Free Complaint - District Court of California - California

Case 3:07-cv-05056-PJH

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ERSKINE & TULLEY A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION MICHAEL J. CARROLL (ST. BAR #50246) 220 Montgomery Street, Suite 303 San Francisco, CA 94104 Telephone: (415) 392-5431 Facsimile: (415) 392-1978 Attorneys for Plaintiffs

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SHEET METAL WORKERS ) LOCAL 104 HEALTH CARE PLAN, BOARD OF ) TRUSTEES OF THE SHEET METAL WORKERS PENSION ) TRUST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SHEET METAL ) WORKERS LOCAL 104 VACATION, HOLIDAY SAVINGS ) PLAN; ANTHONY ASHER, TRUSTEE, ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) vs. ) ) TRI-R-STEEL FABRICATION INC., a California ) corporation ) ) Defendant. ) ____________________________________________)

NO. C 07 5056 PJH

COMPLAINT

Plaintiffs complain of defendant and for a cause of action alleges that: 1. Jurisdiction of this Court is founded upon Section 301

(c)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act of 1947 [29 U.S.C. §185(a)] and Section 502 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, said Act being hereinafter referred to as "ERISA" (29 U.S.C. §1132), in that and defendant has violated a collective thereby bargaining the

agreement COMPLAINT

certain

Trust

Agreements, 1

violating

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Case 3:07-cv-05056-PJH

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provisions of ERISA and the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act of 1947. This action is also brought pursuant to the Federal

Declaratory Judgment Act (28 U.S.C. §2201 et seq.) in a case of actual controversy between plaintiffs and defendant, and for a Judgment that defendant pay fringe benefit contributions in accordance with its contractual obligations. 2. Plaintiffs Boards of Trustees of the Trust Funds named

in the caption (hereinafter "Trust Funds") are trustees of employee benefit plans within the meaning of §§3(1) and (3) and §502(d)(1) of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §1002(1) and (3) and §1132(d)(1), and a multiemployer plan within the meaning of §§3(37) and 515 of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §§1002(37) and §1145. Plaintiff Anthony Asher is a trustee. Said

Trust Funds are authorized to maintain suit as independent legal entities under §502(d)(1) of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §1132(d)(1). 3. Plaintiffs are informed and believe and thereupon

allege that defendant, TRI-R-STEEL FABRICATION INC., a California corporation, resides and does business in Brisbane, California.

Performance of the obligations to pay fringe benefits set forth in the collective bargaining agreement is in this judicial district. ERISA

specifically authorizes Trust Funds to bring this action in the district where the plans are administered, 29 U.S.C. §1132(e)(2); the plans are administered in the Northern District of California. 4. Each and every defendant herein is the agent of each Defendants and each of them are

and every other defendant herein.

engaged in commerce or in an industry affecting commerce. 5. At all times pertinent hereto, defendant was bound by

a written collective bargaining agreement with Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 104, a labor organization in an industry affecting COMPLAINT 2

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commerce.

The aforesaid agreement provide that defendant shall make

contributions to the TRUST FUNDS, on behalf of defendant's employees on a regular basis on all hours worked, and that defendant shall be bound to and abide by all the provisions of the respective Trust Agreements and Declarations of Trust of said TRUST FUNDS (hereinafter the "Trust Agreements"). 6. The Trust Funds rely upon a self reporting system.

Defendant has unique knowledge of the amounts of contributions that it is liable to pay each month, and has a fiduciary obligation to accurately report the amount to the Trust Funds. 7. collective Defendant has breached both the provisions of the agreement and the Trust Agreements above

bargaining

referred to by failing to complete and send in monthly reports and/or to pay all moneys due thereunder on behalf of defendant's employees to the TRUST FUNDS. Said breach constitutes a violation of ERISA (29

U.S.C. 1002, et seq.) and of the National Labor Relations Act of 1947. 8. Pursuant to the terms of the collective bargaining

agreement there is now due, owing and unpaid from defendant to the TRUST FUNDS contributions for hours worked by covered employees for the months of July 2007 forward and failure to pay fringe benefits contributions in a timely manner since March 2007. Liquidated damages and interest are specifically provided for by said agreements and are now due and owing. The total amount due is unknown; additional

monthly amounts will become due during the course of this litigation and in the interest of judicial economy, recovery of said sums will be sought in this case. Interest is due and owing on all principal

amounts due and unpaid at the legal rate from the dates on which the principal amounts due accrued. COMPLAINT 3

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9.

An actual controversy exists between plaintiffs and

defendant in that plaintiffs contend that plaintiffs are entitled to a timely monthly payment of trust fund contributions now and in the future pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement and the Trust Agreements, and defendant refuses to make such payments in a timely manner. 10. The Trust Funds do not at this time seek to audit the The only issue raised in this

books and records of defendant.

complaint is defendant's failure to complete and file voluntary monthly reports and pay the contributions due. The Trust Funds seek

to obtain a judgment for any outstanding delinquent contributions based on defendant's reports and to reserve the right to audit defendant for this or any other unaudited period. 11. The Trust Agreements provide that, in the event suit

is instituted to enforce payments due thereunder, the defendant shall pay court costs and reasonable attorneys' fee. It has been necessary

for plaintiff to employ ERSKINE & TULLEY, A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION, as attorneys to prosecute the within action, and reasonable

attorneys' fee should be allowed by the Court on account of the employment by plaintiff of said attorneys. WHEREFORE, plaintiffs pray: 1. That the Court render a judgment on behalf of plaintiffs for all contributions due and owing to the date of judgment based upon unaudited reporting forms, plus liquidated damages provided for by the contract, interest at the legal rate, reasonable attorneys' fees incurred in prosecuting this action and costs. 2. That the Court enjoin the defendant from violating the

terms of the collective bargaining agreements and the Trust Agreements COMPLAINT 4

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for the full period for which defendant is contractually bound to file reports and pay contributions to the TRUST FUNDS. 3. That the Court reserve plaintiffs' contractual right to audit defendant for months prior to judgment, and in the event of such audit, collect any additional sums which may be due. 4. That the Court retain jurisdiction of this cause pending compliance with its orders. 5. For such other and further relief as the Court deems

just and proper. DATED: September 27, 2007 ERSKINE & TULLEY A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION

By:/s/Michael J. Carroll Michael J. Carroll Attorneys for Plaintiffs

COMPLAINT

5

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