Federal Circuits, D.C. Cir. (March 23, 1970)
Docket number: 22088
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US Code - Title 29: Labor - 29 USC 158 - Sec. 158. Unfair labor practices
U.S. Supreme Court - NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co., 395 U.S. 575 (1969)
U.S. Supreme Court - Howell Chevrolet Co. v. NLRB, 346 U.S. 482 (1953)
U.S. Supreme Court - Regal Knitwear Co. v. NLRB, 324 U.S. 9 (1944)
Mr. Jacob Sheinkman, New York City, for petitioner in No. 22,088.
Mr. Carmack Cochran, Nashville, Tenn., for petitioner in Nos. 22,568 and 22,569 and intervenor McEwen Mfg. Co. in No. 22,088.Mr. Seth D. Rosen, Attorney, National Labor Relations Board, of the bar of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, pro hac vice, by special leave of court, for respondent. Messrs. Arnold Ordman, General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board, Dominick L. Manoli, Associate General Counsel, Marcel Mallet-Prevost, Asst. General Counsel, and Herman M. Levy, Attorney, National Labor Relations Board, were on the brief for respondent.Mr. Wilson Sims, Nashville, Tenn., for intervenor Washington Industries, Inc.Before WRIGHT, LEVENTHAL and ROBB, Circuit Judges.PER CURIAM:This appeal consolidates various competing petitions to review, modify, set aside, and enforce an order of the National Labor Relations Board holding that the McEwen Manufacturing Company had violated Sections 8(a)(1) and 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act1 during the course of an organizational campaign and representation election involving the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, AFL-CIO. The company seeks to set aside the finding of 8(a)(1) and 8(a)(5) violations and the Board order to bargain with the union. The union petitions for review of the Board's finding that McEwen and its parent, Washington Industries, Inc., were not joint employers under the Act; for review of the Board's decision that McEwen had lawfully established a nosolicitation rule; and to require the Board to order certain additional remedies. We reject these challenges to the Board's decision and enforce its order.* The Board found that a letter and speech by McEwen's president to all employees just before the election warning that the plant might be closed if the union won, and the 'extensive and widespread acts of interrogation and intimidation' of employees by company supervisors violated Section 8(a)(1).2 After a careful review of the record, we find that substantial evidence supports this finding.The company argues that in any event its Section 8(a)(1) violations may not serve as a predicate for the Board's order to bargain. The Supreme Court last term made it clear in NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co.3 that 'if the Board finds that the possibility of erasing the effects of past practices and of ensuring a fair election (or a fair rerun) by the use of traditional remedies, though present, is slight and that employee sentiment once expressed through cards would, on balance, be better protected by a bargaining order, then such an order should issue * * *.'4 We find substantial evidence to support the Board's conclusion that the interrogation by company supervisors and the speech and letter from the company president made the holding of a fair election impossible.5The company, however, challenges the Board's finding that on May 28, 1966, the union had valid authorization cards from a majority of the employees. The company's basic contention is that some of the authorization cards were obtained by union misrepresentations, the signers being told that the 'signatures were being obtained for the purpose of holding an election, (and) that the signer would have the opportunity to vote (for or against the union) at the election.' Cards like those in question here which clearly and unambiguously designate the union as the signer's bargaining agent can be used to show a union's strength unless the union representatives in obtaining the cards 'deliberately and clearly cancell (the clear language of the card) with words calculated to direct the signer to disregard and forget the language above his signature.' Since elections usually follow even when authorization cards are solicited, a representation that there will be an election does not of itself invalidate the cards.6The company also contends that the cards of 18 employees are invalid because those employees were never called before the trial examiner to identify their signatures. However, the courts have not imposed any requirement of authentication by the signer personally; testimony by one who witnessed the signature is adequate. Colson Corporation v. N.L.R.B., 8 Cir., 347 F.2d 128, 134, cert. denied,Try vLex for FREE for 3 days
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