Int'l Ass'n of Machinists & Aerospace Workers v. Verso Paper Corp.

• Decision Date: 06 January 2015
• Docket Number: 1:14-cv-00530-JAW
• Parties: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS, AFL-CIO, LOCAL LODGE NO. 1821, et al., Plaintiffs, v. VERSO PAPER CORP., et al. Defendants.
• Court: United States District Courts. 1st Circuit. United States District Court (Maine)

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS ANDAEROSPACE WORKERS, AFL-CIO, LOCAL LODGE NO. 1821, et al., Plaintiffs, v. VERSO PAPER CORP., et al. Defendants.

1:14-cv-00530-JAW

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MAINE

January 6, 2015

ORDER DISMISSING PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF; AND DISMISSING PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR ATTACHMENT AND TRUSTEE PROCESS

No earlier than January 16, 2015, Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC (Verso) anticipate selling the Bucksport, Maine Paper Mill to AIM Development USA, LLC and in anticipation of the sale, Verso ceased paper mill operations in Bucksport. In this lawsuit, former or soon to be former Verso employees of the Bucksport Paper Mill and their union seek a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief against Verso concerning their right to timely payment of severance pay and final wages, including accrued 2015 vacation pay, in accordance with time frames they say are established under state law. The Court dismisses Plaintiffs' claims for severance pay because Maine law precludes them from proceeding once the state of Maine Director of Bureau of Labor Standards brought suit in state court against the Defendants, and the Court dismisses Plaintiffs' claims for vacation pay because state rather than federal court,is a better venue for adjudicating that claim.¹ The Court also dismisses Plaintiffs' motion for attachment and trustee process because the motion is related to enforcement of their severance and vacation pay claims only, and dismisses the United Steelworkers' motion for joinder as it relates to Plaintiffs' severance and vacation pay claims because its motion is now moot.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural Background

On December 15, 2014, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, Local Lodge No. 1821 (IAM or IAMAW), Richard Gilley, Corey Darveau, Brian Simpson, Brian Abbott, and Harold Porter (Plaintiffs) filed a complaint against Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC (Verso) and against AIM Development USA LLC (AIM).² Compl. for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (ECF No. 1) (Compl.). In the Complaint,³ Plaintiffs allege that Verso refuses "to comply with the laws of the State of Maine governing the timely payment of severance pay and final wages, including accrued 2015 vacation time," in violation of 26 M.R.S.§§ 625-B and 626. Id. ¶ 6.⁴ Also on December 15, 2014, Plaintiffs filed a motion for expedited declaratory judgment and a request for a preliminary and permanent injunction, as well as a motion for attachment and trustee process. Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (ECF No. 6) (Pls.' Mot.); Pls.' Mot. for Attach. and Trustee's Process (ECF No. 5) (Pls.' Attach. Mot.).⁵

At the request of Plaintiffs, the Court held a telephone conference on December 19, 2014 and set initial scheduling deadlines. Minute Entry (ECF No. 26). On December 22, 2014, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint, which added 53 Local No. 1821 Members as plaintiffs and included additional allegations. First Am. Compl. for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (ECF No. 29) (Am. Compl.). Also on December 22, 2014, Verso submitted a joint stipulation of facts, Joint Stipulations Relating to Count 9 of the Compl.: Timely Payment of Severance and Vacation Pay (ECF No. 31) (Stipulation of Facts), and proposed statements of fact. Proposed Statements Relating to Count 9 of the Compl.: Timely Payment of Severance and Vacation Pay (ECF No. 32) (Defs.' Proposed Statements of Fact). Again on December 22, 2014, Verso filed its response in opposition to Plaintiffs' motion. Defs. Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC's Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (ECF No. 34) (Defs.' Opp'n).

On December 22, 2014, the parties and the state of Maine Attorney General participated in a settlement conference before Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison. Minute Entry (ECF No. 36). On December 23, 2014, Plaintiffs filed their reply to Verso's response in opposition. Pls.' Reply Regarding Severance and Accrued 2015 Vacation Time Payments (ECF No. 39) (Pls.' Reply). Also on December 23, 2014, the state of Maine and the Director of Bureau of Labor Standards filed a complaint against Verso in Kennebec County Superior Court, and a proposed consent order; Superior Court Justice Robert Mullen signed and dated the Consent Order the same day it was filed. Def. Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC's Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. Attach. 2 Compl. (ECF No. 40) (Director Compl.); id. Attach. 3 Consent Order (Consent Order). Verso also filed a supplemental response in opposition to Plaintiffs' motion on December 24, 2014. Def. Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC's Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (Defs.' Supplemental Opp'n). On December 26, 2014, Plaintiffs filed a reply to Verso's supplemental response. Pls.' Reply to the Verso Defs.' Dec. 24, 2014 Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. Regarding Severance and 2015 Vacation Time Pay (ECF No. 44) (Pls.' Supplemental Reply).

On December 27, 2014, the parties filed a number of documents. First, Plaintiffs filed a request for judicial notice, and a sworn attorney declaration relating to the accuracy of the documents attached to the First Amended Complaint. Pls.' Req.for Judicial Notice (ECF No. 45) (Req. for Judicial Notice); Decl. of Kimberly J. Ervin Tucker (ECF No. 46) (Tucker Decl.). Next, the parties filed a joint stipulation concerning exhibits. Joint Stipulation Regarding Authenticity and Admissibility of Exs. (ECF No. 47) (Joint Stipulation). Third, Verso filed another supplemental memorandum. Def. Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC's Second Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Decl. J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (ECF No. 48) (Defs.' Second Supplemental Opp'n). Fourth, Plaintiffs filed another supplemental memorandum. Pls.' Mem. on Why Abstention is not Appropriate in this Case (ECF No. 49) (Pls.' Mem. on Abstention). Plaintiffs also filed proposed verified statements of fact. Pls.' Proposed Verified Statements of Fact Relating to Count 9 of the Compl.: Timely Payment of Severance and Accrued 2015 Vacation Pay (ECF No. 50) (Pls.' Proposed Verified Statements of Fact). Finally, Verso filed another proposed statements of fact. Proposed Statements Relating to Count 9 of the Compl.: Timely Payment of Severance and Vacation Pay (ECF No. 51) (Defs.' Second Proposed Statements of Fact).

On December 28, 2014, Plaintiffs filed a second supplemental reply. Pls.' Reply to the Verso Defs.' Second Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (ECF No. 53) (Pls.' Second Supplemental Reply). On December 29, 2014, the Court heard oral argument. Minute Entry (ECF No. 56). Also on December 29, 2014, the United Steelworkers, on behalf of USW Local Union 4-01188 and 4-261 (USW) filed a motion for joinder. Mot. for Joinder as Pl. Filed by United Steelworkers (ECF No. 54) (USW's Mot.). Thatsame day, Plaintiffs filed their response in opposition to the USW's motion, and on December 31, 2014, Plaintiffs filed a supplemental response in opposition. Pls.' Objection and Mot. in Opp'n to Permissive Joinder or Intervention of the USW (ECF No. 55) (Pls.' Objection and Mot. in Opp'n to the USW's Mot.); Supplemental Mem. of Law in Support of Pls.' Objection and Mot. in Opp'n to Permissive Joinder of the United Steelworkers Pursuant to Rule 20, Fed. R. Civ. P. (ECF No. 59) (Pls.' Supplemental Objection and Mot. in Opp'n to the USW's Mot.). Also on December 31, 2014, Verso filed a third supplemental memorandum. Def. Verso Paper Corp. and Verso Paper LLC's Third Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (ECF No. 60) (Defs.' Third Supplemental Opp'n). That same day, Plaintiffs filed a third supplemental reply. Pls.' Reply to the Verso Defs.' Third Supplemental Mem. of Law in Opp'n to Pls.' Mot. for Expedited Declaratory J. and Req. for Prelim. and Permanent Inj. (ECF No. 61) (Pls.' Third Supplemental Reply).

B. Factual Background

1. The Parties

The Bucksport Mill is a paper mill located in Bucksport, Maine owned by subsidiaries of Verso Paper Corp. Stipulation of Facts ¶ 1. Verso Paper Corp. is a publicly-held Delaware corporation headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Id. ¶ 2. Verso Paper LLC is a Delaware limited liability company, a subsidiary of Verso Paper Corp., and the employer of the employees at the Bucksport Mill. Id. ¶ 3. The IAM orIAMAW is a labor union representing 59 hourly-wage persons employed as mechanics at the Bucksport Mill. Id. ¶ 4.

2. Verso Agrees to Sell the Bucksport Mill

On October 1, 2014, Verso announced its plans to shut down the Bucksport Mill, and on December 4, 2014, Verso ceased paper production there. Id. ¶¶ 5-6. Verso agreed to pay all hourly-wage employees at the Bucksport Mill, including IAM members, through December 31, 2014. Id. ¶ 7. January 8, 2015 is the pay day for the next regularly scheduled pay period ending after December 31, 2014. Id. ¶ 11.

On December 5, 2014, Verso Paper LLC and Verso Maine Power Holdings LLC, another subsidiary of Verso Paper Corp., entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (MIPA) to sell the entities owning the Bucksport Mill to AIM. Id. ¶ 24. Verso's counsel has confirmed that the closing is scheduled to take place no earlier than January 16, 2015. Minute Entry (ECF No. 41).⁶ For some employees, their last full day of work was on December 17, 2014, whereas all other employees' last full day of work was on or before December 31, 2014 except for "approximately 44 employees...