Meeks v. South Bend Freight Lines, Inc.

This appeal is taken from a judgment entered by the trial court against plaintiff, Bruce Meeks, following a bench trial upon a stipulated set of facts and legal memoranda of the parties. Plaintiff’s cause of action was based in contract and sought to collect vacation pay allegedly due to him from his employer, South Bend Freight Lines, Inc., defendant, under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

The essential question on appeal is whether the trial court correctly interpreted the collective bargaining agreement to mean that plaintiff’s only remedies were the grievance procedures…