Lattimer-Stevens Co. v. United Steelworkers of America, District 27 (913 F.2d 1166, 1990)

ZATKOFF, District Judge.

Plaintiff-appellant Lattimer-Stevens Company (hereinafter “Company”) appeals from the summary judgment of the district court in favor of defendant-appellee United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO (hereinafter “Union”). In granting the summary judgment, the district court affirmed an arbitrator’s decision in favor of the Union. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

The Company and the Union entered into a three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (hereinafter “CBA”) effective September 12, 1984. The CBA had a broad grievance procedure that culminated in binding arbitration. Following the execution of the 1984 CBA, a member of the Union employed by the Company filed a grievance raising an issue of contract interpretation concerning a longevity pay increase provided for in the contract. That grievance was eventually submitted to arbitration, and the arbitrator issued an Opinion and Award on January 30, 1986 resolving the matter in favor of the Union.

The dispute in this case concerns the arbitrator’s interpretation of Article XXIV of the 1984 CBA, which reads as follows:

In addition to the pay increases described herein, all Tier 1 employees shall receive a longevity increase of 15