International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation v. Local 400, Professional, Technical and Salaried Division, International Union of Electrical, Radio and MacHine Workers, Afl-Cio, 286 F.2d 329, 3rd Cir. (1961)

286 F.
2d 329
INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH

CORPORATION, Appellant,
v.
LOCAL 400, PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL AND
SALARIED DIVISION, INTERNATIONAL UNION OF
ELECTRICAL, RADIO AND MACHINE WORKERS, AFLCIO.
No. 13236.
United States Court of Appeals Third Circuit.

Argued November 18, 1960.
Decided December 20, 1960.
As Amended January 16, 1961.
Matthew E. Murray, Chicago, Ill. (John R. Kelly, Tenafly, N. J., Edward

J. Gilhooly, Gilhooly, Yauch & Fagan, Newark, N. J., Matthew E.
Murray, Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson, Chicago, Ill., on the
brief), for plaintiff-appellant, International Telephone & Telegraph Corp.
Sidney Reitman, Newark, N. J. (Kapelsohn, Lerner, Leuchter & Reitman,
Newark, N. J., on the brief), for appellee.
Before GOODRICH, KALODNER and STALEY, Circuit Judges.
STALEY, Circuit Judge.
This appeal involves the question of the arbitrability, under the terms of a
collective bargaining agreement, of a dispute that has arisen between the ITT
Laboratories ("company"), a division of International Telephone and Telegraph
Corporation, appellant, and Local 400, Professional, Technical and Salaried
Division, International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, AFLCIO ("union").
The company became prime contractor under a contract entered into in 1958
with the United States whereby it agreed to design, construct, install and
maintain certain electronic equipment. It proceeded to design and construct the

equipment in its laboratories and subcontracted with a subsidiary, Federal
Electric Corporation ("FEC"), which agreed to perform the installation and
maintenance work called for by the prime contract. In 1959, certain FEC
technicians were assigned to work in the company's production laboratories so
that they could become familiar with and trained in the peculiarities and
workings of the equipment which they were to install and maintain under the
subcontract. Though paid by FEC, these technicians while in the company's
laboratories worked side by side under common supervision with regular
company technicians in helping to produce the equipment called for by the
prime contract.
3
The union, as the exclusive bargaining representative for company technicians,

took the position that the use of FEC technicians in the production laboratories,
under the circumstances, constituted a violation of the agreement. It thereupon
unsuccessfully filed a grievance and subsequently requested arbitration. The
company, maintaining that the matter was not arbitrable, instituted an action for
declaratory judgment to determine that question. The trial court found that the
dispute was arbitrable under the agreement and entered judgment dismissing
the complaint.1
Three decisions handed down by the Supreme Court on June 20, 1960,2 and
two subsequent ink-fresh decisions filed by this court on October 7, 1960,3 are
dispositive of this appeal.4 These decisions make it abundantly clear that the
judicial function is narrowly circumscribed in cases such as this where the
parties have agreed to submit to arbitration disputes arising under their
collective bargaining agreement. That function is confined to ascertaining
whether the party seeking arbitration is making a claim which on its face is one
governed by the agreement. A court cannot pass on the merits of the claim.
That is the arbitrator's function. Not only is the law clear, but its application to
the controlling facts here is facilitated by the guidance contained in United
Steelworkers of America v. Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co., 1960, 363 U.S.
574, 584-585, 80 S.Ct. 1347, 1354, where Justice Douglas said: "In the absence
of any express provision excluding a particular grievance from arbitration, we
think only the most forceful evidence of a purpose to exclude the claim from
arbitration can prevail, particularly where, as here, the exclusion clause is
vague and the arbitration clause quite broad."
Here, the agreement contains a no-strike clause, together with a broad

arbitration clause whereby "The Union, desiring to submit a matter to
arbitration shall notify the Company in writing within the * * * thirty day
period."5 Under this provision, any dispute between the company and the union
requiring the interpretation and application of the agreement is a "matter," as

that term is used in the arbitration clause, subject to arbitration. We are fortified
in arriving at this conclusion by the fact that the agreement itself specifically
excepts from the reach of the arbitration clause disputes in certain areas not
even remotely related to that which is asserted here.6 Thus, we have here clear
and unambiguous exceptions to an otherwise sweeping arbitration clause.
6
The company's position appears to be that the decision to import FEC

technicians into its laboratories constituted an exercise of managerial
prerogatives in that it was merely a phase of subcontracting, which, it
maintains, it has a right to do under the provisions of the agreement.7 On the
other hand, the union contends that the action taken by the company, whether it
involves these matters or not, violates other specific provisions of the
agreement and that disputes arising by virtue of such violations were not
expressly excluded from the sweep of the arbitration clause.8
To so state the contentions advanced by the parties, framed in the law

previously stated, is to dispose of this appeal. Even a cursory examination
makes it lucidly clear that they give rise to a dispute which on its face is
governed by and necessitates an interpretation and application of the
agreement. Whether the company has violated the specific provisions of the
agreement that the union called to our attention necessitates a factual
determination and an application of the agreement as interpreted. Is the
company correct when it says that it has an explicit and unconditional right
under the agreement to subcontract for the use of FEC technicians in regular
production and that it cannot, therefore, be guilty of violating any provision of
the agreement by exercising such a right? Certainly, the most that can be said
for the company is that the provisions referred to us are not clear in this regard.
These and other questions may be pressed before the arbitrator, but under the
recent mandate of the Supreme Court we have no authority to pass upon them.
On appeal the company urges, for the first time in this litigation, that three
additional reasons exist to support their position that the dispute here is not
subject to arbitration.9 First, no injury or harm has been suffered by any union
member that could be attributable to the use of FEC technicians; only individual
employees or a group of employees, and not the union as was done here, can
file a grievance; and lastly, the grievance was not timely filed.10 Our answer is
that all of these matters require for their resolution an interpretation and
application of the agreement by the arbitrator. Only as an illustration, we point
to the fact that under the arbitration clause the union may request arbitration. 11
The judgment of the district court will be affirmed.
Notes:
1
International Telephone and Telegraph Corp. v. Local 400, Civil Action No.
119-60 (D.N.J.), an unreported opinion filed May 3, 1960
United Steelworkers of America v. American Mfg. Co., 1960, 363 U.S. 564, 80
S.Ct. 1343, 4 L.Ed.2d 1403; United Steelworkers of America v. Warrior & Gulf
Navigation Co., 1960, 363 U.S. 574, 80 S.Ct. 1347, 4 L.Ed.2d 1409; and
United Steelworkers of America v. Enterprise Wheel & Car Corp., 1960, 363
U.S. 593, 80 S.Ct. 1358, 4 L.Ed.2d 1424
Association of Westinghouse Salaried Employees v. Westinghouse Electric

Corp., 3 Cir., 1960, 283 F.2d 93; and International Molders & Foundry Workers
Union v. Susquehanna Casting Co., 3 Cir., 1960, 283 F.2d 80
The decisions of the Supreme Court handed down on June 20, 1960, have been
applied to a variety of facts in various recent decisions. See Local 201,
International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, AFL-CIO v.
General Electric Co., 1 Cir., 1960, 283 F.2d 147; Textile Workers Union of
America v. Cone Mills Corp., D.C.M.D.N.C.1960, 188 F.Supp. 728; Maryland
Telephone Union v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co., D.C.D.Md.1960,
187 F.Supp. 101; Local 725, International Union of Operating Engineers v.
Standard Oil Co., D.C.D. N.D.1960, 186 F.Supp. 895; Retail Shoe & Textile
Salesmen's Union, Local 410 v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., D.C.N.D.Cal. 1960,
185 F.Supp. 558; United Saw, File & Steel Products Workers of America,
Local 22254 v. H. K. Porter Co., D.C. E.D.Pa.1960, 190 F.Supp. 407;
Volunteer Electric Cooperative v. J. F. Gann, Tenn.App.1960
Article XVI, Section 1
Three provisions in the agreement contain exceptions to the arbitration clause:

Article IV, Section 1B; Article X, Section 3(h); and Article XII, Section 12
In this regard, the company refers us to two provisions in the collective

bargaining agreement which in whole or relevant part read as follows:
"Article XVIII, Management. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the
management of the Company and the direction of the working force, including
the right to hire, promote, transfer, suspend or discharge employees, and the
right to lay off employees because of lack of work or other legitimate reason, is
vested exclusively in the Company; but such rights shall not be employed for
purposes of discrimination against the employee because of bona fide activities
on behalf of the Union or because of race, creed, color, sex, national origin or
political belief."
"Article X, Separations, Layoffs and Rehires. * * *
"Section 3. If it should become necessary because of lack of work to reduce the
working force, the following procedure shall be followed, except that in the
event the layoff affects less than 5% of the employees in any job group, steps
(b) through (f) may be omitted provided that if 5% is less than one the number
shall be one:
*****
"(b) All work being performed by sub-contractors shall be returned to the group
or department affected, if practicable."
8
More specifically, the union contends that in using FEC technicians for regular
production, the company has breached various provisions of the agreement,
including those dealing with classification and pay rates, promotion and
upgrading, distribution of overtime work, payment of certain fringe benefits, as
well as certain so-called institutional provisions relevant to union recognition,
union membership, giving of notice to the union of any change in employee
status, and the existence of vacancies covered by the agreement so that the
union might refer qualified applicants for consideration, which the company
has an absolute right to reject
Normally a controlling question or issue not presented or passed on below

cannot be pressed by an appellant before us. In re Linda Coal & Supply Co., 3
Cir., 1958, 255 F.2d 653; Gilby v. Travelers Insurance Co., 8 Cir., 1957, 248
F.2d 794; and Green v. Dingman, 8 Cir., 1956, 234 F.2d 547. This salutary
procedural rule does much to expedite review, for it makes available to an
appellate court a resolution of factual questions and the opinion of the lower
court. Where none of these are necessary to our review and more importantly
where, as here, the issues raised for the first time on appeal can be disposed of
summarily by our finding that they are matters for another forum thereby
making it unnecessary for us to pass on the merits, we can perceive of no sound
reason for strictly limiting our review
10
Article XV, Grievance Procedure, Section 1, reads as follows:

"If an employee or group of employees shall have a grievance, it must be
presented within twenty working days of the occurrence of the alleged
grievance except that grievances concerning wages may be raised at any time.
However, liability on the part of the Company shall not exceed thirty days prior
to the raising of the grievance by the Union * *."
11
Article XVI, Arbitration, Section 1

International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation v. Local 400, Professional, Technical and Salaried Division, International Union of Electrical, Radio and MacHine Workers, Afl-Cio, 286 F.2d 329, 3rd Cir. (1961)

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286 F.

INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH

United States Court of Appeals Third Circuit.

Matthew E. Murray, Chicago, Ill. (John R. Kelly, Tenafly, N. J., Edward

maintain certain electronic equipment. It proceeded to design and construct the

The union, as the exclusive bargaining representative for company technicians,

Here, the agreement contains a no-strike clause, together with a broad

requiring the interpretation and application of the agreement is a "matter," as

The company's position appears to be that the decision to import FEC

To so state the contentions advanced by the parties, framed in the law

The judgment of the district court will be affirmed.

Association of Westinghouse Salaried Employees v. Westinghouse Electric

Article XVI, Section 1

Three provisions in the agreement contain exceptions to the arbitration clause:

In this regard, the company refers us to two provisions in the collective

Normally a controlling question or issue not presented or passed on below

Article XV, Grievance Procedure, Section 1, reads as follows:

Article XVI, Arbitration, Section 1

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