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Pronko v. Shapp et al

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Jul 31, 1979
44 Pa. Commw. 541 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 1979)

Summary

In Pronko v. Shapp, 44 Pa. Commw. 541, 403 A.2d 1382 (1979), the employee did not charge the union with failure to pursue arbitration in his behalf and is thus distinguishable on the facts.

Summary of this case from Rutledge v. Septa et al

Opinion

Argued December 4, 1978

July 31, 1979.

Civil service — Furlough — Civil Service Act, Act 1941, August 5, P.L. 752 — Public Employe Relations Act, Act 1970, July 23, P.L. 563 — Equity — Failure of union to represent members properly — Unfair labor practice — Jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board — Tortious interference with employment relationship.

1. The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania cannot entertain an action in equity challenging a furlough imposed upon a Commonwealth employe when a grievance procedure without a right to submit the grievance to arbitration is provided by the applicable memorandum of understanding entered into pursuant to the Public Employe Relations Act, Act 1970, July 23, P.L. 563, and when an adequate administrative remedy is provided by the appeal process established by the Civil Service Act, Act 1941, August 5, P.L. 752. [544-5-6]

2. Failure of a union to represent the interests of all its members in good faith and without discrimination is an unfair labor practice under the Public Employe Relations Act, Act 1970, July 23, P.L. 563, over which the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board has exclusive jurisdiction, and to describe such failure in terms of a tortious interference with the employment relationship does not give the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania equity jurisdiction over such complaint. [545-6-7]

Argued December 4, 1978, before Judges CRUMLISH, JR., BLATT and CRAIG, sitting as a panel of three.

Original jurisdiction, No. 1607 C.D. 1977, in case of John Pronko, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Milton J. Shapp, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, James B. Wilson, William Sherlock, John M. Finn, Thomas J. Harrington, Angelo D. Sellano, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME), and Gerald W. McEntee. Complaint in equity in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, treated as petition for review, challenging furlough, validity of labor agreement and alleging tortious interference with employment relationship. Respondents filed preliminary objections. Held: Preliminary objections sustained. Complaint dismissed.

Robert Ufberg, with him Sheldon Rosenberg, and Rosenberg Ufberg, for petitioner.

Robert F. Beck, Assistant Attorney General, and Jonathan Walters, with them Richard Kirschner, and Markowitz Kirschner, for respondents.


John Pronko, Jr. held the position of "Surveyor Technician III" in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and as such belonged to a supervisory unit of employees as defined by Section 301(6)(19) of the Public Employe Relations Act (PERA). The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the exclusive labor representative for this group of first level supervisors, an arrangement as to which the Commonwealth, the Department and AFSCME entered into an agreement, i.e., a Memorandum of Understanding.

Act of July 23, 1970, P.L. 563 (Act No. 195), 43 P. S. § 1101.301 (6), 1101.301(19).

Section 704 of PERA, 43 P. S. § 1101.704 establishes that public employers are not required to bargain with units of first level supervisors, "[b]ut shall be required to meet and discuss . . . on matters deemed to be bargainable for other public employees covered by this Act."

The Department furloughed Pronko, among others, on March 31, 1976. He attempted to "bump" into civil service classifications he had held earlier, but the Department rejected his request on the basis that the applicable seniority was limited by the terms of the agreement. He then filed a grievance under the agreement, questioning the furlough. The Commonwealth denied the grievance and also refused AFSCME's subsequent request to submit it to arbitration, on the ground that the agreement did not provide for arbitration of the matter.

The provision in the Civil Service Act, Act of August 5, 1941, P.L. 752, as amended, 71 P. S. § 741.802 regarding "bumping" rights reads:

A furloughed employe shall have the right of return to any class and civil service status which he previously held, provided such class is contained in the current classification plan of the agency; or to any class and civil service status in the same or lower grade, provided that he meets the minimum qualifications given in the classification plan of the agency. . . . Under the rules a regular employe furloughed shall for a period of one year be given preference for reemployment in the same class of position from which he was furloughed and shall be eligible for appointment to a position of a similar class in other agencies under this act unless the terms of an existing labor agreement preclude the employe from receiving the preferential treatment contained in this section in which event the terms of the labor agreement shall be controlling, provided that in case of a promotion of another employe such preference shall not be effective if it necessitates furloughing such other employe unless the terms of an existing labor agreement require that such preferential treatment shall be given to the furloughed employe. (Emphasis added.)

Section 18 of Article XXIX of the agreement provides:
For the purpose of layoff or furlough, seniority standing shall be determined by length of service in an employe classification series; . . . .

There is now no dispute that arbitration was not an available sequel in the grievance procedure as to a furlough question. The brief for Pronko agrees with the Department and AFSCME that Article XXXVIII of the agreement makes a furlough issue non-arbitrable.

Pronko then filed this complaint in equity within our original jurisdiction alleging that his furlough violated the terms of the agreement, that the denial of his full seniority rights constituted a tortious interference with his employment relationship, that the furlough violated the Civil Service Act, and that the agreement itself was illegal. By order of President Judge BOWMAN, we treat this complaint as a petition for review.

As noted above, this is actually a Memorandum of Understanding reached through meet-and-discuss sessions because Section 704 of PERA does not require bargaining as such with units of first level supervisors.

A significant provision of the agreement is Article XXXVII, Section 1, which reads as follows:

A civil service employe may process his grievance through either the Civil Service appeal procedure or the contract grievance procedure. If an appeal if [sic] filed under the Civil Service appeal procedure while proceedings are taking place under the contract grievance procedure, then the contract grievance procedure shall cease and shall not be permitted to be reinstituted. If an appeal is filed under the Civil Service appeal procedure, the employe shall not be entitled to institute proceedings under the contract grievance procedure, all rights to so do being waived by the exercise of an option by the employe to utilize the Civil Service procedure.

Section 802 of the Civil Service Act, 71 P. S. § 741.802 also governs furlough procedure for civil service employees. The provision relative to furlough procedure reads:

In case a reduction in force is necessary in the classified service, no employe shall be furloughed while any probationary or provisional employe is employed in the same class in the same department or agency. . . . An employe shall be furloughed only if, at the time he is furloughed, he is within the lowest quarter among all employes of the employer in the same class on the basis of their last regular service ratings, and within this quarter he shall be furloughed in the order of seniority unless there is in existence a labor agreement covering the employes to be furloughed, in which case the terms of such labor agreement relative to a furlough procedure shall be controlling: Provided, That the appointing authority may limit the application of this provision in any particular instance to employes in the same class, classification series or other grouping of employes as referred to in any applicable labor agreement, and which are in the same department or agency with headquarters at a particular municipality, county or administrative district of the Commonwealth. (Emphasis added.)

Thus, read together, the above provisions of the agreement and Act treat a civil service appeal and a grievance procedure as alternative remedies, although not mutually exclusive because a civil service appeal can be instituted to replace a grievance procedure already begun.

Because it is undisputed that the grievance procedure, not providing for arbitration of a furlough, led to a dead end, the viable and exclusive path to this court for Pronko was a civil service appeal, which is expressly made the administrative remedy for a furlough by Section 951(a) of the Civil Service Act, 71 P. S. § 741.951(a). That administrative remedy fully, and therefore adequately, covers furlough claims. Such an adequate administrative remedy is exclusive. Borough of Baldwin v. Department of Environmental Resources, 16 Pa. Commw. 545, 330 A.2d 589 (1974).

An original jurisdiction action in this court is not proper and there is no administrative decision on which to base an appeal.

As between the civil service appeal and the grievance procedure, Pronko's choice thus far may have the effect of an election of remedies because Section 951(a) of the Civil Service Act, 71 P. S. § 741.951(a) provides a twenty-day limitation period for such appeals, after notice of the personnel actions; however, that point has not been presented for our consideration.

Pronko's allegations against AFSCME, to the effect that his union represented or counseled him unfairly, are all questions which arguably raise an issue of unfair labor practice. In Robinson v. Abington Education Association, 32 Pa. Commw. 563, 379 A.2d 1371 (1977), we noted that the failure of a union "to represent the interests of all its members in good faith and without discrimination" would constitute bad faith bargaining, "made an unfair labor practice by Section 1201(b)(3) [of PERA]," adding:

The PLRB [Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board] has exclusive jurisdiction to abate all unfair labor practices and a court none. (Footnote omitted.)

32 Pa. Commw. at 571-72, 379 A.2d at 1373.

Therefore, if petitioner is to have any redress against AFSCME, he must proceed before the PLRB because Section 1301 of PERA, 43 P. S. § 1101.1301, vests the PLRB with exclusive power to deal with labor matters tinged with complaints amounting to unfair labor practices. Denominating such allegations as tortious interference does not change the character of the acts that form the basis of the allegations or put them within the equity jurisdiction of our court. See Harrisburg School District v. Harrisburg Education Association, 32 Pa. Commw. 348, 379 A.2d 893 (1977).

Petitioner has not stated a cause of action cognizable in this court and it is accordingly unnecessary for us to discuss other issues raised by the preliminary objections.

The proceeding must be dismissed.

ORDER

AND NOW, this 31st day of July, 1979, the preliminary objections against the complaint of John Pronko, Jr., No. 1607 C.D. 1977, are hereby sustained and this proceeding is hereby dismissed.


Summaries of

Pronko v. Shapp et al

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Jul 31, 1979
44 Pa. Commw. 541 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 1979)

In Pronko v. Shapp, 44 Pa. Commw. 541, 403 A.2d 1382 (1979), the employee did not charge the union with failure to pursue arbitration in his behalf and is thus distinguishable on the facts.

Summary of this case from Rutledge v. Septa et al
Case details for

Pronko v. Shapp et al

Case Details

Full title:John Pronko, Jr., Petitioner v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Milton J…

Court:Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

Date published: Jul 31, 1979

Citations

44 Pa. Commw. 541 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 1979)
403 A.2d 1382

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