Athearn

MEMORANDUM *

Appellants, thirteen current and former employees of Alaska Airlines, Inc., brought suit against Alaska Airlines and their former manager, Jerald Kvasnikoff, alleging that they had been the victims of widespread discrimination at Alaska Airlines’ station in Juneau, Alaska. In a series of fifteen separate summary judgment orders, the district court dismissed each of Appellants’ claims. In addition, the district court sanctioned Appellants’ counsel $39,638.69 for the unnecessary proceedings that resulted from her “unreasonable and vexatious” litigation tactics. Appellants appeal both the summary judgment orders and the award of sanctions. We affirm.

Appellants raise three challenges to the district court’s summary judgment orders. First, Appellants challenge the district court’s finding that their claims of discrimination based upon union affiliation were barred by res judicata. We review this claim de novo. Littlejohn v. United States, 321 F.3d 915, 919 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 985 , 124 S.Ct. 486 , 157 L.Ed.2d 377 (2003). “Res judicata is applicable whenever there is (1) an identity of claims, (2) a final judgment on the merits, (3) privity between the…