PITTSBURGH – A hand tools company alleges that an arbitrator in a union dispute exceeded his authority.
Channellock Inc. filed a complaint and petition to vacate arbitration award on Oct. 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against United Steelworkers, Local 1917-03.
According to the complaint, the defendant filed a grievance against the plaintiff on March 22 over allegations the plaintiff had violated a bargaining agreement when an employee was discharged. The suit states the parties went into arbitration on Aug. 3 before arbitrator Gerald B. Chattman, who sustained the grievance and ordered the employee's reinstatement.
The plaintiff alleges Chattman exceeded his authority under the agreement and that the award "manifestly disregards the law."
The plaintiff seeks requests that the court vacate the opinion and award issued. It is represented by Mark J. Kuhar of Knox, McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett PC in Erie.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania case number 1:17-cv-00295-LPL