Gorge v. Carey ( 1998 )


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  • UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    HARRY GORGE; DANIEL WILLIAMS;
    THOMAS JONES; BILLY KNEE; GEORGE
    MINOR; KENNETH MOORE; GEORGE
    BLOOM; RONALD WOMICK; EMANUEL
    ZIEGLER; JAMES CHANEY; STANLEY
    JOHNSON; THOMAS WINGROVE; WILEY
    SMITH; JEROME BRACEY; FRANK
    MILESKY; DAVID PEARSON; HAVON
    BIRCHEN; FRED DAHLKE; GEORGE
    ERHARDT; RANDY GROVES; CHARLEY
    PARKER; JOE COED; TIM CADY, Local
    Union 182; WAYNE MITTELSTADT;
    DOUG DAILY, Local Union 182; LOUIS
    ALAVA; MOHAMMAD STIF; BARRY HIEN,
    Local Union 182; TONY PETRELLI,
    Local Union 182; NELSON CORTOS;
    No. 98-1022
    MICHAEL DOLAN; ROBERT ROSS, Local
    Union 182; ERIC GOMEZ; BRUCE
    SCHILLING, Local Union 182; PATRICK
    HOLOHAN; ROGER VANSLYKE, Local
    Union 182; ANTHONY KANCELER;
    CALVIN BECKER, Local Union 687;
    THOMAS J. KERSTEN; DAVE BURDICK,
    Local Union 687; DALE MOSER, Local
    Union 687; BRUCE KRAMER; WILLIAM
    MCMANUS; VERNAL PARKS, Local
    Union 687; RICHARD VERITY; DALE
    REMINGTON, Local Union 687; PHIL
    SMITH, Local Union 687; MICHAEL J.
    CIRINCIONE; BILL KAUFMAN; STEVE
    BALDES, Local Union 294; AL BISHOP,
    Local Union 294; ROBERT LAXER;
    BOS RABIDOUX; RICH KERR; JIM
    COOPER, Local Union 294; PAT
    MUSTERIA; JAMES FUDALA; DICK
    CORMIER, Local Union 294; GARY J.
    RIEHL; JOE RUSSO; JIM DE RUSSO,
    Local Union 294; RAYMOND
    L'HEUREUX; WILLIAM TERRIL; MICHAEL
    SANABRIA; DAN EAMES, Local Union
    294; KEVIN SCOTT HARIS, Local Union
    294; STEVEN HUBBARD; LES SELF; JOHN
    STEVENSON; DONALD TENNEY; FRANK
    KEARNEY, Local Union 294; ARTHUR
    HEBERT; MIKE LEMIEUX, Local Union
    294; THOMAS BERGER; GEORGE
    MCGARRY, Local Union 294; ROBERT
    BOUWICH; ROMEO LEVESQUE; BOB
    HYDE; HANK MEAD, Local Union 294;
    DONALD GOSSELIN; GRAHAM JENKINS;
    DAVE CLAY; JAMES MILNE, Local
    Union 294; KEITH KONZEN; MARK
    IANUZZI; BILL MONTAGUE, Local Union
    294; DENNIS MELLO; NORM
    MORRISSETTE, Local Union 294;
    WILLIAM LANDY; ROBERT REISER; JOHN
    NILES, Local Union 294; WILLIAM
    LEEK; WAYNE PECK, Local Union 294;
    EDWARD GILLIS; JOHN MONACO; GERRY
    NAPPI; MIKE SADDLER, Local Union
    294; THOMAS FERRARO; RICHARD
    LENNERTON; JOHN D. OGRASS; LEN
    TAYLOR, Local Union 294; JOHN
    PATTON; DAMMON AMESBURY, Local
    Union 118; WILLIAM CUNHA; DAVID
    DEMONICO; JOHN SAMUALSEN; FRANK
    CUTAIAR, Local Union 118; ALBERTO
    SANTOS; ROBERT ENSMAN, Local Union
    118; WILLIAM ALEY; BRUCE REID;
    2
    EVERETT SCHUMANN; ROBERT FLECK,
    Local Union 118; JOE VIRUCT;
    KENNETH GOUGH; PAUL FRITSCH, Local
    Union 118; WILLIAM WHITMAN;
    ROBERT LUONGO; JOE GALANTE, Local
    Union 118; WILLIAM BROCK; LINDA S.
    ARIAS; RUSSELL GOODENOUGH, Local
    Union 118; CLARK GRICIOUS, Local
    Union 118; JOHN R. BECK; JACK
    IVESTER; EDWARD NEWSOME; RAYMOND
    J. BITTMAN; JOHN KILEY, Local Union
    118; JIM LING, Local Union 118;
    GLADSTONE BROWN; DAVE SAHRELE,
    Local Union 118; CHRIS FOWLER;
    ALEX RANKIN; TERRY SCHEINER, Local
    Union 118; GEORGE DAVIS; STUART F.
    ENDRESS; ROB CUNNINGHAM; JULIS
    SUMIZE, Local Union 118; GERALD
    JACOVELLI; JOHN AYLWARD; STEVE
    THAYER, Local Union 118; RONALD
    WHEELER; BOB TOURVILLE, Local
    Union 118; MIKE ERELLI; SAM AMICO,
    Local Union 375; RICK FRANSON; DON
    BARTON, Local Union 375; TOM
    GIORDANO; JIM BELL, Local Union
    375; PAUL LEAVITT; CHRIS BENNETT,
    Local Union 375; THEODORE CARR;
    TONY BETTI, Local Union 375;
    RICHARD MARTIN; KEITH BLOUNT,
    Local Union 375; JOHN WASHWELL;
    TOM BOBAK, Local Union 375;
    HERMAN SCHARK; CHARLES DAVIS,
    Local Union 375; PAUL BOYLE; JOHN
    GREENWOOD; RICH DEPCZYNSKI, Local
    Union 375; SAM CHIASSON; RICHARD
    3
    DUBICK, Local Union 375; JAMES
    ERNEWEIN, Local Union 375; DAVE
    HOWLAND; CHARLES BATES; RAY
    GERWITZ, Local Union 375; PAUL
    BELAIR; PAUL GOLAB, Local Union
    375; PAUL VALOIS; DAVID GOOD, Local
    Union 375; MIKE GRAZER, Local
    Union 375; HAL TYREE; BOB
    HARRINGTON, Local Union 375; DON
    HERZOG; JOHN HASLAM, Local Union
    375; FRED CRABBE; PRENTICE HINTON,
    Local Union 375; EDDIE CASSADY;
    ROBERT TRAVERS; LARRY HYMAN,
    Local Union 375; ROBERT VOLLMAR;
    JAMES BEHAN; THOMAS AULENBACH;
    BOB JUREK, Local Union 375;
    KEARNEY, LOCAl Union 375; PHIL
    MALOUIN; BOB KOCH, Local Union
    375; THOMAS FORDHAM; HOBAN
    SANDFORD JR.; JOSEPH DEFALCO; SAM
    LEONE, Local Union 375; PETE
    LOSTRACCO, Local Union 375; FRANCIS
    J. MULCAHEY; NICK SINOTTE; FRED
    MCCUBBIN, Local Union 375; WAYNE
    MILLER, Local Union 375; MAURICE
    DONINI; MIKE MOGAVERO, Local Union
    375; EDWARD ALEXANDROVICH; JOSEPH
    JOHNSON; ROLAND DUQUETTE; LARRY
    NOONAN, Local Union 375; LEE
    PELCZNSKI, Local Union 375; RICHARD
    KUPSELATIS; DARYL LEJEUNE; TOM
    PHILLIPS, Local Union 375; ROCCO
    NOTARANGELO; DON PIATEK, Local
    Union 375; PAUL STARON; PETER
    STARON; SAM PINTO, Local Union 375;
    WILLIAM RITCHIE; PETE SCHREIBER,
    4
    Local Union 375; ROBERT MCLEOD;
    ROBERT SMITH; SAM SCIUMECA, Local
    Union 375; BOB SLIWANSKI, Local
    Union 375; AL CLARKSON; TOM
    TEREBEEL; GEORGE URBINO, Local
    Union 375; RAY YAW, Local Union
    375; TERRY MCALLISTER; BILL SEIFER;
    ARNOLD BUTTON, Local Union 649;
    FRANCIS MULCAHEY; JIM HUNTER, Local
    Union 649; MARK MULCAHEY; EUGENE
    LAWRENCE, Local Union 649; TOM
    FORDHAM; DOUG LENT, Local Union
    649; JEFF PIERCE, Local Union 649;
    HOBAN SANFORD; CRAWFORD CAREY;
    DAVE RACKETT, Local Union 649;
    JOHN HOPKINS; JOHN B. HART; BOB
    WAKEMAN, Local Union 649; MIKE
    HINES; JACK ALVERSON, Local Union
    317; WALTER C. ALGER, JR., Local
    Union 317; STEVE KINDLE; JOSEPH
    FERENZI; RONALD J. BARNES, Local
    Union 317; RAY DEMARTNO; ALBERT
    D. BUSH, Local Union 317; JOHN
    DEPOTO; ANDREW MONTGOMERY; ROGER
    W. COSTANZO, Local Union 317; RAY
    W. COLE, Local Union 317; JOSEPH M.
    HART; JAMES OBEREMBT; DAVID R.
    FARRANCE, SR., Local Union 317; LEO
    FULLER, Local Union 317; TERRY D.
    GEBMAN, Local Union 317; TED LAND;
    JAMES GEORGES, Local Union 317;
    EDWARD M. HENRY, Local Union 317;
    CHARLES B. HLADUN, Local Union
    317; JOSEPH M. LAGUZZA,
    5
    Local Union 317; THOMAS G. LARMON,
    JR., Local Union 317; DONALD G.
    PALMER, Local Union 317; CARLOS J.
    VENTURA; TIMOTHY H. REED, Local
    Union 317; WILLIAM ARIAS; TOMASZ
    BOCHENSKI; GREGORZ BOCHENSKI;
    DARIUSZ DUDKIEWICZ; KEN EGAN;
    JOSEPH A. CAPUTO, JR.; THOMAS P.
    CIAPPIO; TONY KULISH; JIM LEDWITH;
    THOMAS MCGINLEY; MAUREEN
    MCLELLAN; ANGELA MELIBRUDA; LEE
    R. NUTT; JOE PENA; LAWRENCE RYAN;
    CHARLES A. SOJKA; JAME TRACEY;
    LORRAINE VENDOLA; WAYNE WEBB;
    GEORGE A. WOODS; GEORGE BRODBECK;
    DAVID FABIAN; BLACEY FARINA;
    GEORGE FIELD; HAROLD SAYNE; ROBERT
    VOLMAR; ROBERT BLANCHARD; WILLIAM
    DASKING; THOMAS DONOHUE; DONALD
    FALCO; CHARLES GRANT; GEORGE
    KNEER; ALFRED LAURIE; GERRY
    LEMORE; FRANK PACE; MICHAEL
    PAWLUKOWICZ; STANLEY ULIKOWSKI;
    MARTIN WALTERS; FRANK YAGER; JOHN
    YAPREM; ROBERTA BLOZEN; DANIEL
    BOYLE; MIKE BYRNES; CHRIS
    CALABRESE; FRANK DELUCA; WILLIAM
    EPPS; GREG GIROUX; FRANK GROELING;
    HAROLD HANSON; ALLAN B. JACOBSON;
    AUGUST KLEIN; JOHN E. LEWIS; PAUL
    MISERENDINO; MARTY O'NEILL; HENRY
    A. PELUSO; JOHN TOLERICO; HERBERT
    VROEGINDAY; ALLARD ATTMAN;
    RICHARD COLACICCO; RUDOLPH A.
    6
    ELMQUIST; MICHAEL FARRELLY; JAMES
    B. FINAN; GLENN A. GERBOUNKIA;
    GLENN GRAHAM; RICHARD HINTERSTEIN;
    EVAN HUGHES; JOHN KOCIBAN; MIKE
    LEWIS; JOHN S. MANDELA; PETER J.
    MORRISON; WILLIAM MURPHY; FRANK
    G. PAHEGHI; WILLIAM K. PARKER;
    WALTER S. PRZYBYLSKI; FRED
    QUARTUCCIO; MARK REED; JOSEPH G.
    STABILE; ANDREW E. STOLTZ; JOHN F.
    TIEDMANN; WILLIAM VOLK; GORDON
    WRIGHT; MIKE YAWKOWSKI; CATHY
    ESSIG; JAMES J. FLESCH; DAVID FRYER;
    ROBERT D. GROSINSKI; RONALD A.
    KRYSTOFLAK; PETER MICELI; JOSEPH
    MOTA; RICHARD MURRAY; ROSE ANN
    MUSTACHIO; PHILIP V. PECORA; TONY
    PERROLLI; THOMAS ROY; JAMES
    SINATRA; DONNA ZURITA; CHARLES
    D'ANGELO; DANIEL A. DELISA; STEPHEN
    GIBKI; ANTHONY J. GIGLIO; GEORGE
    HYDE; LINDA KELLY; JOHN A. KOCH;
    JAMEST. MCDYER; JAMES P. MEDLEY;
    PETER M. OZELAS, JR.; PERCY
    PETERMAN; ROBERT PHILLIPS; KEVIN
    PISCAL; EDWIN L. TERON; LUDWIG
    THEN; THOMAS P. BORCHERT; KENNETH
    EGAN; STEPHEN JOHN FINAN; JAMES
    KUHL; ANTHONY F. KURC; JOHN
    MARIANI; ROBERT W. SOEHL; GEORGE
    M. TERNINKO; KENNETH ZASTOCKI;
    FRANCIS FARRELL; WILLIAM REILLY;
    KEVIN RYDER; STUART NEEDLEMAN;
    DANIEL FEENEY; PAUL BENOIT; HERBERT
    MCALLISTER; MICHAEL ALLEN;
    RAYMOND MAKSUT;
    7
    GARY CORMIER; CARL DOUGHERTY;
    BILL MOORE; TOM BERNIER; TIMOTHY
    NILE; ART VEZINA; HARRY CLARK;
    ALEX F. KLEINER; JAMES J. LINDNER;
    WILLIAM H. COBB; MICHAEL BERNARD;
    WILLIAM F. MYCHAYLEW; CLYDE P.
    BEST; JOHN DOWSE; CHARLES J.
    HUNTER; JOSEPH W. VELEHOSKI;
    WILLARD T. MURRAY; THOMAS
    PRENDERGAST; DENNIS B. ZURAWSKI;
    WALTER SHEDLOCK; MICHAEL F.
    MURNIN; ROY L. FOLLWEILER; WALLACE
    D. WETHERHOLD; LEE A. MENGEL; LEE
    H. SCHAPPEL; DENNIS A. DOUGHERTY;
    DANIEL E. ZIOLKOWSKI; DAVID J.
    LEINBACK; THOMAS G. ROSKO; WILLIAM
    F. GATLING; PETER L. DONOVAN; PAUL
    A. DOUGLAS; EARL SHOOP; MARYTE
    WYE; ROBERT HELTEBRIDLE; KENNETH
    SMITH; WILLIAM TORELLA; CHARLES
    HERSH; RAY SPAGUE; DAVID HERBER;
    KENNETH SHUE; HAROLD KOCH;
    GORDON L. WAGNER; WILLIAM WHITE;
    HAROLD LYNN; LESTER MILLER; DALE
    FLOYD; STEPHEN HOBDAY; DAVE
    LAUDENSLAGER; ROBERT AUKAMP; LYNN
    KIMBLE; ROBERT SHERICK; DONALD
    NEIDERMYER; KENNETH SCHELLHAMER;
    PAUL AMBROSE, JR.; JESSE E. DIXON;
    RICHARD J. BACHMAN; WILLIAM KELLY;
    RICHARD LICHTENWALNER; SIDNEY M.
    GERMAN; RICHARD MOSER; LARRY
    8
    HALLMAN; DENNIS WANAMAKER; TERRY
    SILFIES; JOE MUDLOCK; BOB
    MAKARAVAGI,
    Plaintiffs-Appellants,
    v.
    RONALD CAREY, General President of
    the International Brotherhood of
    Teamsters; DENNIS SKELTON, Vice-
    President of the International
    Brotherhood of Teamsters;
    INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
    TEAMSTERS; LOCAL 557, INTERNATIONAL
    BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS; ABF
    FREIGHT SYSTEM, INCORPORATED,
    Defendants-Appellees.
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the District of Maryland, at Baltimore.
    Alexander Harvey II, Senior District Judge.
    (CA-96-813-H, CA-96-1120)
    Argued: October 28, 1998
    Decided: December 29, 1998
    Before WILKINSON, Chief Judge, and LUTTIG and
    MOTZ, Circuit Judges.
    _________________________________________________________________
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    _________________________________________________________________
    COUNSEL
    ARGUED: Joseph Schiffer Kaufman, SCHULMAN & KAUFMAN,
    L.L.C., Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellants. James Arthur McCall,
    9
    INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS, Washing-
    ton, D.C.; Joseph Edward Santucci, Jr., MORGAN, LEWIS &
    BOCKIUS, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellees. ON BRIEF:
    Steven K. Hoffman, JAMES & HOFFMAN, P.C., Washington, D.C.;
    Alissa A. Horvitz, Lisa J. Gitnik, MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS,
    L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellees.
    _________________________________________________________________
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
    Local Rule 36(c).
    _________________________________________________________________
    OPINION
    PER CURIAM:
    Trucking company employees, laid off or reduced in seniority as
    a result of a merger, sued their employer, their local union, and the
    International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and its officers. The
    employees charged that the method for calculating seniority in the
    merged corporation violated their collective bargaining agreement,
    and that the IBT, its officers, and its locals breached their duty of fair
    representation. The district court held that the seniority calculation
    was not inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and that
    the union's actions were not arbitrary. The court therefore granted
    summary judgment to all defendants on all of the employees' claims.
    We affirm.
    I.
    In the summer of 1995 Arkansas Best Corporation (ABC), corpo-
    rate parent of Arkansas Best Freight System, Inc. (ABF), purchased
    the stock of Worldway Corporation, the parent of Carolina Freight
    Carriers Corporation and Red Arrow Freight Lines. ABC acquired
    Worldway's stock through a subsidiary and then merged Carolina
    Freight and Red Arrow into ABF. ABF, Carolina Freight, and Red
    Arrow were unionized trucking companies with a total of over 16,000
    employees and 500 freight terminals in overlapping regions through-
    10
    out the United States. With the merger, ABF intended to close several
    terminals and to lay off a number of workers.
    The employees of the three companies were members of local
    unions affiliated with the IBT. The IBT local unions and ABF, Red
    Arrow, and Carolina Freight were each signatories to the National
    Master Freight Agreement (NMFA), a collective bargaining agree-
    ment covering over 100,000 Teamsters in the trucking industry. The
    NMFA consists of thirty-nine master articles and a number of area
    supplemental agreements covering particular geographic regions.
    The NMFA requires employers who combine their operations to
    obtain the approval of a Change of Operations Committee (the Com-
    mittee) made up of an equal number of union and employer represen-
    tatives. Consistent with this requirement, on September 14 and 15,
    1995, ABF and the union convened a Committee and held hearings
    to consider the consolidation plan for the proposed merger. Approxi-
    mately 160 local unions participated in the hearings.
    Among the issues the Committee considered, and the primary issue
    in this case, was the seniority treatment of the consolidated workforce.1
    ABF and the union supported different plans. ABF suggested a hybrid
    plan designed to protect the jobs of current ABF employees. The plan
    proposed to dovetail only those Carolina Freight and Red Arrow
    employees into the ABF seniority list that were needed to do the addi-
    tional work of the combined entity, while the remaining Carolina
    Freight and Red Arrow employees would be endtailed. The IBT, on
    the other hand, claimed that a straight dovetail would be fairest to all
    of its members. The local unions were split -- some supported a
    dovetail and some supported an endtail.
    Local 557 represented employees of both ABF and Carolina
    Freight, and thus had members who favored each plan. Local 557
    _________________________________________________________________
    1 Two general methods are used for calculating employee seniority
    after a consolidation: a "dovetail," in which the seniority lists of the com-
    bining companies are merged and each employee's seniority is deter-
    mined by his actual date of hire; and an "endtail," in which the seniority
    list of one company is tacked onto the end of the seniority list of the
    other.
    11
    handled this dilemma by declining to take a position, stating instead
    that "the issue of the endtail or the dovetail remains within the con-
    fines of the committee and we know your decision will be a fair one."
    Local 557's president also quoted language from his region's area
    supplement suggesting that a dovetail should apply in the case of a
    merger and an endtail should apply in the case of an acquisition.
    After the hearings and several days of negotiations, on September
    19, 1995, the Committee approved a uniform dovetail of all employ-
    ees. The companies approved articles of merger, and ABF began
    operating using the dovetailed seniority lists. The consolidated com-
    pany closed several terminals and laid off a number of employees.
    After the merger several individuals, including Harry Gorge, a
    member of Local 557 and an ABF employee, filed unfair labor prac-
    tice charges against ABF and IBT with the National Labor Relations
    Board (NLRB). The NLRB dismissed these claims.
    The ABF employees also challenged the dovetail in grievances
    with the Committee. Upon consideration of one of the grievances the
    Committee declared that the September 19 decision was final and
    binding. The Committee denied that grievance and those of all simi-
    larly situated union members.
    In February 1996 Gorge presented a grievance to a union-
    management committee for the Maryland/D.C. region. This commit-
    tee determined that it lacked jurisdiction to review decisions of the
    Change of Operations Committee and dismissed the grievance.
    Gorge and other members of Local 557 then filed suit against IBT,
    Local 557, ABF, and two IBT officers -- its president and vice-
    president, Ronald Carey and Dennis Skelton -- in the United States
    District Court for the District of Maryland. Gorge charged that ABF
    broke its collective bargaining agreement and that the IBT, its offi-
    cers, and Local 557 violated their duty of fair representation under
    section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act, 
    29 U.S.C. § 185
    (LMRA). Gorge sought back pay, money damages, and the imposi-
    tion of an endtail. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation trans-
    ferred four similar suits to the District of Maryland, and the cases
    12
    were consolidated. After discovery the district court found for all
    defendants on cross-motions for summary judgment.
    II.
    Our review of the briefs and our consideration of the arguments of
    the parties have revealed that this appeal is without merit. Accord-
    ingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court for the reasons
    stated in that court's thorough opinion.
    A.
    With regard to the claims against the IBT, plaintiffs' principal
    argument is that the ABF consolidation was an acquisition, and that
    the area supplements therefore required an endtail of the seniority lists
    of the combining companies. In light of the language of the NMFA
    and its area supplements, however, the IBT's actions were reasonable.
    The "Supplemental Agreements are subject to and controlled by the
    terms of this Master Agreement." NMFA art. 2,§ 2(a); see also, e.g.,
    Md.-D.C. Supp. Agreement, preamble ("[The] Master Agreement
    shall prevail over the provisions of this Supplement in any case of
    conflict between the two . . . ."). The master agreement expressly
    authorizes a dovetail regardless of "whether the transaction is called
    a merger, purchase, acquisition, sale, etc." NMFA art. 5, § 2(a), (c).
    Moreover, when freight terminals are combined the Change of Opera-
    tions Committee has final and binding authority to approve the con-
    solidation plan, id. art. 5, § 2(b), art. 8, § 6(a), (d), and has the
    discretion to tailor the consolidation plan to the circumstances before
    it, id. art. 8, § 6(g).
    Given this express endorsement of dovetailing and this broad grant
    of discretion to the Committee, nothing in the IBT's conduct was "ar-
    bitrary, discriminatory, or in bad faith." Vaca v. Sipes, 
    386 U.S. 171
    ,
    190 (1967). Dovetailing "is a familiar and frequently equitable solu-
    tion to the inevitably conflicting interests which arise in the wake of
    a merger or an absorption such as occurred here." Humphrey v.
    Moore, 
    375 U.S. 335
    , 347 (1964); see also Ekas v. Carling Nat'l
    Breweries, Inc., 
    602 F.2d 664
    , 667-68 (4th Cir. 1979). The IBT was
    13
    therefore not unreasonable in sanctioning a dovetail of the consoli-
    dated workforce. Moreover, even assuming that they are subject to the
    same duties as the IBT, the Committee and its union members like-
    wise acted reasonably.2
    Furthermore, as the district court found, the consolidation of the
    trucking companies was the result of the merger of ABF, Carolina
    Freight, and Red Arrow, not the result of an acquisition. The dovetail
    was therefore consistent even with the area supplements as interpreted
    by the plaintiffs and was not arbitrary.
    B.
    The resolution of plaintiffs' other claims flows directly from this
    discussion of their claims against the IBT. As to ABF, there was no
    breach of the collective bargaining agreement. As the district court
    noted, the company's adherence to the final decision of the Commit-
    tee was not itself a breach. Moreover, ABF had no independent duty
    to deadlock the Change of Operations Committee to achieve a partic-
    ular outcome.
    As to the IBT officers, the district court appropriately found first,
    that they are not liable under the LMRA for money damages, see 
    29 U.S.C. § 185
    (b); Complete Auto Transit, Inc. v. Reis, 
    451 U.S. 401
    ,
    _________________________________________________________________
    2 Although plaintiffs contend that the IBT violated its own constitution
    by allegedly ignoring the area supplements, the district court correctly
    dismissed this argument as without merit. First, the union's constitution
    does not affect the terms of this collective bargaining agreement. Second,
    as the district court found, the specific provision cited by the plaintiffs
    does not even apply to the seniority questions at issue in this case.
    Plaintiffs additionally argue that the Change of Operations Commit-
    tee's grievance procedure violated the union's duty of fair representation.
    Again assuming arguendo that the Committee is subject to this duty, its
    actions were reasonable. The Committee met, considered one grievance
    fully, and denied it and all similar grievances. As the district court found,
    this procedure was simply not "so far outside a wide range of reasonable-
    ness as to be irrational." Air Line Pilots Ass'n, Int'l v. O'Neill, 
    499 U.S. 65
    , 67 (1991) (internal quotation marks omitted); see also Marquez v.
    Screen Actors Guild, Inc., 
    119 S. Ct. 292
    , 300 (1998).
    14
    415-17 (1981), and second, that no equitable relief would be effective
    or appropriate in these circumstances.
    Finally, it was not arbitrary for Local 557 to decline to insist on an
    endtail. Not only does the contract expressly authorize a dovetail,
    there is also no evidence that a different approach on the part of Local
    557 would have changed the decision of the Committee. Where a col-
    lective bargaining agreement "cover[s] a group or several groups of
    employees, the sole inquiry should be whether, under all the circum-
    stances, the union has considered the interests of all whom it repre-
    sents." Ekas, 
    602 F.2d at 667
    . Faced with a conflict among its own
    members, Local 557's neutral position was a reasonable one.
    III.
    For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the district
    court.
    AFFIRMED
    15