Bredhoff Scores a Pair of Important Landrum-Griffin Victories for Union Clients
August 14, 2024
Bredhoff attorneys scored a pair of important recent victories on behalf of our clients in cases arising under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (also called the Landrum-Griffin Act).
First, Bredhoff secured a complete appellate victory on behalf of the Service Employees International Union in a case arising under the trusteeship provisions of Title III of the Act and under Title I of the Act, which serves as a “Bill of Rights” for union members.
The case involved claims that the International had imposed a trusteeship on a local affiliate in retaliation for local leaders’ protected speech. But, as the Bredhoff team argued and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit agreed, those claims were without merit. The court held that the International’s purpose for imposing the trusteeship—restoring the orderly and democratic functioning of the local after years of infighting—is just the sort of legitimate purpose contemplated under Title III of the Landrum-Griffin Act, and that the plaintiff’s Title I claim could not stand because the International had successfully shown that it had a single proper purpose for imposing the trusteeship.
The case was Boardman v. SEIU, 89 F. 4th 596 (7th Cir. 2024), cert. denied No. 23-1054 (May 20, 2024). The team included attorneys Caitlin Kekacs, Derrick Rice, and Leon Dayan, with assistance from paralegal Thuy Tran.
Second, Bredhoff successfully defended the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees from an election-related challenge seeking a preliminary injunction under Title I of the Act.
The case arose after a District Council president was disciplined through the Federation’s internal procedures for violating certain financial and oversight requirements. The plaintiff challenged both the process and the penalty as a violating his Landrum-Griffin due process rights and sought a preliminary injunction in federal court setting aside his discipline. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected the challenge across the board. Carefully reviewing the record and the statute, the court found that the Federation’s disciplinary process had exceeded the Landrum-Griffin Act’s procedural requirements, defeating the plaintiff’s requested injunction.
The case was Garrett v. AFSCME District Council 33, — F. Supp. 3d —, 2024 WL 1335186 (E.D. Pa. Mar. 28, 2024). The team was attorneys Faaris Akremi, Lane Shadgett, and Robert Alexander, with assistance from paralegal Anthony Scozzafava.
Bredhoff brings deep expertise in union-governance matters and high-stakes civil litigation aimed at protecting working people and their unions. We congratulate our clients on these important victories.