Road Sprinkler Fitters Local Union No. 669 v. Dorn Sprinkler Co.

**Union Loses Fight to Force Related Company into Arbitration** This case involved a dispute between Road Sprinkler Fitters Local Union No. 669 and two related companies: Dorn Sprinkler Company and Dorn Fire Protection, LLC. The union had a contract with Dorn Sprinkler that required disputes to be resolved through arbitration. When problems arose, the union tried to force Dorn Fire Protection into the same arbitration process, claiming the two companies were essentially the same business operating under different names (called an "alter ego" in legal terms). Both the trial court and appeals court ruled against the union. The courts found that Dorn Fire Protection was a separate, independent company from Dorn Sprinkler, despite their similar names and related business activities. Because of this separation, Dorn Fire Protection had no obligation to follow the arbitration requirements in the union's contract with the other company. This decision matters for workers because it shows that companies can potentially avoid union contract obligations by creating separate business entities. Workers and unions need to be careful about how contracts are written and which specific companies are bound by their terms, especially when dealing with related businesses that might appear to be the same employer.