Opinions of the United
2004 Decisions States Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit
10-29-2004
Johnson v. Thomas Jefferson
Precedential or Non-Precedential: Non-Precedential
Docket No. 03-4485
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Recommended Citation
"Johnson v. Thomas Jefferson" (2004). 2004 Decisions. Paper 182.
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NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
No. 03-4485
SEAN JOHNSON,
Appellant
v.
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL;
NATIONAL UNION OF HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE
EMPLOYEES DISTRICT 1199C
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
(D.C. Civ. No. 02-07303)
Honorable John R. Padova, District Judge
Submitted under Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)
October 29, 2004
BEFORE: SCIRICA, Chief Judge, and FISHER and GREENBERG, Circuit Judges
(Filed: October 29, 2004)
OPINION OF THE COURT
GREENBERG, Circuit Judge.
Sean Johnson appeals from an order for summary judgment entered on October 2,
2003, and from an order denying his motion for reconsideration entered on October 20,
2003, in this hybrid action under section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act, 29
U.S.C. § 185, against his employer, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and for breach
of the duty of fair representation against his labor union, National Union of Hospital and
Health Care Employees District 1199C. See DelCostello v. International Bhd. of
Teamsters, 462 U.S. 151, 164-65, 103 S.Ct. 2281, 2290-91 (1983). The district court had
jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and we have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and
exercise plenary review on this appeal. See Kopec v. Tate, 361 F.3d 772, 775 (3d Cir.
2004), petition for cert. filed (July 19, 2004) (No. 04-112).
The district court set forth the factual background of this case in its memorandum
opinion of October 1, 2003, and set forth the legal principles applicable in that opinion
and in its order of October 20, 2003, denying reconsideration, and we have nothing to add
to those opinions. Unfortunately, the record makes quite plain that Johnson simply could
not conduct himself in carrying out the duties of his employment in a way so as to justify
the hospital in retaining him on its staff. Thus, the hospital really had no choice but to
terminate his employment, as it eventually did, and it did not violate any duty to him in
doing so.
After our study of this matter we are satisfied that both appellees get right to the
heart of the matter in their respective briefs:
Johnson failed to support any of his claims with evidence that
District 1199C was motivated by anything other than legitimate
considerations of the strength of Johnson’s claims against Thomas
Jefferson. Indeed, the evidence reveals that the conduct of District 1199C
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was appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances. Both the Union
and Thomas Jefferson tried to save Johnson from his own self-destructive
conduct, but Johnson refused to let them do so.
Br. of appellee hospital at 18;
Mr. Johnson’s [duty of fair representation] claim, therefore, must be
shown to be supported [by] evidence demonstrating that the Union’s
treatment of him was ‘arbitrary’ such that ‘the Union’s behavior [was] so
far outside “a wide range of reasonableness” as to be irrational.’ [Air Line
Pilots Ass’n, Int’l v. O’Neill, 499 U.S. 65, 67, 111 S.Ct. 1127, 1130
(1991)]. The record demonstrates no such behavior by the Union towards
Mr. Johnson. To the contrary, the record evidence shows that the Union’s
agents worked diligently to save Mr. Johnson from his own patently self-
destructive behavior, but that they were thwarted at every step by Mr.
Johnson himself.
Br. of appellee union at 16-17.
The orders of October 2, 2003, and October 20, 2003, will be affirmed.
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