Willo Packing Co. v. Butchers, Food Handlers & Allied Workers Union, Local 174
The Employer sued the Union for breach of a no-strike provision in their collective bargaining agreement, seeking damages. The Union moved to stay the action and compel arbitration, arguing the dispute fell within the agreement's arbitration clause. The Employer countered that the grievance procedure leading to arbitration was exclusively for employee claims. District Judge Edward Weinfeld examined Articles 34 and 36 of the agreement, noting that the language regarding "complaints, grievances and disputes" implied a broader scope for arbitration beyond just employee grievances. Concluding that the no-strike breach could not be excluded with positive assurance from the arbitral process, the court granted the Union's motion, staying the action and directing the parties to arbitration.