Armstrong School Dist. v. Armstrong Educ. Ass'n

• Decision Date: 12 August 1991
• Parties: , 70 Ed. Law Rep. 127 ARMSTRONG SCHOOL DISTRICT, a second class school district, Appellee, v. ARMSTRONG EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Appellant.
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Page 1139

595 A.2d 1139

528 Pa. 170, 70 Ed. Law Rep. 127

ARMSTRONG SCHOOL DISTRICT, a second class school district, Appellee, v. ARMSTRONG EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Appellant.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Argued March 6, 1990.

Decided Aug. 12, 1991.

William K. Eckel, Johnstown, Ronald N. Watzman, Litman, Litman, Harris, Brown & Watzman, P.C., Pittsburgh, and Mary Catherine Frye and Lynne L. Wilson, Pennsylvania State Educ. Assn., Harrisburg, for appellant.

Louis B. Kushner, Alan C. Blanco and Stephen H. Jordan, Rothman, Gordon, Foreman & Groudine, P.C., Pittsburgh, for amicus curiae, Pennsylvania Federation of Teachers.

Steven P. Fulton, James Q. Harty and Walter G. Bleil, Reed, Smith, Shaw & McClay, Pittsburgh, for Armstrong School Dist.

Michael I. Levin and Frank P. Clark, Cleckner and Fearen, Abington, for amicus curiae, Pennsylvania School Boards Ass'n.

Before NIX, C.J., and LARSEN, FLAHERTY, McDERMOTT, ZAPPALA, PAPADAKOS and CAPPY, JJ.

OPINION

NIX, Chief Justice.

In this appeal, the Armstrong Education Association ("Teachers") appeals from the order of the Commonwealth Court which reversed an order of the Armstrong County Common Pleas Court directing the Teachers and the Armstrong School District ("District") to continue collective bargaining and scheduling negotiation sessions of predetermined length, in efforts to end a work stoppage. The issue presented is whether a court of equity has authority to require the attendance of school board members and union negotiators at bargaining sessions of a frequency and duration determined by the court under the supervision of a state mediator when the equity court has issued an injunction stopping the school strike. For the following reasons, we reverse the order of the Commonwealth Court.

The pertinent facts are as follows. On September 3, 1986, the Teachers commenced a work stoppage against the District. On October 8, 1986, the Teachers voluntarily returned to work without a new contract. On January 5, 1987, the strike resumed and, on the same day, the District filed a complaint against the teachers pursuant to section 1003 of the Public Employee Relations Act ("PERA"), 43 Pa.S. § 1101.1003 ¹, asking the Court of Common Pleas of Armstrong County to end the work stoppage by issuing an injunction. The Court ordered the Teachers to return to work under the terms of the prior agreement. The trial court conditioned the injunction upon the parties' engaging in daily negotiating sessions until an agreement was reached. The court later amended its order to require that the sessions last at least ten hours each day and that the entire Teacher's negotiating team and the School Board attend if the mediator deemed it advisable.

On appeal, the Commonwealth Court affirmed the portion of the order awarding the injunction, but reversed the portion relating to negotiation sessions. The Commonwealth Court held that the common pleas court had exceeded the scope of equitable powers granted to it by the legislature under PERA. The Commonwealth Court determined that the order directing the parties to negotiate and establishing the specifics for the negotiation was, in effect, an attempt to impose a judicial settlement. The Commonwealth Court reasoned that, by issuing such an order, the trial court had usurped the authority of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board over instances where it is alleged that a party refused to bargain in good faith in violation of Section 1201(a)(5) of PERA, 43 P.S. § 1101.1201(a)(5). Armstrong Educ. Assn. v. Armstrong School Dist., 116 Pa.Commw. 571, 542 A.2d 1047 (1988).

The Teachers argue that the Commonwealth Court erred in the following respects. First, the language of PERA and its stated public policy give the trial court equitable power to direct the parties to enter settlement negotiations. Second, once a court of equity has jurisdiction the chancellor may impose reasonable regulations and conditions in order to effectuate the relief granted. And third, appellant submits once the District invoked equity jurisdiction based upon claims that the strike created a clear and present danger or threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the public, the PLRB's exclusive jurisdiction was ousted.

Conversely, the District argues that the court's equity jurisdiction ended with its ability to grant an injunction, because that is the only power expressly granted to the courts by the legislature in PERA. The District maintains that PERA requires complaints about the bargaining process be filed as unfair labor practices and handled by the PLRB.

A determination of the scope of authority of a modern equity court, while adhering to the restrictions of equity jurisdiction delineated by the legislature, must be guided by basic principles of equity jurisprudence. ² When the court's jurisdiction is impacted by legislation, one must first look to the statute to ascertain the purposes sought to be achieved by its enactment, and then decide how equity principles assist a court in furthering those legislative purposes.

The public policy underlying PERA is stated as follows:

§ 1101.101. Public policy

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania declares that it is the public policy of this Commonwealth and the purpose of this act to promote orderly and constructive relationships between all public employers and their employes subject, however, to the paramount right of the citizens of this Commonwealth to keep inviolate the guarantees for their health, safety and welfare. Unresolved disputes between the public employer and its employes are injurious to the public and the General Assembly is therefore aware that adequate means must be established for minimizing them and providing for their resolution. Within the limitations imposed upon the governmental processes by these rights of the public at large and recognizing that harmonious relationships are required between the public employer and its employes, the General Assembly has determined that the overall policy may best be accomplished by (1) granting the public employes the right to organize and choose freely their respresentatives; (2) requiring public employers to negotiate and bargain with employe organizations representing public employes and to enter into written agreements evidencing the result of such bargaining; and (3) establishing procedures to provide for the protection of the rights of the public employe, the public employer and the public at large.

1970, July 23, P.L. 563, No. 195, art. I, § 101, effective in 90 days. In furtherance of that policy, the court of common pleas is given the power to grant "equitable relief including but not limited to appropriate injunctions." 43 P.S. § 1101.1003. (Emphasis added.) This language expressly provides authority for the common pleas court to issue injunction decrees and, a fortiori, orders imposing reasonable regulations and conditions upon the injunction.

The District's first argument that the court's equity jurisdiction ended with its ability to grant an injunction because the injunction is the only power expressly granted the courts by section 1003 of PERA is patently fallacious. A reading of the language of the section of PERA the District relies upon belies the argument. As previously stated, that section permits the common pleas court to grant "equitable relief including but not limited to appropriate injunctions." Id. The plain meaning of this language is to be given effect. It clearly contemplates situations will arise wherein an injunction alone will not accomplish the goal of the legislature in enacting this statute, i.e., the promotion of orderly and constructive relationships between public employers and their employes. 43 Pa.S. § 1101.101. To interpret this language as restricting a court's equitable power in this instance to the granting of injunctions only would yield a result that is absurd, unreasonable, and in contradiction to well established principles of statutory construction. 1 Pa.C.S. § 1922(1).

Moreover, the interpretation pressed by appellee would also render ineffective the court's power to grant injunctive relief. Inherently, courts sitting in equity have the power to enforce their own decrees.

The power of a court of equity to enforce its own decrees is a necessary incident to the jurisdiction of the court. 'Without such power, a decree would in many cases be useless. "All courts [of equity] have this power, and must necessarily have it; otherwise they could not protect themselves from insult, or enforce obedience to their process. Without it they would be utterly powerless" '.... The jurisdiction of the court continues for the purpose of enforcing the decree.... Where there is an unimpeachable final decree, contemplating the performance of a series of acts, the proceedings to enforce compliance with that decree must be through that proceeding.... Butler Co. v. P., H., B. and N.C. Ry. Co., 298 Pa. 347, 350-351, 148 A. 504, 505 (1929); Roth v. M'Clelland, 6 Watts 68 (1837). Advanced Management Research, Inc. v. Emanuel, 439 Pa. 385, 391, 266 A.2d 673, 674 (1970).

Accord, Calantzis v. Collins, 440 Pa. 354, 269 A.2d 655 (1970); Alpern v. Coe, 352 Pa. 208, 42 A.2d 542 (1945); Commonwealth ex rel. Lieberum v. Lewis, 253 Pa. 175, 98 A. 31 (1916).

Manifestly, equity's power to enforce its decrees includes the power to enforce injunctions. Knaus v. Knaus, 387 Pa. 370, 127 A.2d 669 (1956); Commonwealth ex rel. Lieberum v. Lewis, supra; Pa.Rule of Civil Proc. 1529; 15 Standard Pa. Practice 2d § 83:205. The court's inherent power to issue orders necessary to enforce the decree also remains inviolate.

The District's claim that the common pleas court sitting in equity lacked jurisdiction over the bargaining process must also fail. The District agrees that section 1003 of PERA confers equity jurisdiction upon the common pleas court once a public employer seeks relief from a strike, but believes decrees...