Freeman v. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Co.

• Decision Date: 15 March 1965
• Docket Number: Civ. No. 63-349.
• Citation: 239 F. Supp. 661
• Parties: I. N. FREEMAN, Plaintiff, v. CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY, a corporation, Defendant.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of Oklahoma

239 F. Supp. 661

I. N. FREEMAN, Plaintiff, v. CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY, a corporation, Defendant.

Civ. No. 63-349.

United States District Court W. D. Oklahoma.

March 15, 1965.

Jo B. Gardner, Monett, Mo., and James E. Driscoll, Seminole, Okl., for plaintiff.

Loyd Benefield, Savage, Gibson, Benefield & Shelton, Oklahoma City, Okl., for defendant.

DAUGHERTY, District Judge.

The plaintiff, a locomotive engineer, brings this diversity action for wrongful discharge from employment against the defendant railroad. The defendant has moved for summary judgment and the Court has heard arguments regarding what effect a "just cause" provision in the union contract has upon the contract of employment between the plaintiff and the defendant with reference to this type of an action.

The agreement between the defendant railroad and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers which provided that an engineer would not be dismissed without just cause is, with reference to this provision as to discharge, impliedly a part of the individual employment contract between the plaintiff and the defendant. Smithey v. St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co., 8 Cir., 237 F.2d 637, 638.

It is noted that there is apparently no question regarding the plaintiff's right to choose either to pursue his federal administrative remedy and seek reinstatement and back pay before the Railway Labor Board, or else to pursue his right in court in an action for breach of contract pursuant to the state law involved. The plaintiff has elected the latter remedy by this action and his right to damages depends upon the state contractual concept and remedy. The law of Oklahoma is applicable in this case. In other words, the plaintiff may recover damages for wrongful discharge from employment if the Oklahoma Courts recognize such a right of action under the facts of this case.

"The right of a railway employee to damages for discharge, whether related to a labor agreement or otherwise, is a matter that has been left entirely to state contractual concept and remedy. Damages for discharge violative of a collective bargaining agreement under the Railway Labor Act can be recovered only `if the state courts recognize such a claim'." Smithey v. St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co., supra.

The Oklahoma cases hold that where a contract of employment is for an indefinite period, it is terminable at will by either party. Foster v. Atlas Life Ins. Co., 154 Okl. 30, 6 P.2d 805. The theory behind this conclusion is that there must be mutuality of obligation regarding the employee's right to quit and the employer's right to discharge to entitle the employee to damages, and moreover, from a practical standpoint, there must be a definite term of employment as to the employee in order to determine the loss of earnings suffered due to the employer's breach by wrongful premature termination. Thus, where there is a contract of employment which is terminable at will by either of the parties, an action for damages for wrongful termination will not lie under Oklahoma law for lack of mutuality.

In the case of Arkansas Valley Town & Land Co. v. Atchison, T. & S. F. Ry. Co., 49 Okl. 282, 151 P. 1028, 1032, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, through Mr. Justice Hardy, stated:

"The contract, however, does not by its terms fix any period of duration between the parties, and its duration is indefinite, so that we are unable to determine just how long the parties contemplated that it should continue. This being true, it might be terminated by either party at any time."

Also, in the case of Rogers v. White Sewing Machine Co., 59 Okl. 40, 157 P. 1044, 1045, it is stated:

"We think the most serious difficulty with this contract lies in the indefiniteness as to its duration. The defendant could have terminated it at any time without incurring any liability to the plaintiff."

And see Foster v. Atlas Life Ins. Co., 154 Okl. 30, 6 P.2d 805, wherein the syllabus by the Court is as follows:

"`It is not the duty of one man to work for another unless he has agreed to, and if he has so agreed, but for no fixed period, either may end the contract whenever he chooses. The one may work or refuse to work at will, and the

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