J-A17003-17
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
CAROL BERGIN : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
Appellant :
:
v. :
:
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 77 :
:
Appellee : No. 114 EDA 2017
Appeal from the Order November 29, 2016
In the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County
Civil Division at No(s): No. 08-01890
BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J., RANSOM, J., and PLATT, J.*
MEMORANDUM BY GANTMAN, P.J.: FILED NOVEMBER 28, 2017
Appellant, Carol Bergin, appeals from the order entered in the
Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, which sustained the preliminary
objections of Appellee, Teamsters Local Union No. 77 and dismissed
Appellant’s complaint with prejudice. We affirm.
The relevant facts and procedural history of this case are as follows.
Appellant’s husband, Thomas Bergin, was an employee of the Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission (“PTC”) and a member of Appellee labor union.
Appellee and the PTC were parties to a Collective Bargaining Agreement
(“Agreement”), which governed the terms of Mr. Bergin’s employment. The
Agreement required automatic termination of an employee, if the employee
had more than three unauthorized absences. On May 24, 2005, police
arrested Mr. Bergin after work. During his incarceration, Mr. Bergin suffered
_____________________________
*Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
J-A17003-17
a broken wrist and dislocated shoulder. Due to his arrest, Mr. Bergin missed
work on May 25-26, May 28-29, May 31-June 1, and June 3. Mr. Bergin
used his remaining leave to cover his absence from work on May 25-26;
however, the PTC treated Mr. Bergin’s remaining absences as unauthorized
due to his lack of available leave time. Because Mr. Bergin had more than
three unauthorized absences, the PTC automatically terminated Mr. Bergin
on June 3, 2005, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. With
representation from Appellee, Mr. Bergin filed a grievance against the PTC,
which claimed the PTC fired Mr. Bergin due to a pre-existing work-related
medical condition and his political views, not his arrest-related absences.
The PTC denied Mr. Bergin’s grievance on July 15, 2005, and Mr. Bergin
subsequently requested an arbitration hearing. Prior to the arbitration
hearing, Mr. Bergin died on October 16, 2005.
Appellee represented Mr. Bergin’s interests posthumously at the
arbitration hearing. Appellee did not notify Appellant of the hearing date or
location despite Appellant’s request to attend. Following the arbitration
hearing, Mr. Bergin’s grievance was denied. On February 14, 2008,
Appellant filed a praecipe for writ of summons against Appellee. Appellant
subsequently filed a complaint against Appellee on April 14, 2010, which
claimed Appellee failed to provide due process and breached its duty of fair
representation with respect to Mr. Bergin’s grievance. On May 19, 2010,
Appellee filed a petition to remove the case to United States District Court
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for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In federal court, Appellee filed a
motion to dismiss the action pursuant to F.R.C.P. 12(b)(6). The federal
court subsequently dismissed the due process claim and remanded the case
to the state trial court for resolution of Appellant’s duty of fair representation
claim.
On remand, Appellant filed a praecipe for the entry of default
judgment, and the court entered default judgment against Appellee on
August 28, 2012. On September 6, 2012, Appellee filed a petition to
strike/open the default judgment, and Appellant filed a response on
September 26, 2012. The court granted Appellee’s petition to strike/open
the default judgment on November 30, 2012. Appellee filed a motion for
Appellant to file the federal court certified record in the trial court on
December 13, 2012. The December 13, 2012 motion also asked the trial
court to treat Appellee’s motion to dismiss pursuant to F.R.C.P. 12(b)(6), as
preliminary objections. Appellant filed a response on January 2, 2013, in
which Appellant agreed to file the certified record from federal court in the
trial court and stipulated to the trial court’s usage of the Rule 12(b)(6)
motion as preliminary objections. The January 2, 2013 response, however,
asked the court to overrule Appellee’s preliminary objections.
On June 11, 2013, Appellant filed the certified record from the federal
court in the trial court. Appellant filed a praecipe for determination on
August 29, 2015. On November 29, 2016, the trial court sustained
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Appellee’s preliminary objections and dismissed Appellant’s complaint with
prejudice. Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal on December 28, 2016.
The trial court did not order Appellant to file a concise statement of errors
complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b), and Appellant filed
none.
Appellant raises the following issue for our review:
THE [TRIAL] COURT ERRED IN GRANTING…APPELLEE’S
PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS WHICH WERE IN THE FORM OF
A [RULE] 12(B)(6) FEDERAL MOTION.
(Appellant’s Brief at 3).
Appellant argues Appellee should have allowed Appellant to participate
in the arbitration. Appellant asserts Appellee initially informed Appellant
that she could participate in the arbitration proceedings. Appellant
maintains Appellee subsequently refused to inform Appellant of the time and
date of the hearing. Appellant avers Appellee’s refusal to include Appellant
in the arbitration proceeding resulted in the loss of benefits, which should
have passed to her upon Mr. Bergin’s death. Appellant submits these errors
constituted a breach of Appellee’s duty of fair representation. Appellant
concludes the court erred when it sustained Appellee’s preliminary objections
and dismissed Appellant’s complaint with prejudice, and this Court should
reverse and remand for further proceedings. We disagree.
As a prefatory matter, we note appellate briefs must conform in all
material respects to the briefing requirements set forth in the Pennsylvania
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Rules of Appellate Procedure; this Court may quash or dismiss an appeal if
an appellant fails to comply with these requirements. Pa.R.A.P. 2101. See
also Pa.R.A.P. 2114-2119 (addressing specific requirements of each
subsection of brief on appeal). Rule 2111 provides in relevant part:
Rule 2111. Brief of the Appellant
(a) General rule.—The brief of the appellant, except as
otherwise prescribed by these rules, shall consist of the
following matters, separately and distinctly entitled and in
the following order:
* * *
(3) Statement of both the scope and standard of
review.
* * *
(8) Argument for appellant.
* * *
Pa.R.A.P. 2111(a)(3) and (8).
With respect to the argument section of an appellant’s brief, Rule
2119(a) provides:
Rule 2119. Argument
(a) General rule.—The argument shall be divided into
as many parts as there are questions to be argued; and
shall have at the head of each part—in distinctive type or
in type distinctively displayed—the particular point treated
therein, followed by such discussion and citation of
authorities as are deemed pertinent.
Pa.R.A.P. 2119(a). Importantly:
The argument portion of an appellate brief must include a
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pertinent discussion of the particular point raised along
with discussion and citation of pertinent authorities. This
Court will not consider the merits of an argument which
fails to cite relevant case or statutory authority. Failure to
cite relevant legal authority constitutes waiver of the claim
on appeal.
In re Estate of Whitley, 50 A.3d 203, 209 (Pa.Super. 2012), appeal
denied, 620 Pa. 724, 69 A.3d 603 (2013). Where an appellant fails to raise
or properly develop issues on appeal, or where the brief is wholly inadequate
to present specific issues for review, a court can refuse to consider the
merits of the claims raised on appeal. Butler v. Illes, 747 A.2d 943
(Pa.Super. 2000) (holding appellant waived claim where she failed to set
forth adequate argument concerning her claim on appeal; appellant’s
argument lacked meaningful substance and consisted of mere conclusory
statements; appellant failed to explain cogently or even tenuously assert
why trial court abused its discretion or made error of law). See also
Lackner v. Glosser, 892 A.2d 21 (Pa.Super 2006) (explaining appellant’s
arguments must adhere to rules of appellate procedure, and arguments
which are not appropriately developed are waived on appeal; arguments not
appropriately developed include those where party has failed to cite any
authority in support of contention); Estate of Haiko v. McGinley, 799 A.2d
155 (Pa.Super. 2002) (stating rules of appellate procedure make clear
appellant must support each question raised by discussion and analysis of
pertinent authority; absent reasoned discussion of law in appellate brief, this
Court’s ability to provide appellate review is hampered, necessitating waiver
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of issue on appeal).
Instantly, Appellant’s argument section falls woefully short of the
requisite standards. At the outset, Appellant failed to include a separate
statement of the scope and standard of review relevant to her claim. See
Pa.R.A.P. 2111(a)(3). Importantly, Appellant’s brief fails to cite to any
relevant authority to support her claim. See In re Estate of Whitley,
supra. In fact, Appellant concedes in her argument that there is no relevant
case law to support her position. Instead, Appellant merely concludes
Appellee breached its duty of fair representation when it proceeded to
arbitration without Appellant’s involvement. The substantial defects in
Appellant’s brief arguably preclude meaningful review and constitute
sufficient grounds for this Court to suppress Appellant’s brief and dismiss the
appeal. See Butler, supra.
Nevertheless, the relevant standard of review of a claim challenging a
trial court’s decision to sustain preliminary objections is as follows:
A preliminary objection in the nature of a demurrer is
properly [sustained] where the contested pleading is
legally insufficient. Preliminary objections in the nature of
a demurrer require the court to resolve the issues solely
on the basis of the pleadings; no testimony or other
evidence outside of the complaint may be considered to
dispose of the legal issues presented by the demurrer. All
material facts set forth in the pleading and all inferences
reasonably deducible therefrom must be admitted as true.
In determining whether the trial court properly sustained
preliminary objections, the appellate court must examine
the averments in the complaint, together with the
documents and exhibits attached thereto, in order to
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evaluate the sufficiency of the facts averred. The impetus
of our inquiry is to determine the legal sufficiency of the
complaint and whether the pleading would permit recovery
if ultimately proven. This Court will reverse the trial
court’s decision regarding preliminary objections only
where there has been an error of law or abuse of
discretion. When sustaining the [preliminary objections]
will result in the denial of a claim or a dismissal of suit,
[the preliminary objections may be sustained] only where
the case [is] free and clear of doubt.
Hill v. Ofalt, 85 A.3d 540, 547-48 (Pa.Super. 2014) (quoting Lugo v.
Farmers Pride, Inc., 967 A.2d 963, 966 (Pa.Super. 2009), appeal denied,
602 Pa. 668, 980 A.2d 609 (2009)).
A labor union has the statutory duty to represent all of the members of
the employee bargaining unit fairly. Steele v. Louisville & Nashville
Railroad, 323 U.S. 192, 65 S.Ct. 226, 89 L.Ed. 173 (1944). A member of
the bargaining unit has a right of action against the union for breach of its
duty of fair representation. Vaca v. Sipes, 386 U.S. 171, 186, 87 S.Ct.
903, 914, 17 L.Ed.2d 842, ___ (1967). A union violates its duty of fair
representation if its actions are arbitrary, discriminatory, or in bad faith. Air
Line Pilots Ass’n, International v. O’Neill, 499 U.S. 65, 111 S.Ct. 1127,
113 L.Ed.2d 51 (1991). “[A] union’s actions are arbitrary only if, in light of
the factual and legal landscape at the time of the unions actions, the union’s
behavior is so far outside a wide range of reasonableness.” Id. at 67, 111
S.Ct. at 1130, 113 L.Ed.2d at ___. Because this rule applies to all union
activities, an employee’s remedy for his bargaining agent’s failure to
prosecute a grievance properly is an action against the union for damages
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for breach of its duty of fair representation. Ziccardi v. Commonwealth,
500 Pa. 326, 330, 456 A.2d 979, 981 (1982). Significantly, a union’s duty
of fair representation does not extend to persons who are not employees of
the bargaining unit. Allied Chemical & Alkali Workers v. Pittsburgh
Plate Glass Co., 404 U.S. 157, 181 n.20, 92 S.Ct. 383, 398 n.20, 30
L.Ed.2d 341, ___ (1971).
Here, the trial court addressed Appellant’s claim as follows:
In the instant case, [Appellant] asserts a cause of action
against [Appellee] for breach of its duty of fair
representation, but [Appellant] is neither a member of
[Appellee] nor an employee of the bargaining unit.
Additionally, [Appellant] offers no authority which holds
that she, as a widow of a union member, assumes [Mr.
Bergin’s] right to maintain such an action against
[Appellee] on her own behalf. [Case law] recognize[s] a
union’s fiduciary bargaining agreement only to members
and employees of the collective bargaining unit, not to
non-members or non-employees such as [Appellant].
[Appellant] also argues that she should be entitled to the
protection of [Appellee’s] duty of fair representation by
virtue of her being a third-party beneficiary to the
collective bargaining agreement. [Appellant’s] contentions
in this regard are confusing and convoluted as she states
that her claims are not derivative from that of her late
husband, nor is she alleging a claim on her own behalf
under the collective bargaining agreement. In view of
these representations by [Appellant], it is difficult to
fathom upon what basis she can be considered a third-
party beneficiary of the collective bargaining agreement
and [Appellant] failed to offer any legal authority to
support her position in this regard under the facts,
circumstances, and pleadings in this case.
Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, the [c]ourt
concluded that, accepting as true all well-pleaded material
facts set forth in [Appellant’s] [c]omplaint and all
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inferences fairly deducible from those facts, the law says
with certainty that no recovery is possible by [Appellant] in
this matter. Therefore, we sustained [Appellee’s]
[p]reliminary [o]bjections to [Appellant’s] [c]omplaint and
dismissed the [c]omplaint with prejudice, and it is
submitted that our decision in this regard is supported fully
by the record and the applicable legal authority.
(See Trial Court Opinion, filed February 15, 2017, at 4-5). We accept the
court’s sound reasoning and conclude the court properly sustained Appellee’s
preliminary objections to dismiss Appellant’s complaint with prejudice.
Therefore, Appellant’s sole issue on appeal fails. See Hill, supra.
Accordingly, we affirm.
Order affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 11/28/2017
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