Judge: Armen Tamzarian, Case: 24STCV08289, Date: 2025-01-22 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 24STCV08289    Hearing Date: January 22, 2025    Dept: 52

Defendants PPG Industries, Inc. and Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation’s Motion for Stay of Proceedings

Defendants PPG Industries, Inc. and Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation move to stay this action by plaintiff Jose Moreno.  Defendants argue the court should do under the doctrine of exclusive concurrent jurisdiction or via the court’s inherent authority.  The court will stay the action under its inherent authority.  The court therefore need not and does not reach the issue of exclusive concurrent jurisdiction.

Staying this action will serve the interest of judicial economy.  “Trial courts generally have the inherent power to stay proceedings in the interests of justice and to promote judicial efficiency.”  (Freiberg v. City of Mission Viejo (1995) 33 Cal.App.4th 1484, 1489.)   Plaintiff brings a representative action under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).  Defendants show that another aggrieved employee has already brought a PAGA action against Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation in Jovani Orozco v. Sierracin/Sylmar Corp., case No. 23STCV26564.  (Davoudian Decl., ¶ 2, Exs. 1-2.) 

Proceeding with this action along with the prior action would be inefficient.  The PAGA claims significantly overlap.  Judgment in the former action would bind all aggrieved employees.  (Arias v. Superior Court (2009) 46 Cal.4th 969, 986.)  “[T]here is no mechanism for opting out of the judgment entered on the PAGA claim.”  (Robinson v. Southern Counties Oil Company¿(2020) 53 Cal.App.5th 476, 482.)  The court finds staying this action appropriate because the earlier action could result in a binding adjudication of some of plaintiff’s claims.  

Defendants PPG Industries, Inc. and Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation’s motion to stay proceedings is granted.  The court hereby stays the entire action pending resolution of Jovani Orozco v. Sierracin/Sylmar Corp., case No. 23STCV26564.