Case Summary (G.R. No. 256091)
Collective Bargaining Agreement and Union Conflict
The original collective bargaining agreement included a closed shop clause, which stipulated that only members of the United Seamen’s Union could be employed. Despite being members of the United Seamen’s Union, the petitioners chose to affiliate with a rival organization, the General Maritime Stevedores Union of the Philippines. This affiliation led them to file a petition for a certification election on April 30, 1958, with the Court of Industrial Relations to ascertain which union would rightfully represent the unlicensed crew members.
Termination Notice and Legal Action
Following the filing of the certification election petition, the United Seamen’s Union demanded the termination of the petitioners' employment, citing the closed shop agreement. This demand resulted in the petitioners seeking declaratory relief and a preliminary injunction from the Court of First Instance of Manila to invalidate the relevant provision of the closed shop agreement. The court granted the injunction on July 25, 1958, preventing the respondents from terminating the petitioners.
Court Rulings and Permanent Injunction
After a trial, the Court of First Instance issued a permanent injunction on February 6, 1959, confirming the petitioners' employment status. The case was subsequently appealed to a higher court. In the interim, the petition for certification election filed in the Court of Industrial Relations was dismissed on grounds that an existing collective bargaining agreement was still in effect with the United Seamen's Union.
Dismissal of the Petition
An appeal against the dismissal of the certification election (G. R. No. L-14689) was resolved on July 26, 1960, directing a certification election to determine the appropriate bargaining representative for the employees. Subsequently, on April 25, 1967, the court addressed the current case, indicating that the issues may have become moo
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Case Background
- The case involves individual petitioners who were unlicensed crew members working on vessels owned by respondent Adriano Chua Joy, operating under the name South Sea Shipping Lines.
- The United Seamen's Union of the Philippines represented the employees and had a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the employer that was executed on June 28, 1957, lasting for two years and containing a closed shop clause.
- The petitioners, while still members of the United Seamen's Union, affiliated with a rival organization, the General Maritime Stevedores Union of the Philippines.
Events Leading to the Dispute
- On April 30, 1958, the petitioners, as members of the General Maritime Stevedores Union, filed a petition for a certification election with the Court of Industrial Relations to decide which union should represent the unlicensed crew members.
- Upon learning of this petition, the United Seamen's Union demanded the employer terminate the petitioners' services, claiming it was in accordance with the closed shop agreement.
- The petitioners sought declaratory relief and a preliminary injunctio