ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis labor union alleges the Bi-State Development Agency of Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District has failed to comply with an arbitration award regarding the termination of an employee.
Amalgamated Transit Union Division 788, et al. filed a complaint on Sept. 21 in the St. Louis 22nd Judicial Circuit Court against Bi-State Development Agency of Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District, doing business as Metro, alleging breach of contract and a petition for confirmation of an arbitration award.
According to the complaint, the parties are under a collective bargaining agreement effective through June 2019. The suit states on Aug. 18, an arbitrator issued an opinion and award that defendant had sufficient cause to discipline plaintiffs' member grievant Michael Eleby, but failed to establish that it had sufficient cause to discharge him. The defendant was directed to immediately reinstate Eleby without any loss of seniority, but without back pay, the suit states, but the defendant has not done so.
The plaintiffs hold Bi-State Development Agency of Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District responsible because the defendant allegedly failed and refused to comply with the terms of the arbitration award.
The plaintiffs seek an order to reinstate Eleby and judgment for his lost wages and benefits during the period of defendant's noncompliance with the arbitration award, and award for attorney's fees, costs and all other relief deemed proper and just. They are represented by James P. Faul and Matthew J. Gierse of Hartnett Gladney Hetterman LLC in St. Louis.
St. Louis 22nd Judicial Circuit Court case number 1822-CC11268