with a reasonable attorney’s fee) and expense of
defense against the order or against the granting
of any injunctive relief sought in the same pro-
ceeding and subsequently denied by the court.
The undertaking mentioned in this section shall be
understood to signify an agreement entered into by
the complainant and the surety upon which a de-
cree may be rendered in the same suit or proceeding
against said complainant and surety, upon a hear-
ing to assess damages of which hearing complain-
ant and surety shall have reasonable notice, the
said complainant and surety submitting themselves
to the jurisdiction of the court for that purpose. But
nothing in this section contained shall deprive any
party having a claim or cause of action under or
upon such undertaking from electing to pursue his
ordinary remedy by suit at law or in equity.”
At the hearing on this motion the parties stipulated the
amount of expenses incurred and the reasonable value
of legal services rendered in opposing the preliminary
injunctions and in procuring their reversal by this
court.! The stipulated fees and expenses exceed $11,350.
1. The parties have agreed that Mr. Engle ad-
variced expenses of $730.94 and that a reasonable at-
35
Appendix B.
00. The four bonds total $4,000.00. The district court de-
nied the motion in its entirety “without prejudice to [de-
fendants’] right to re-submit similar motions should
the outcome of the proceedings warrant the same.” This
appeal followed.
The appellees moved before this court to dismiss
the appeal on the ground that it was interlocutory. An-
other panel denied that motion without opinion, ap-
parently on the ground that the order appealed from, al-
though in form interlocutory, was in practical effect
final on the issue here presented since no further pro-
ceedings would take place in the district court and was
therefore appealable under the “collateral order” doc-
trine. See Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corp., 337
U.S. 541 (1949); Green v. Singer Co., No. 71-1835 (3rd
Cir., filed Nov. 2, 1971). Thus we must treat the appeal
as a final decision denying defendants’ motion for costs,
expenses and attorneys’ fees.
Since the reasonableness of the requested amounts
has been stipulated the only question before us is whe-
ther on legal grounds the district court properly refused
to make an award. Appellees advance several legal con-
tentions in support of that conclusion.
First, appellees contend that because they brought
suit under $301 of the Labor-Management Relations Act
the procedural provisions of ‘7 of the Norris-LaGuardia
Act are inapplicable. They urge that there is no warrant
in law outside $7 for the award of coursel fees incurred
in setting aside an injunction improvidently issued. As
torney’s fee for his services is $3,380.00; for Mr. Owens,
$1,120.00; for Mr. Joseph Yablonski, $3,580.00; for Mrs.
toe $1,640.00; and for Mr. Kenneth J. Yablonski,
900.00.
36 :
Appendix B.
— for the gene that $7 is e ap-
ee
398 US. 235 (1970).
Appellees read far too much into the Boys Markets
opinion. In expressly overruling its earlier decision in
Sinclair Refining Co. v. Atkinson, 370 U.S. 195 (1962),
and in approving the analysis of the Sinclair dissent,
the Supreme Court worked out a careful and narrow ac-
commodation between the earlier Norris-LaGuardia
Act and the later Labor-Management Relations Act. It
held only that the express prohibitions against certain
specific injunctions contained in $4 of Norris-LaGuardia,
29 U.S.C. £104, were deemed not to bar injunctions
necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Labor-Man-
agement Relations Act through contract arbitration.
The Court very carefully in Part V of the opinion, 398
U.S. at 253-55, made clear that it was dealing only with
the prohibition of $4 of Norris-LaGuardia, and then only
in cases where the court first holds that a strike is over
a grievance which both parties are contractually bound
to arbitrate. The opinion says nothing about the proce-
dural steps which must be taken in making that de-
termination or about the safeguards which must sur-
round the issuance of a preliminary injunction.
The thrust of $4 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act is
quite different from that of §7. The former is a list of
injunctive orders which the federal district courts are
flatly prohibited from entering. The latter is essentially
a procedural section. It prohibits the entry of an injunc-
tion growing out of a labor dispute
“except after hearing the testimony of witnesses
in open court (with opportunity for cross-examina-
tion) in support of the allegations of a complaint
37
Appendix B.
made under oath, and testimony in opposition
Tnereto, 1i offered .. .
~ Such hearing shall be held after due and personal
notice .. .” 29 U.S.C. § 107.
Certainly the requirements of a verified complaint, no-
tice and a hearing in opén court in no way conflict with
the policies of the Labor-Management Relations Act. In-
deed Feb. R. Civ. P. 65(a) requires as much in any event,
Sims v. Greene, 161 F.2d 87 (3rd Cir. 1947), though that
was not so when Norris-LaGuardia was passed since the
federal rules had not yet been enacted. It was the failure
to afford a hearing comporting either with $7 or with
Rule 65(a) which led to the summary reversal of the
preliminary injunction when this case was first before
- we
It may be argued that some of the specific findings
of fact required by §72 are inappropriate for a §301
2. “... and except after findings of fact by the
court, to the effect—
(a) That unlawful acts have been threatened
and will be committed unless restrained or have
been committed and will be continued’ unless re-
Strained, but no injunction or temporary restrain-
ing order shall be issued on account of any threat
or unlawful act excepting against the person or per-
sons, association, or organization making the threat
or committing the unlawful act or actually author-
izing or ratifying the same after actual knowledge
thereof;
(b) That substantial and irreparable injury
to complainant’s property will follow:
(c) That as to each item of relief granted
greater injury will be inflicted upon complainant by
Sinclair dissent.* The finding “(t)hat the public officers
fendants by the granting of relief;
(d) That complainant has no adequate reme-
dy at law; and
i ie) That the public officers charged with the
ty to com t's property are unable
sa Centilne to denis chemise decal
29 U.S.C. £107.
3. PO ym yng we Bh yh 4
have that effect; and the should be
ordered to arbitrate, as a of his ob-
an
,
of equity — whether breaches . Se
and will continue, cr have been threatened
will be committed; whether they have caused
or will cause irreparable to the em-
ployer; and whether the will suffer
more from the denial of an than will
the union from its issuance.’ 370 U.S., at 228.
|
|
39
Appendiz B.
are unable or unwilling to furnish adequate protection,”
‘7(e), 29 US.C. £107(e), probably would not be appro-
priate in a $301 case. But this does not mean that the
entire section is inapplicable. It means only that as
with $4 of Norris-LaGuardia £7 must be accommodated
to the policy underlying £301.
For such an accommodation it is unnecessary to
hold inapplicable to £301 cases those parts of {7 dealing
with undertakings for loss, expense, or damage caused
by the improvident or erroneous issuance of an injunc-
tion. It might be argued that by holding those parts of
$7 applicable to £301 suits in the federal courts, we will
impose a chilling effect on the resort by employers to
the courts for enforcement of contract grievance-arbi-
tration clauses. We hardly think so. Ir most cases the
contract will be so clear ome way or the other and the
likelihood of damage to the union from a preliminary
injunction requiring resort to contract arbitration so
slight that the imposition of a {7 undertaking for loss,
expense or damage caused by improvident or erroncous
issuance will impose no significant burdén. Fen. R. Crv.
P. 65(c) imposes an injunction bond requirement in any
case and the only difference between a Rule 65(c) bond
and one issued pursuant to {7 that the appellees have
called to our attention is that the latter includes as an
element of damage a reasonable attorneys’ fee. That at-
torneys’ fee would be paid only if the preliminary in-
junction is found to have been improvidently or er-
roneously issued, that is, where the Court did not hold
& proper hearing or failed to make the factual determi-
nations mandated by Part V of the Boys Markets opin-
ion or where the court erroneously issued a preliminary
injunction over a labor dispute not covered by the con-
40
Appendiz B.
tract grievance-arbitration provision. In any of these
circumstances no necessary accommodation between the
policies of Norris-LaGuardia and of the Labor-Man-
agement Relations Act requires that the union be de-
prived of the award of counsel fees under §7.
Appellees also suggest that if we recognize a lia-
bility for attorneys’ fees in the circumstances of this
case we will be creating a conflict between labor law in
the state courts and labor law in the federal courts
which the Supreme Court in Boys Markets sought to
avoid. This is not so in cases in which a preliminary in-
junction should properly have issued under {301 since
attorneys’ fees in those cases will not be awarded. As
to cases where a preliminary injunction should not have
issued, the recognition in Boys Markets that the Norris-
LaGuardia Act is still in force may in many states‘
result in different law being applied depending on the
state or federal forum. But that is what Congress in-
tended when Norris-LaGuardia was passed and, as the
Supreme Court makes clear in Boys Markets, {301 of
4. Though not in all states, New Jersey and Penn-
for example, in their counterparts of the Nor-
Ann ££206(f), 206(i), 206 (3).
41
Appendiz B.
Next appellees contend that even assuming the ap-
plicability of $7 there may be no recovery here because
the bond which was given was improper in form and in
the absence of a proper bond the defendants have suf-
fered damnum absque injuria. There is authority for
appellees’ position. International Ladies’ Garment
Workers’ Union v. Donnelly Garment Co., 147 F.2d 246
(8th Cir. 1945), cert denied, 325 U.S. 852 (1945).
Analysis of appellees’ position requires a subdivi-
sion into several questions.
1. Does the bond which was filed, properly con-
Strued, exclude liability for attorneys’ fees?
2. If the bond, properly construed, does not ex-
clude liability for attorneys’ fees, is the lia-
bility of the principal, as distinguished from
the surety, limited to the amount of the bond?
3. If the bond, properly construed, is simply in-
applicable to liability under §7, does that sec-
tion impose liability on the plaintiffs by its
own operation in the absence of a bond?
The Donnelly case, which is the only authority more or
less directly in point, answers each of these questions
in appellees’ favor. Donnelly possibly may be distin-
guished on the basis of the Eighth Circuit's finding that
“. .. it is beyond question that the bonds in this case
were not required by the court nor given by the plain-
tiffs pursuant to the provisions of the Norris-LaGuardia
Act.” 147 F.2d at 253. Here there is nothing in the rec-
ord specifying on what authority the bonds were re-
quired and the district court did not reach that question.
Appellees contend that the language of the undertaking
“shall be liable to the defendants for such costs and
P
42
Appendiz B.
damages” of necessity excludes liability for attorneys’
fees. Besides the Donnelly case they cite for this propo-
sition Madison Shipping Corp.’v. National Maritime
Union, 204 F. Supp. 22 (E.D.Pa. 1962) and Duke Power
Co. v. Greenwood County, 25 F. Supp. 419 (W-.D.S.C.
1938)5 The authority relied upon in Madison Shipping
is the Donnelly case. Duke Power relies upon the same
federal authorities as does Donnelly. None of those au-
thorities stands for the proposition that the word “dam-
ages” in a bond cannot include attorneys’ fees. Rather,
they stand for the proposition that as a matter of fed-
eral common law attorneys’ fees are not a recoverable
element of damages.
The case relied upon by the Donnelly and Madison
courts and most often cited for the proposition that an
injunction bond for costs and damages will not support a
recovery of attorneys’ fees is Heiser v. Woodruff, 128
F.2d 178 (10th Cir. 1942). Heiser relied upon Tullock v.
Mulvane, 184 U.S. 497 (1902), and Oelrichs v. Spain, 82
US. 211 (1872). These cases make it clear that the is-
sue is not the meaning of the word “damages” in the
bond but whether as a matter of federal law attorneys’
fees are ever recoverable as an element of damages. Tul-
lock v. Mulvane, which involved a suit for specific per-
formance, recognizes that if Kansas law were to be ap-
plied the bond would have sustained the award of at-
5. Appellees also cite Powelton Civic Home Own-
ers Ass’n. v. H.E.W., 284 F. Supp. 809 (E.D.Pa. 1968) ;
Monolith Portland Midwest Co. v. Reconstruction Fi-
nance Corp, 128 F. Supp. 824, 878 (S.D.Cal. 1955). These
cases are not in point on the interpretation of the bond,
even though they do support the proposition that attor-
neys’ fees are not ordinarily an element of damages in
the federal courts
43
Appendiz B.
torneys’ fees. Accepting Tullock v. Mulvane and Oelrichs
v. Spain as correct statements of the federal common
law with respect to the recovery of attorneys’ fees as an
element of damages whether or not a bond has been
given, it is obvious that the federal common law was
changed for labor disputes when Congress enacted $7
of the Norris-LaGuardia Act. Thus the fact that the
bond did not track the language of ‘7 exactly should
not be dispositive. Whatever the law is in other cases,
in a labor dispute attorneys’ fees incurred in defending
against an application for an injunction which should
not have been granted are a recoverable element of dam-
ages. If in a labor dispute the plaintiff seeking a pre-
liminary injunction tenders and the court approves a
bond for “costs and damages” that undertaking should
be construed to include all the elements of damage which
are recoverable under ‘7. Since International Ladies’
Garment Workers’ Union v. Donnelly Garment Co., su-
pra, and Madison Shipping Corp. v. National Maritime
Union, supra, are based upon a misinterpretation in
Heiser of the holdings of Tullock v. Mulvane and Oel-
rich v. Spain, we decline to follow these authorities in-
sofar as they hold that the injunction bond for costs
and damages may not be so construed.
This brings us to the question whether recovery
should be limited to the amount of the bond. Here, again,
appellees take comfort in the Donnelly case, which says:
“The weight of authority in the Federal courts is
that a recovery in excess of the maximum amount
stipulated in a judicial bond is not permissible.
United Motor Service, Inc. v. Tropic Aire, Inc., 8
Cir. 57 F.2d 479, 482, reviewing the prior decisions
of this court and other Federal courts. And see
—-s
Appendiz B.
Russel v. Farley, 105 U.S. 433, 437, 26 L.Ed. 1060;
Meyers v. Block, 120 U.S. 206, 211, 7 S.Ct. 525, 30
L.Ed. 642; Lawrence v. St. Louis-San Francisco
R.Co., 278 U.S. 228, 233, 147 F.2d at 253.
We can_put to one side the surety’s liability, for entirely
different legal principles operate to limit its liability
to the amount of its undertaking. Restatement of Se-
curity £195 (1941). The obligation of the principal, the
plaintiff seeking injunctive relief, raises a different is-
sue, and again the Eighth Circuit both in Donnelly and
in United Motors Service v. Tropic-Aire, 57 F.2d 479
(1932), misapprehended the holdings of the Supreme
Court cases on which it relied.
It was once very much in doubt whether an equity
court could ever award damages. That doubt remained
in England until the passage of the Chancery Amend-
ment Act in 1858, commonly called Lord Cairn’s Act, St.
21 & 22 Vict. c. 27, granting to the court of chancery
jurisdiction to award damages in order to give com-
plete relief in a case otherwise properly within its jur-
isdiction. See 1 J. Pomeroy, Equity Jurisprudence
£237(e) (5th ed. 1941). The same doubt about the power
of an English equity court to award damages existed
in the United States. In Bein v. Heath, 53 US. (12
Howard) 168, 178-79 (1851), Chief Justice Taney wrote:
“A court proceeding, according to the rules of
equity, cannot give a judgment against the obligors
in an injunction bond when it dissolves the injunc-
tion. It merely orders the dissolution, leaving the
obligee to proceed at law against the sureties, if he
sustains damage from the delay occasioned by the
injunction.”
45
Appendix B.
Russell v. Farley, 105 U.S. (15 Otto) 433, 445 (1881),
referring to Bein v. Heath, supra, rejected Chief Justice
Taney’s dictum, Saying:
“Other cases are referred to by counsel of the appel-
lants to sustain their position, but upon a careful
examination we are not Satisfied that they furnish
any good authority for disaffirming the power of
the court having possession of the case, in the ab-
Sence of any statute to the contrary, to have the
damages assessed under its own direction. This is
the ordinary course in the Court of Chancery in
England, by whose practice the courts of the United
States are governed, and seems to be in accordance
with sound principle.”
The holding of Russell v. Farley, then, is that a court of
equity can, in order to give complete relief, enter judg-
ment on an injunction bond. The case also contains a
dictum which has been fairly frequently cited for the
proposition that the bond is the only source of the de-
fendant’s liability.
“Where no bond or undertaking has been required,
‘it is clear that the court has no power to award
damages sustained by either party in consequence
of the litigation, except by making such a decree in
reference to the costs of suit as it may deem equit-
able and just.” 105 U.S. (15 Otto) at 437.
In United Motors Service v. Tropic-Aire, 57 F.2d at 482,
the Eighth Circuit treated this dictum as a statement
that in the absence of a bond mo court could award
damages for wrongfully obtaining an injunction. But in
the context of Russel v. Farley it seems clear that no
more was intended than to suggest that such an award
was not within the jurisdiction of a court of equity.
ae a
46
Appendiz B.
Both in Donnelly and in United Motors Service ref-
erence is made to Minneapolis, St. P. & 8. Ste. M. Ry. v..
Washburn Lignite Coal Co., 254 U.S. 370 (1920). United
Motors Service, 57 F.2d at 483, refers to Minneapolis, St.
P. & 8. Ste. M. Ry. v. Washburn Lignite Coal Co. as hold-
ing that in the absence of a bond damage arising from
an injunction is damnum absque injuria. Actually the
case holds no such thing. It dismisses a writ of error
from the Supreme Court of North Dakota because of an
adequate state ground of decision. The reference to the
injunction bond is to the state court’s application, or
more properly misapplication, of the dictum in Russell v.
Farley, supra. ue
Both Donnelly and United Motors Service cite Law-
rence v. St. Louis-S. Fran. Ry., 278 U.S. 228 (1929). The
holding in Lawrence is that the court need not enter-
tain an action to recover on the bond prior to the hear-
ing on a permanent injunction. There is a one sentence
dictum, citing Russell v. Farley, supra, and Minneapolis,
St. P. & 8S. Ste. M. Ry. v. Washburn Lignite Coal Co.,
supra, “If it had not, when entering the interlocutory de-
cree, required that the bond be given, no damages could
have been recovered on the dissolution of the injunction.”
278 U.S. at 233. No signicance can be attached to this dic-
tum since it, like the reference in the Minneapolis Ry.
case, refers to a proceeding in a state court and herice,
in all likelihood, to a matter of state court equity prac-
tice similar to the question of federal court equity prac-
tice involved in Russell v. Farley, supra.
No Supreme Court authority which has been called
to our attention holds that the liability of a plaintiff
who has been improperly granted an injunction is lim-
ited to the amount of the bond he has furnished, and we
io.
TTS
47
Appendiz B.
find the authority of International Ladies’ Garment
Workers’ Union v. Donnelly Garment Co., supra, on this
e.g., Benz v. Compania Naviera Hidalgo 8.A., 205 F.2d
944, 948 (9th Cir. 1953) ; 42 Am. Jur. 2d Injunctions $359
(1969) ; 43 C.J.S. Injunctions £281 (1945). This rule is
an aspect of the more general rule that no action lies
tion, 423 F.2d 188, 195 (2nd Cir. 1969) ; Soffos v. Eaton,
‘152 F.2d 682 (D.C. Cir. 1945) ; Melvin v. Pence, 130 F.2d
423 (D.C. Cir. 1942) ; American Optometric Association
v. Ritholz 101 F.2d 883 (7th Cir. 1939); Peckham
v. Union Finance Co., 48 F.2a 1016 (D.C. Cir. 1931) :
Mayflower Industries v. Thor Corp., 15 N.J. Super. 139,
192, 83 A.2d 246, 252 (Ch. Div. 1951): F. Harper & F.
James, The Law of Torts $4.8 at 326 (1956). Probably
the possibility of a recovery against a plaintiff who had
proceeded without probable cause was the reason why
Congress added the last sentence of $7 of the Norris-
LaGuardia Act, 29 U.S.C. $107:
“But nothing in this section contained shall deprive
any party having a claim or cause of action under
or upon such undertaking from electing to pursue
his ordinary remedy by suit at law or in equity.”
48
Appendiz B.
Thus the civil action for proceeding maliciously without
probable cause still exists in labor dispute cases.
The question, then, is how far Congress intended
to go beyond the remedy which existed at common law.
Section 7 does say that an amount shall “be fixed by the
court,” but in the context this language seems to modify
the words “adequate security” rather than the word
“undertaking.” Read thus, the amount to be fixed by
the ¢ourt refers to the limit of liability of a surety or
the amount of collateral security required in the ab-
sende of a surety. The plaintiff's required undertaking
‘would then read “sufficient to recompense those en-
' joined for any loss, expense, or damage .. . including all
reasonable costs (together with a reasonable attorney's
fee) and expenses of defense against the order. . .”.
Such a reading would permit recovery against the plain-
tiff in excess of the amount fixed in the bond. The
language “‘{n]o temporary injunction shall be issued ex-
cept on condition” seems to make the undertaking to
recompense for damage an implied condition of every ~
labor dispute injunction. Such a reading would permit
recovery even in the absence of a bond. One district
court considering that issue, wrote: —
“While the statute provides for a bond, and, while
it is manifestly true that the bond did not comply
with the provisions of the statute, it might be that
the labor unions, or, parties, would be entitled to
their expenses, and attorney’s fees, in accordance
with this statute, even though no bond were given,
but the statute does not so say. A liberal construc-
tion though should be allowed to. accomplish its
purpose. It could hardly mean that expenses were
to be ‘allowed, only, if the bond were given.” Hous-
49
Appendix B.
ton & North Texas M. F. Lines v. Local 745, Team-
sters, 27 F. Supp. 262 (N.D.Tex. 1939).
The quote is a dictum only, and a similar dictum,
citing the Houston & North Texas M. F. Lines case ap-
pears in Jamaica Lodge 2188, Railway Clerks v. Rail- ’
way Express Agency, Inc., 200 F.Supp. 253, 254 (E.D.
N.Y. 1961). In Elgin J. &€ E. Ry. Co. v. Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen, 302 F.2d 540, 545 (7th Cir. 1962) the
court affirmed the award of expenses and attorneys’
fees. Neither the Seventh Circuit opinion nor that of
the district court, 196 F.Supp. 158 (N.D.Ill. 1961) dis-
close whether a bond was filed or if so in what amount.
The district court reserved decision for the purpose of
fixing the amount of the award until after the mandate
on any appeal should issue. Thus the Elgin case may be
interpreted as recognizing that the plaintiff's liability
under $7 is open ended.
Several considerations lead us to the conclusion
that the liability of the plaintiff for loss, expense or
damage under $7 was not intended by Congress to be
restricted solely to the amount of whatever bond the
court may have required. These are:
(1) the language of the statute to which we have
referred above;
(2) the fact that the statute changed the substan-
tive law with respect to the recoverability of
attorneys’ fees;
(3) the fact that the statute recognizes a liability
for resort to the civil process in cases where an
action for malicious prosecution would not lie;
and
(4). the remedial purpose intended by Congress.
Appendiz B.
The fourth consideration is particularly compeiling. The
enactment of the Norris-LaGuardia Act reflected a
judgment that at least in the period prior to 1932 the
judges of federal district courts were entirely too willing
to accede to requests by employers for injunctions
against labor unions. See Boys Markets, Inc. v. Local
770, Clerks Union, 398 U.S. at 250-51; F. Frankfurter
& N. Greene, The Labor Injunction (1930). It is hardly
logical to read $7 so that the extent of the new liability
for loss, expense, or damage which it created would de-
pend entirely on the unbridled discretion of these same
district court judges against whom the whole statute
was directed. Yet that is the very result of the Donnelly
decision. The atmosphere of the federal courts in labor
cases may well have changed since 1932, but cages
has not seen fit to amend §7.
We hold, then, that in any case involving a labor
dispute the liability of the plaintiff, though not of any
surety, for loss expense or damage, including attorneys’
fees, under $7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act shall be
fixed by the court without regard to any limitation in
an injunction bond. Since in each of the instant cases a
bond ‘was filed we are not required to decide what the re-
sult should be in case where no undertaking was filed.
The amount of expenses and of reasonable attor-
neys’ fees have been stipulated. The record does not
disclose whether the stipulated &mounts of expenses in-
cluded statutory costs on appeal in the prior appeal. In
that appeal we held that each party should bear its
own statutory costs. These amounts should not be in-
cluded in the judgment.
The order of the district court will be reversed and
the cases remanded to the district court for the entry
Pe ett teed ee ee ee ee
51
Appendix B.
of a judgment awarding the stipulated attorneys’ fees
and the stipulated expenses except for statutory costs -
on the prior appeal.
KALODNER, Circuit Judge, concurring in part and dis-
senting in part:
I agree with the reversal of the District Court’s
Order.
I disagree, however, with the majority’s direction
to the District Court to enter a judgment in the instant
proceedings, awarding the stipulated attorneys’ fees
and expenses, except for statutory costs on the prior
appeal.
In my opinion, since the defendants below have
elected to seek recovery of their reasonable attorneys’
fees and expenses in the same proceedings in which the ©
preliminary injunctions were improvidently issued they
are for that reason limited in their recovery to the
amounts specified in the injunction bonds posted in
these proceedings, under Section 7(e) of the Norris-
LaGuardia Act. 29 U.S.C.A. § 107 (e).
Section 7(e) provides in relevant part:
. No temporary restraining order or temporary
injunction shall be issued except on condition that
complainant shall first file an undertaking with ade-
- quate security in an amount to be fixed by the court
sufficient to recompense those enjoined for any
loss, expense, or damage caused by the improvident
or erroneous issuance of such order or injunction,
including all reasonable costs (together with a rea-
sonable attorney’s fee) and expense of defense
against the order or against the granting of any in-
52
Appendix B.
junctive relief sought in the same proceeding and
subsequently denied by the court.
“The .undertaking mentioned in this eostien
shall be understood to signify an agreement entered
into by the complainant and the surety upon which
a decree may be rendered in the same suit or pro-
ceeding against said complainant and surety, upon
a hearing to assess damages of which hearing com-
plainant and surety shall have reasonable notice,
the said complainant and surety submitting them-
selves to the jurisdiction of the court for that pur-
pose. But nothing in this section contained shall de-
prive any party having a claim or cause of action
under or upon such undertaking from electing to
pursue his ordinary remedy by suit at law or in
equity. Mar. 23, 1932, c. 90, $7, 47 Stat. 71.” (em-
phasis supplied ).
The cited provisions plainly spell out two separate
and independent procedures for recovery of reasonable
attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by a party against
whom a temporary injunction has been improvidently
granted; he may elect to have recourse against the in-
junction bond in the same proceeding in which it was
posted, or he may independently elect “to pursue his
ordinary remedy by suit at law or in equity” for his re-
covery. It is a reasonable assumption that Congress,
cognizant of the well-settled general rule that the lia-
bility:on an injunction bond is limited by its face
amount, legislated the provision affording a right of in-
dependent suit for recovery of permissible attorneys’
fees and expenses in order to insure full reimbursement
of such fees and expenses.!
1. The majority speculates that “[p]robably the
MS ear Lae ae os . —_—
Sa LE LOPE EUAN ii
53
There is no warrant for such a construction, and it
can only be described as impermissible judicial legisla-
tion. The majority has failed to cite any case which even °
I would reverse the District Court’s Order with di-
. bonds posted by the plaintiffs, in the event that the
defendants do not choose to exercise their right to with-
draw their pending Motion for allowance of the stipu-
lated attorneys’ fees and expenses.’
A True Copy:
Teste:
Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit.
proceeded without probable Cause was the reason why
Congress added the last sentence of §7 of the Norris-
LaGuardia Act, 29 U.S.C. $107.”
The ready answer to such speculation is that 87(e)
provides that recovery of reasonable attorneys’ fees and
expenses arises, without more, when there has been an
“improvident or erroneous” issuance of a temporary re-
straining order, and accordingly, lack of “probable
cause” is an irrelevant consideration.
Appendiz C.
APPENDIX C
ON APPEALS FROM THE UNITED STATES
DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT
OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Present: SEITZ, Chief Judge and KALODNER and GIBBONS,
Circuit Judges
Judgment
These causes came on to be heard on the records |
from the United States District Court for the Western
District of Pennsylvania and were argued by counsel.
On consideration whereof, it is now here ordered
and adjudged by this Court that the order of the said
District Court, filed September 30, 1970, be, and the
.Same is hereby reversed, and the causes remanded to the
said District Court for the entry of judgment awarding
. the stipulated attorneys’ fees and the stipulated ex-
penses except for statutory costs on the prior appeal, in
accordance with the opinion of this Court. Costs taxed
against appellees.
ATTEST:
THOMAS P. QuINN
Clerk
_ February 3, 1972
Appendix D.
APPENDIX D
Statutes Involved
Section 7 of the Norris-LaGuardia Act (47 Stat. 71, 29
U.S.C. §107) reads as follows:
No court of the United States shall have jurisdic-
tion to issue a temporary or permanent injunction in
any case involving or growing out of a labor dispute, as
defined in this chapter, except after hearing the testi-
mony of witnesses in open court (with opportunity for
cross-examination) in support of the allegations of a
complaint made under oath, and testimony in opposition
thereto, if offered, and except after findings of fact by
the court, to the effect— ; 7 4,2
(a) That unlawful acts have been threatened and
will be committed unless restrained or have been com-
mitted and will be continued unless restrained, but no
injunction or temporary restraining order shall be is-
sued on account of any threat or unlawful act excepting
against the person or persons, association, or organiza-
tion making the threat or committing the unlawful act
or actually authorizing or ratifying the same after ac-
tual knowledge thereof; :
(b) That substantial and irreparable injury to
complainant’s property will follow;
(c) That as to each item of relief granted greater
injury will be inflicted upon complainant by the denial
of relief than will be inflicted upon defendants by the
granting of relief; a
(d) That complainant has no adequate remedy at
law; and
06 :
Appendix D.
(e) That the public officers charged with the duty
to protect complainant’s property are unable or unwill-
ing to furnish adequate protection.
' - Such hearing shall be held after due and personal
notice thereof has been given, in such manner as the
court shall direct, to all known persons against whom
relief is sought, and also to the chief of those public of-
ficials of the county and city within which the unlawful
, acts have been threatened or committed charged with
the duty to protect complainant’s property: Provided,
however, That if a complainant shall also allege that,
unless a temporary restraining order shall be issued
without notice, a substantial and irreparable injury to
complainant’s property will be unavoidable, such ‘a tem-
porary restraining order may be issued upon testimony
under oath, sufficient, if sustained, to justify the court
in issuing a temporary injunction upon a hearing after ~ .
notice. Such a temporary restraining order shall be ef-
fective for no longer than five days and shall become
void at the expiration of said five days. No temporary re-
straining order or temporary injunction shall be issued
except on condition that complainant shall first file an
undertaking with adequate security in an amount to be
fixed by the court sufficient to recompense those en-
joined for any loss, expense, or damage caused by the
improvident or erroneous issuance of such order or in-
junction, including all reasonabletosts (together with a
reasonable attorney’s fee) and expense of defense
‘against the order or against the granting of any in-
junctive relief sought in the same proceeding and sub-
sequently denied by the court.
The undertaking mentioned in this Section shall be
understood to signify an agreement entered into by the
57
Appendix D.
complainant and the surety upon which a decree may be
rendered in the same suit or proceeding against said
complainant and surety, upon a hearing to assess dam-
‘ages of which hearing complainant and surety shall
have reasonable notice, the said complainant and surety
submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of the court
for that purpose. But nothing in this section contained
shall deprive any party having a claim or cause of action
under or upon such undertaking from electing to pursue .
his ordinary remedy by suit at law or in equity.
Section 301 (a) of the Labor-Management Relations Act
of 1947 (61 Stat. 156, 29 U.S.C. § 185 (a)) reads ag fol-
lows: . ;
(a) Suits for violation of contracts between an..
employer and a labor organization representing employ-
_ees in an industry affecting commerce as defined in this
chapter, or between any such labor organizations, may
be brought in any district court of the United States
having jurisdiction of the parties, without respect to the
amount in controversy or without regard to the citzen-
- Ship of the parties.
Rule 65(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure reads
as follows:
(c) Security. No restraining order or preliminary
injunction shall issue except upon the giving of security
by the applicant, in such sum as the court deems proper,
for the payment of such costs and damages as may be
incurred or suffered by any party who is found to have
been wrongfully enjoined or restrained. No such security
shall be required of the United States or of an officer
or agency thereof.
The provisions of Rule 65.1 apply to a surety upon a
bond or undertaking under this rule.
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.