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Case Law Database

Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

International Union of Electrical & Machine Workers v. General Electric Co.

This case involves a dispute between the International Union of Electrical Radio and Machine Workers (Union) and General Electric Company (Company), and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, concerning a 1966 Pension and Insurance Agreement and its incorporated Insurance Plan. The Union alleged the Company wrongfully rejected sickness and accident claims filed during a strike and, alternatively, sought reimbursement for employee contributions for coverage not provided during the strike. The central issue was the interpretation of clauses governing sickness and accident benefits during voluntary strike absences. The Court found that the Company properly rejected claims for benefits arising more than 31 days into the strike, dismissing the Union's first claim. However, the Court ruled that employees are entitled to reimbursement for the portion of their contributions related to sickness and accident coverage not afforded during the strike, and ordered an assessment of damages if parties cannot agree on the amount.

labour lawcollective bargaining agreementinsurance plansickness and accident benefitsstrikeemployee contributionscontract interpretationunjust enrichmentdamagesfederal court
References
6
Case No. ADJ2007189 (LAO 0857899)
Regular
Nov 01, 2019

Monica Bernasani vs. International Filing Company, U.S. Fire Insurance Company, Crum & Forster

This case involves Monica Bernasani's workers' compensation claim against International Filing Company for cumulative trauma injury. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found Bernasani permanently totally disabled due to industrial injuries to her back, neck, shoulders, wrists, knees, psyche, headaches, weight gain, hypertension, and gastrointestinal system, awarding lifetime benefits. The defendant appealed, arguing the Agreed Medical Examiner's (AME) opinion was insufficient to support total disability and that a vocational report by Enrique Vega was improperly admitted. The Appeals Board denied the defendant's petition, affirming the ALJ's decision and finding the vocational report admissible due to the defendant's waiver of objection. The Board found substantial medical and vocational evidence supported the finding of permanent total disability.

Workers' Compensation Appeals BoardMonica BernasaniInternational Filing CompanyU.S. Fire Insurance CompanyPetition for ReconsiderationFindings Award and OrderAdministrative Law JudgeWCJIndustrial Cumulative Trauma InjuryPermanently Totally Disabled
References
7
Case No. 23
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 30, 2020

American International Specialty Lines Insurance Company v. Allied Capital Corporation

This case addresses whether an arbitration panel exceeded its authority by reconsidering a "Partial Final Award" in an insurance dispute. The underlying dispute involved Ciena Capital LLC and Allied Capital Corporation seeking coverage from American International Specialty Lines Insurance Company (AISLIC) after settling a federal qui tam action. Initially, the arbitration panel issued a partial award, which was later reconsidered and corrected to grant both indemnification and defense costs. AISLIC challenged this reconsideration, arguing the panel was functus officio. The New York Court of Appeals reversed an Appellate Division ruling, holding that the initial "Partial Final Award" was not truly final because the parties had not mutually agreed to its finality. Consequently, the arbitration panel was deemed to have acted within its authority by reconsidering its initial determination, and the petition to vacate the corrected award was denied.

ArbitrationFunctus OfficioPartial Final AwardReconsiderationArbitrator AuthorityInsurance CoverageIndemnificationDefense CostsQui Tam ActionNew York Court of Appeals
References
18
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

International Union of Operating Engineers Local Union No. 17 v. Swank Associated Co.

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 17, initiated an action to compel arbitration against Swank Associated Company, Inc., following a labor grievance. Swank removed the case to federal court and filed a third-party action against Local 210, arguing the matter constituted a jurisdictional dispute not subject to arbitration. The court, presided over by Magistrate Judge Schroeder, examined the collective bargaining agreement to determine the arbitrability of the dispute. It concluded that while an arbitrator could determine if the issue was a jurisdictional dispute, they could not resolve it on the merits if it was found to be jurisdictional. Consequently, the plaintiff's motion for judgment on the pleadings was denied, and the grievance was directed to arbitration solely to ascertain whether it constituted a jurisdictional dispute under the agreement.

Labor LawArbitration AgreementJurisdictional DisputesCollective BargainingLabor Management Relations ActFederal CourtPleadings MotionContract InterpretationArbitrabilityUnion Rights
References
6
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

White Motor Corp. v. International Union, United Automobile, Workers, Local Union No. 932

This case concerns a dispute over a pension plan between White Motor Corporation and White Farm Equipment Company (White) and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). Following an arbitration award favoring the UAW, White filed a petition in a New York court to vacate the award, while the UAW simultaneously initiated a suit in a Minnesota District Court to enforce it. The New York court, presided over by Judge Metzner, denied White's motion to stay the Minnesota proceedings. Conversely, it granted the UAW's cross-motion to stay the New York action, emphasizing that the UAW's Minnesota action was the proper forum and that White's claim constituted a compulsory counterclaim in the Minnesota suit, driven by interests of comity and orderly judicial administration.

Labor DisputeArbitration Award EnforcementCollective BargainingPension Plan DisputeLMRAFederal Arbitration ActJurisdictionVenue TransferStay of ProceedingsCompulsory Counterclaim
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 11, 1991

Gold v. Local Union No. 888

Leonard Gold, an employee for 29 years, was terminated by John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company following accusations of theft from a policyholder. Gold denied the allegations, attributing them to the policyholder's senility. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and Local Union No. 888, UFCW-AFL-CIO, represented Gold through the grievance process but ultimately withdrew their intent to arbitrate after an allegedly inadequate investigation by union official Andre Henault. Gold filed an action alleging breach of collective bargaining agreement by the Company and breach of the duty of fair representation by the union. The court denied John Hancock's motion for summary judgment, finding sufficient facts for a jury to infer the union handled Gold's grievance arbitrarily. Additionally, the court granted the union's motion to dismiss John Hancock's cross-claim, which was filed after the union settled with Gold, ruling it was barred.

duty of fair representationsummary judgmentgrievance processarbitrationcollective bargaining agreementwrongful terminationlabor lawunion settlementcross-claimfederal civil procedure
References
16
Case No. 2020 NY Slip Op 01875 [181 AD3d 1123]
Regular Panel Decision
Mar 16, 2020

Matter of Gimber v. Eastman Kodak Co.

Sandra Gimber (claimant) sought workers' compensation death benefits for her husband (decedent), who died from mesothelioma allegedly due to asbestos exposure during his employment with Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak) from 1967 to 1985. Kodak and its carrier attempted to apportion liability with the decedent's prior employer, International Paper Company, under Workers' Compensation Law § 44. The Workers' Compensation Board denied the apportionment, finding insufficient evidence that the decedent contracted mesothelioma during his employment with International Paper. The Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the Board's decision, concluding that while there was evidence of asbestos exposure at both employers, there was no objective medical evidence proving the disease process began during his employment with International Paper, which ended in 1967, especially since the diagnosis occurred in 2013. The court found the medical opinions linking the condition to prior employment to be speculative and insufficient to establish contraction during that period.

mesotheliomaasbestos exposureworkers' compensationapportionmentoccupational diseaselast employer liabilityprior employerdisease contractionsubstantial evidencemedical evidence
References
8
Case No. No. 00-CV-1161
Regular Panel Decision
Dec 28, 2000

Gallagher v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Michael Gallagher, a member of IBEW Local 43, sued the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), its President J.J. Barry, IBEW Local 43, and several electrical contractors, alleging age discrimination in employment referrals and retaliation. He claimed violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and New York Executive Law § 296. The International defendants (IBEW and J.J. Barry) filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings, arguing that Gallagher failed to name them in his administrative charges with the EEOC and NYSDHR, and that the claims were time-barred. The court granted the motion, finding that the "identity of interest" exception did not apply, thereby barring the ADEA claim against the International defendants. Additionally, the court ruled that Gallagher's state law claims were also time-barred due to failure to file within the statutory limits against the International defendants.

Age DiscriminationEmployment LawLabor UnionsCollective BargainingHiring HallEEOCNYSDHRStatute of LimitationsJudgment on the PleadingsIdentity of Interest
References
15
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Jan 20, 2006

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. v. Royal Insurance Co. of America

Plaintiffs International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. (IFF) and Bush Boake Allen, Inc. initiated a declaratory judgment action against their insurers, including American Home Assurance Company and National Union Fire Insurance Company (AIG), to determine insurance coverage for a class action lawsuit. The underlying suit involved 30 employees who suffered lung impairment from exposure to diacetyl in butter flavoring manufactured by IFF. The core dispute revolved around whether these multiple personal injury claims constituted a single "occurrence" or separate "occurrences" for the application of insurance deductibles. The Supreme Court granted AIG's motion, declaring each claim a separate occurrence. This appellate court affirmed the lower court's decision, emphasizing that the policy language did not explicitly aggregate claims, and that individual exposures to the hazardous substance over time, rather than a single precipitating event, led to discrete occurrences.

Insurance coverageProducts liability insuranceDeclaratory judgment actionPolicy interpretationDeductible applicationToxic substance exposureDiacetyl exposureOccurrence definitionAppellate court decisionNew York law
References
16
Case No. 00-CV-1161
Regular Panel Decision
Dec 18, 2000

Gallagher v. INTERNATIONAL BROTH. OF ELEC. WORKERS

Plaintiff Michael Gallagher sued several entities, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and its President J.J. Barry, alleging age discrimination in employment referrals and retaliation through IBEW Local Union No. 43's hiring hall. Gallagher claimed the collective bargaining agreement facilitated discrimination against older workers and that Local 43 was an agent of the International defendants. The defendants moved for judgment on the pleadings, arguing that Gallagher failed to name the International defendants in his EEOC charge, thus failing to exhaust administrative remedies and that no identity of interest existed between the named and unnamed parties. The court granted the motion, dismissing the claims against the International defendants due to Gallagher's failure to file an administrative complaint against them and the lack of an agency relationship or ratification of discriminatory acts. Furthermore, the court found the claims to be time-barred under both state and federal statutes of limitations.

Age DiscriminationEmployment LawLabor UnionCollective Bargaining AgreementEEOCNYSDHRExhaustion of Administrative RemediesFederal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c)Judgment on PleadingsStatute of Limitations
References
32
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