Page 297
5 F.3d 297 (8th Cir. 1993)
Duane SKYBERG, Appellant,
v.
UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION,
AFL-CIO; United Food and Commercial Workers
International Union, Local 304A, Appellees,
Duane SKYBERG; Roger Raile; Pat Siemonsma; Mark Reichelt;
Gene E. Kessinger; Richard W. Erickson; Richard L.
Schmidt; L.C. Cruthird; J.B. Tate; Dale M. Bergh; Lowell
D. Larson; Roger H. Christensen; Ronald Costain; John H.
Cox, Jr.; Wayne C. Wieczorek; George S. Shaw; Dennis
Tilden; Lana Ingalls; Edwin A. Haffner; Keith E. Hodge;
Robert M. Janssen; Neil C. Carpenter; Gary Voight;
Richard Kloxin; General Lee Hardy; Leon Schoenwald;
Eugene Haugstad; Don E. Hess; Paul Jackson; Bert
VanderWaal; Jack A. Wiles; Gerald B. O'Brien; Gary L.
Rames; Roger Benson; Leonard N. Otkin; Ray Ridenour;
Albert VonBehren; Galen Ganschow; Gerald D. Skillman;
Donnell Spears; William R. Wells; Linda R. Skillman;
George W. Cleveland; Robert K. Boyum; Grant Edgecomb;
Donald Gelskow; Duane Bolte; Michael E. Foss; Merlyn D.
Tieszen; Kenneth C. Stanga; Marlyn Hylland; Rick A.
Rieck; Gayle L. Holida; Francis Tindall; Terry
Schlotterback; Duane V. Murra; Norman O. Schumaker;
Alfred C. Hyser; James Spars; Eugene W. Heiden; Leon N.
Anderson; David McCoy; Jerry Friessen; Jeffery Nelson;
Dennis Arens; Russell F. Dietz; Darrell Newbern; Charles
Amelang; Doug Sandberg; Wayne Kingsboro; Waldon Frerichs;
Roger R. Allington; Mark Sinning; Dennis L. Bamsey; Dick
E. Walters; Duane A. Nelson; Doris A. Walters; Linden
Fickbohm; Dale L. Jibben; Robert Purlee; Ronald Tammen;
Albert G. Kasemodel; Wayne Yarrow; Hurley Breen; Douglas
Haugstad; Thomas H. Brown; Dale Tracey; Wayne J. Brannan;
Mark F. Darger; William L. DeLay; Jerome P. Geraets;
Dennis Krueger; Franz Frerichs; Jan M. Aichele;
Darrell G. Messer; Gerrit M. Van Laar; Richard J. Kueter;
Jeremiah W. Smith; Carl Dammer; Robert J. Snyders; George
R. Redenius; Thomas J. McMohon; Leamon Hendrix; Wessley
L. Campbell; Anthony J. Irvine; Dan Moran; Willard A.
Bowne; Larry Kuhnert; Duane L. Christensen; John D.
Christion; Lonnie Schultz; Robert L. Soma; Phyllis J.
Thompson; Mark S. Reiners; Kevin Hagen; William J.
Brannan; Cecil Johnson; Glen V. Walters; Ronald F.
Benning; Titus J. Friedrich; Jerry Lee Taylor; Fred Lee;
Delmar Ballerman; Herman E. Keikwold; Patti J. Fox;
Dennis Zahrenhusen; Matthew J. Balk; Don Fox; Robert F.
Hall; Robert J. Gacke; Jerry T. Peterson; Ervin Fetters;
Robert A. Decker; Kenneth G. Gunderson; Kenneth Raanes;
Jerry L. Bender; Cindy S. Fines; Charlene Wright; Richard
Richter; Luella G. Lafrentz; James E. Symes; Parker J.
Kunkel; Steve Wallenstein; Randy L. Jacobson; Eric E.
Pedde; Leon L. Gerdes; Monte R. Martell; Lynn Joneson;
Lyle Olson; Linda McCollar; Arlene F. Brasel; Steve
Christian; Hilman Fleischhacker; Doris M. Miller; James
Brandt; Vincent P. Siemonsma; Donald B. Thompson; Freddie
Crawford; Jeff D. Swenson; James B. Siemonsma; Lawrence
M. Hanson; Raymond W. Gardner; Dennis Puthoff; Annie L.
Vaughn; Robert Jensen; Robert E. Williams; Ronald L.
Beaner; Ronald D. Hatch; Richard O. Nelson; Wanda DeBoer,
Executrix of the Donald DeBoer Estate; Delores J.
Butenschoen; Gary K. Mears; Larry D. Plucker; James L.
Wilkin; Robert L. Crowe; James G. Wermers; Robert E.
Williams; Larry Kluin; Gene White; Leonard L.R.
Christian; Rondall D. Roskens; Linda K. Hanson; Dennis
McDonald; Robert Wallenberg; James O'Toole; Charles R.
Kueter; John R. Hennings; Mike McConnell; Marriann M.
Sudenga; Jeff J. Steward; Gene E. Paetow; Ronald W.
Plucker; Marilyn Pesicka; Charles W. Headrick; Roger
Leeper; Howard D. Rehfeldt; Donald Rames; Robert L.
Bronson; Kenneth K. Koopman; Robin D. Shaw; Donald L.
Lager; Robert Leloux; Jimmie D. Schmuck; Gregory M.
Johnson; Donald D. Otten; Daryl Sagness; Susan K.
Johnson; Alan Amundson; Jack D. Hamilton; Alvin Pesicka;
Leo J. Ennis; John Ogle; Duane Hartman; Dennis E. Thomas;
Todd Schmig; William R. Henle; Jerome L. Gaspar; Dennis
C. Wettig; Tom Ruhlman; James D. Amundson; William Dean
Haley; Monte Skillman; Ron Schultz; Jack Dailey; Jerry
M. Thornton; Wendell Fleischhacker; Curtis J. Anderson;
Walter N. Jonnes; Marlys Y. Madsen; William G. Miller;
Beverly J. Hill; Kevin R. Snyders; Duwayne L. Wolleber;
Jack E. Nelson; Steve Aulner; Brian Versluys; Daryl
Buthe; Judy Baker; Darrell Wampler; Marvin L. Skow; Dale
L. Phelps; Luverne C. Frerichs; Monte Muchow; Gordon
Spars; Steven Fritz; Hans Kjergaard; Larry Bethke;
Richard J. Eulberg; Michael Tanner; Cynthia Voelker;
Linda J. Wahlert; Larry Beynon; Matthew Long; Randy L.
Horn; Joe D. Vaughn; Donna VanHove; Robert Rehfeldt;
Rodney L. Javers; Gene Wiblemo; Jerry W. Kappenman; Mike
Siemonsma; Elbert Thompson, Sr.; Kim Rensch; Lombus
Crenshaw; Mack Henderson; Don K. Smith; Dale R.
Entringer; William Breen, Jr.; Daniel Watkins, Sr.;
Vernon Jelsma; Robert H. Namanny; William H. Dickey;
Sylvester Fair; Sharla Conklin; Norman J. Eide; Mark John
Ault; Gene L. Zimmer; Thomas L. Hamilton; Marvin L.
Nytroe; John P. Decou; Leroy Geiken; Donald Horton;
Eugene Struck; Robert Paul Brinkhus; Constance Lewis;
William Wolf; Kenneth Foss; Milvia Ellsworth; Arnold A.
Abbas; John M. Miller; James Sibert, Jr.; Gwen Sibert;
Ronald Running; Douglas J. Martinek; Jeff T. Geraets;
Mark Downs; Daniel Jay Christensen; Frank H. Petheram;
Bruce Breen; Mark Bills; Steve Erickson; Gerard
VanSurksum; Chad B. Outka; James A. Larson; Gerald Ordal;
Duane H. Gustafson; David D. Gustafson; William M.
Dooley; Steve Bannwarth; Wayne D. Taylor; Dennis L.
Gannon; Gary W. Gibson; Jerome Halvorson, II; Ronald L.
Chase; Dan Merrigan; Dale W. Kirk; James Huwe; Ray F.
Atwood; Ben Otten; Alan G. Fodness; Terry Kapsch; Rhonda
Wheeler; Kenneth L. Miller; David J. Wheeler; Cheryl
Wheeler; Jerry D. Hurley; Reed L. Strom; Randy L. Hanson;
Donald E. Roed; Tom C. Ryan, Jr.; Dennis Christensen;
Cyril T. Gross; Donald R. Reurink; James L. Spicer; Allan
L. Dreesman; Bruce J. Livesay; Sharon R. Bond; John
Poppenga; Jerry R. Zeig; Vincent L. Huwe; Donald Reiter;
James W. Tatge; Steve Heiman; Richard Thompson; Charles
E. Kepford; Robert J. Miller; Merle E. Marshall; Dale D.
Long; Michael Hoek; Joseph R. Donelan; David Twedell;
Ronald G. Sechser; Terry L. Baum; Glenn Edberg; Douglas
A. Langdon; Adam T. Pham; Dan Moyer; Terry Bendt;
Raymond L. Wold; Keith E. Kepford; John E. VanVelzen;
Douglas L. Foster; Robert J. Fetters; Steven C. Arens;
Randall Vance; Roger Bute Anderson; Richard Sundem;
Calvin G. Chambers; Richard J. Kueter, Jr.; Craig Franken;
Jack J. Parker, Sr.; Kenneth Blom; Thomas E. Coyne;
Kenneth H. Kwallek; Scott Ulrikson; Ronald R. Jacobson;
Thomas R. Dossett; William Dean McKinney; Mike Kapsch;
Roland Pearson; Sheridan C. Johnson; Donald E. Meints;
Robert J. Fansin; Gena Ellefson; Stephen T. O'Hara; Jerry
L. Muchow; Eugene E. Lambert; David Washburn; Tom
Fiedler; James A. Donelan; Douglas M. Walker; Gene M.
Nelson; Jon Volz; Eddie Everson; Thomas Gerwer; Johnny
Bernard Christion; Dennis E. Blankartz; Vern Thompson;
David Jackels; Walt Csordacsics; Harley D. Thompson;
Donald L. Sundby; Clydeen Joy Korstad; William Joseph
Essem; Jerry L. Edmunds; John Logan Smith, Jr.; Kevin
Pulford; Phillip D. Crider; Randy Reichelt; Terry Gaspar;
Dwane Muth; Connie J. Vithoven; Dennis Swenson; Bruce L.
Berke; Leon H. Feldhaus; Jerry Murphy; Leonard H. Ellens,
Jr.; Robert Berg; Lynus Pickart; Lawrence Hewer; Maynard
Hennings; Terry Bills; Herman Smidt; Kenneth Haas;
Jerrold A. Berke, Sr.; I. Cregg Else, Appellants,
v.
UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION,
AFL-CIO; United Food and Commercial Workers
International Union, Local 304A, Appellees.
Nos. 92-3134, 92-3342.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
September 14, 1993
Submitted June 18, 1993.
Page 298
[Copyrighted Material Omitted]
Page 299
[Copyrighted Material Omitted]
Page 300
A. Stevenson Bogue, Omaha, NE, argued (A.J. Swanson, Sioux Falls, SD, on the brief), for appellants.
Theodore Sachs, Detroit, MI, argued (Mary Ellen Gurewitz, Detroit, MI, on the brief), for appellee UFCW Intern. Union.
Irving M. King, Chicago, IL, argued (Kelly J. Hupfeld, on the brief), for appellee UFCW Local Union 304A.
Before JOHN R. GIBSON, Circuit Judge, ROSS, Senior Circuit Judge, and MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, Circuit Judge.
ROSS, Senior Circuit Judge.
This appeal is brought by 426 individuals (the "employees") who were employed at the John Morrell & Co. ("Morrell") meat packing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and who were also members of the labor unions representing the plant workers, Local 304A, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO (collectively referred to as the "unions"). The employees filed suit alleging that the unions had breached their duty of fair representation to the employees by failing to properly advise the employees as to the legal consequences of their participation in a sympathy strike. The district court dismissed the action, concluding that the case was barred by the six-month statute of limitations. We affirm.
I.
According to the complaint, the employees engaged in a sympathy strike from May 1, 1987, through November 4,...
