George R. Williams v. Pacific Maritime Association a Non-Profit Corporation

This is an interlocutory appeal, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292 (b), from a district court order striking the fourth and fifth claims of the fourth amended complaint, and dismissing the entire action as to the personal defendants. The background facts concerning this complex litigation are set forth in Williams v. Pacific Maritime Association, 384 F.2d 935 (9th Cir. 1967).

In the fourth and fifth claims plaintiffs alleged that the personal defendants, who are officers and executive officials of defendant unions, engaged in a civil conspiracy to bring about the wrongful deregistration and discharge of plaintiffs. By reason of the wrongs alleged in those claims, each of the plaintiffs sought punitive damages against defendants in the amount of $100,000. Defendants moved to strike these claims on the ground that, under federal labor law, no monetary damages may be recovered from individuals based upon their conduct as members or officials of a labor union, and no punitive damages may be recovered from a union or its members and officials based upon union activity. The district court did not state its reasons for granting the motion; we therefore presume that it did so on the grounds…