Filed: Nov. 29, 2000
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-30540 Summary Calendar GLENN BROWN, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus WITCO CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana USDC No. 99-CV-3868-S - November 29, 2000 Before HIGGINBOTHAM, WIENER, and BARKSDALE, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Glenn Brown appeals the denial of a motion filed by the Witco Corporation to remand the proceedings to an arbitrator. The parties
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-30540 Summary Calendar GLENN BROWN, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus WITCO CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana USDC No. 99-CV-3868-S - November 29, 2000 Before HIGGINBOTHAM, WIENER, and BARKSDALE, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Glenn Brown appeals the denial of a motion filed by the Witco Corporation to remand the proceedings to an arbitrator. The parties c..
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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 00-30540
Summary Calendar
GLENN BROWN,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
WITCO CORPORATION,
Defendant-Appellee.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Louisiana
USDC No. 99-CV-3868-S
--------------------
November 29, 2000
Before HIGGINBOTHAM, WIENER, and BARKSDALE, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Glenn Brown appeals the denial of a motion filed by the
Witco Corporation to remand the proceedings to an arbitrator.
The parties consented to proceed to final judgment before a
magistrate judge. Both parties contend that our jurisdiction is
proper.
We have “a duty to inquire into the basis of [our]
jurisdiction and of the jurisdiction of the district court.” New
York Life Ins. Co. v. Deshotel,
142 F.3d 873, 883 (5th Cir.
1998). We “have jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined
that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent
except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.
R. 47.5.4.
No. 00-30540
-2-
of the district courts.” 28 U.S.C. § 1291. A decision is final
when it “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for
the court to do but execute the judgment.” Coopers & Lybrand v.
Livesay,
437 U.S. 463, 467 (1978) (internal quotations and
citation omitted).
The magistrate judge’s order denying a remand to the
arbitrator did not dispose of all the issues before the court.
The order endorses the arbitrator’s clarification of the original
arbitration award but does not enforce the arbitrator’s
clarification. The order also does not dispose of the Witco
Corporation’s claims that Brown is not the proper party to have
brought the lawsuit and that the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers
International Union had to be joined as a party. The magistrate
judge’s order denied Witco’s request to remand the case to
Arbitrator Britton; the order did not end the litigation and
leave nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment.
See
Livesay, 437 U.S. at 467; Sherri A.D. v. Kirby,
975 F.2d 193,
202 (5th Cir. 1992). Accordingly, the order is not a final,
appealable order.
We also note that the district court’s assumption of subject
matter jurisdiction is questionable. See Local 1351 Int’l
Longshoremens Ass’n v. Sea-Land Serv. Inc.,
214 F.3d 566, 569
(5th Cir. 2000). The Labor Management Relations Act grants
“jurisdiction over parties who are signatories to the collective-
bargaining agreement in dispute.” Sea-Land Serv.
Inc., 214 F.3d
at 570 (citations omitted). A suit by an employee against his
employer arising under § 301 of the Labor Management Relations
No. 00-30540
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Act is a hybrid claim which comprises two causes of action: one
against the employer for breach of a collective bargaining
agreement and one against the union for breach of the duty of
fair representation. See DelCostello v. International
Brotherhood of Teamsters,
462 U.S. 151, 164, 165 (1983). The
magistrate judge should consider its exercise of jurisdiction in
disposing of the proper party plaintiff and joinder issues.
Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed for lack of
jurisdiction.
APPEAL DISMISSED.