Transit-mix Concrete Corp. v. Local Union No. 282, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen & Helpers of America
Transit-Mix Concrete Corporation and Local Union No. 282, parties to collective bargaining agreements, had a dispute regarding seniority rights of former Colonial Sand and Stone Co. Inc. drivers after Transit-Mix acquired Colonial's assets. An arbitrator's 1979 award on employee seniority was later found by the NLRB and Second Circuit to have been improperly communicated by Local 282, leading to a breach of its duty of fair representation. Consequently, Local 282 was ordered to request reopening the arbitration to provide notice and a retroactive grace period for affected employees. Transit-Mix sought to stay this arbitration, arguing against reopening a final award and raising procedural defenses like statute of limitations and laches. The court, emphasizing the broad arbitration clause in their agreements, denied Transit-Mix's petition to stay and granted Local 282's cross-petition to compel arbitration, deferring the merits and procedural questions to the arbitrator.