Laborers Local 91, Laborers International Union v. Building Industry Employers Ass'n
Plaintiff Laborers Local 91 sought to compel arbitration against defendants Building Industry Employers Association and Higgins Erectors & Haulers, Inc. concerning a work assignment dispute involving Iron Workers Local 9. Laborers Local 91 alleged a violation of its collective bargaining agreement when Higgins assigned work to Iron Workers Local 9. After resolution attempts via the Impartial Jurisdictional Dispute Board (IJDB) and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service failed, Laborers Local 91 initiated this action under the Labor Management Relations Act and the United States Arbitration Act. The court had previously ordered Iron Workers Local 9 to be joined as a defendant. Currently, the parties have filed cross-motions for summary judgment, which the court denies without prejudice due to unresolved factual disputes regarding the exclusivity of the IJDB forum, the Plan's intended preclusion of other remedies, and whether Iron Workers Local 9's agreement bars arbitration.