# U ni t ed

S t a t es C o urt of

A p p ea l s

F O R T H E D IS T R IC T O F C O L U M B IA C IR C U IT

A rg u e d De c e m

b e r 8

, 2 0 2 0 De c id e d M arc h 5

, 2 0 2 1

No

. 2 0

- 1 0 2 7

U N I T E D F O O D AN D C O M M E R C I AL W O R K E R S U N I O N
, L O C AL
4 0 0

, P E T I T I O N E R

v

.

N AT I O N AL L ABO R R E LA T I O N S B O ARD
, R E SP O N D E N T

K R O G E R L I M I T E D P ART N E R SH I P I,

I N T E R V E N O R

On P e ti ti o n f

o r Re v ie w o f an Ord e r

o f th e Nati o n al L ab o r Re lat io n s Bo ard

A man d a M

. Ja ret arg u e d th e c au s e f

o r p e ti ti o n e r. W it

h h e r

o n th e b ri e f

s w e re Care

y R

. B u tsav a g e , P

eter J. F o rd

, an d Ja mes B

. Cop p ess

.

M il a ksh mi V

. R a j a p a kse

, A

tt o r n e y , Nati o n al L ab o r Re lat io n s Bo ard

, arg u e d th e c au s e f o r re s p o n d e n

t

. W it h h e r o n th e b ri e f w e re P

eter B

. R o b b

, Ge n e ral Co u n s e l, R u th E

. B u rd ick

, A c ti n g De

p u ty A s s o c iat e Ge n e ral Co u n s e l, Dav i d H a b en streit

, A s s is tan t Ge n e ral Co u n s e l, an d Ju li e B ro ck B ro ido

, S u p e rv is o ry A tt o rn e y

.2

K ing F

. T o w er an d F ra n k F ried man w e re o n th e b r i e f f

o r in te rv e n o r K

ro g e r L im

it e d P artn e rs h ip I in s u p p o r t o f

re s p o n d e n t.

Be f o re : S R I

N I V ASAN
, Chief Ju d

g e , H E N D E R SO N
, C i r cu it

Ju d g e , an d R

AN D O LP H
, S

en ior C ircu it Ju d g e

.

Op in io n for th e Co u rt f il e d b y S

en ior Ci rcu it Ju d

g e R AN D O LP H

.

R AN D O LP H
, S

en ior Ci rcu it Ju d

g e : U n it e d F o o d an d

Co m m e rc ial W o r k ers , L o c al 4 0 0 p e ti ti o n s f o r re v ie w o f a Nati o n al L ab o r Re lat io n s Bo ard d e c is io n d is m is s in g an u n f air

lab o r p rac ti c e c o m

p lai n t ag ain s t K

ro g e r L im

it ed P artn e rs h ip I.

3 6 8 N. L

. R. B. No

. 6 4 (20 1 9 ). T h e Bo ard c o n te n d s th at w e lac k juri s d ic ti o n to c o n s id e r L o c al 4 0 0 ’s o b je c ti o n to it s d e c is io n

.

K ro g e r o p e rate d g ro c e ry s to re s th ro u g h o u t th e M id

- A

tl anti c

re g ion

, in c lud in g S to re 5 3 8 in P o rt s m o u th

, V ir g in ia. T h e

c o m p an y le as e d s p ac e f

o r S to re 5 3 8 in a m

u lt i- te n ant sh o p p i n g

p laz a u n ti l A p ri l 1 1

, 2 0 1 5

, w

h e n K ro g e r p e rm an e n

tl y c lo s e d th e

s to re

. U n d e r th e le as e ag re e m e n t, Kr o g er c o u ld in

v o k e it s lan d lo rd ’s “n o [- ]s o li c it ati o n /n o [- ]l o it e ri n g rule ” p ro h ib it in g “a ll

s o li c it in g , lo it e ri n g , h an d

b il li n g an d p i ck eti n g f

o r an y c au s e o r

p u rp o s e w

h ats o e v e r

. . . w it

h in t h e P a r k in g A

re as an d Co m

m o n F ac il it ie s

. ” 3 6 8 N. L

. R. B. No

. 6 4 at * 2

. A M arc h 2 0 1 4 le tt e r f ro m th e lan d lo rd to K

ro g e r s tat e d th at th e p ro s c ri p t i o n a p p li e d

to “a n y p ro te s ti n g , d e m o n st r a ti n g , p ic k e ti n g , h an d b il li n g , o r

re lat e d d is rup ti v e ac ti v it ie s o n th e p re mi ses

. . . (w h e th e r o r n o t
in v o lv in g a l ab o r u n io n )[. ]” Id. at * 3

. 1

A s t o t he re a s on fo r t

he l a nd l or d’ s 20 14 l e t

t e r, t he on l y e v i de nc e 1

wa s t he s ur m i s e of a fo rm e r St or e 53 8 m a na g e r, i n t e s t i m on y a t t h e he a ri ng on t h e c o mp l a i

nt

, t ha t he “ be l i e v e [d t he l e t t e r] w a s du e t o t

he

fa c t t ha t t he Uni on ha d c om e a

nd w a nt e d t o do s om e s ol

i c i t a t i on a t t he3

Ov e r th e y e ars , K

ro g e r d id n o t o b

je c t to c h arit ab le an d c iv ic

g ro u p s w h o s o u g h t to r a i s e f

u n d s o r p ro m o te th e ir o rg an iz ati o n in f ro n t o f S to re 5 3 8

. T h e s e g ro u p s in c lud e d th e Gi rl S c o u ts

, th e L io n s Cl u b

, th e S alv ati o n A rm y (w h ic h the c o m

p an y ’s p o li c y

s u p p o rt e d), a b re as t- c an c e r aw are n e s s g ro u p , th e A m e ri c an Re d

Cr o s s , an d lo c al f

ir efi g h te rs

. On o n e o c c as io n , a K ro g e r

m an ag e r d id as k a c h

u rc h g ro u p to le av e , b u t th e g ro u p re turn e d

s e v e ral ti m e s w it

h o u t in c id e n

t.

W h e n K ro g e r d e c id e d to c lo s e S to re 5 3 8

, te n s io n s m o u n te d

. L o c al 4 0 0 re

p re s e n te d a u n it o f e m

p l o y e e s at th e s to re

. K

ro g e r

g av e th e e m

p lo y e e s th e o p ti o n o f tr an s f e rri n g to o ther K

ro g e r

s to re s , b u t n o t to tw o n e w ly -op e n e d s to re s n e arb y

. T h e u n io n

o p p o s e d K

ro g e r’s d e c is io n

. In th e s h o p p in g c e n te r p ark in g lo t,

tw o u n io n ag e n

ts

— w h o w e re n o t K

ro g e r e m p lo y e e s

— b e g an

s o li c it in g K

ro g e r c u s to m e rs to s ig

n a b o y c o tt p e ti ti o n

. T h e s to re

m an ag e r p re s e n

te d th e lan d lo rd ’s 2 0 1 4 le tt e r to th e u n io n ag e n ts

an d a sk e d th e m to le av e

. T h e y re f u s e d an d s tat e d th at “th e y

w o u ld o n ly li s te n to th e b lue [. ]” J. A

. 4 2

. A K ro g e r m an ag e r

c all e d th e p o li c e

. A f

te r th e p o li c e arriv e d

, th e u n io n m e m b e rs d e p arte d

.

L o c al 4 0 0 c h arg e d Kr o g e r w it h v io lat in g § 8 (a)(1) o f th e Nati o n al L ab o r Re lat io n s A c t. T h e A c ti n g Re g io n al Di re c to r 2

is s u e d a c o m

p lai n t, all e g in g tha t K

ro g e r v io lat e d th e A c t b y “s e le c ti v e ly an d d is

p ara te ly ” e n f

o rc in g th e p o li c y s e t f

o rt h in th e le as e an d in th e lan d lo rd ’s le tt e r. J. A

. 1 2 4

– 2 5

.

s t or e

. ” J. A

. 66

.

“ I t s ha l l be a

n un fa i r l a bo r pra c t i c e fo r a

n e m pl oy e r — 2 (1 ) t o i nt e rf e re w i t h, re s t ra i n, or c oe rc e e m

pl oy e e s i n t he e x e rc i s e of r i gh t s g

ua ra nt e e d i n s e c t i on 15 7 of t

hi s t i t l e [.]” Na

t i on a l L a bo r
R e l a t i on s A c t of 19 35 § 8( a )( 1)

, 29 U. S. C

. § 15 8( a ).4

NL R B v. B a b co ck & W

il co x Co.

, 3 5 1 U

. S

. 1 0 5

, 1 1 2 (19 5 6 ),

h e ld th at th e A c t d o e s n o t g iv e n o n

- e m p lo y e e u n io n ag e n

ts a ri g h t to e n te r an e m p lo y e r’s p ro p e rt

y an d d i str ib u te li te rature

u n l e s s th e e m

p lo y e r “d is c ri m in ate [s ] ag ain s t th e u n io n b y all o w in g o th e r d is tr ib u ti o n

. ” Cf

. W a rema rt F

o o d s v. NL R B

, 3 5 4

F

. 3 d 8 7 0 (D. C. Ci r. 2 0 0 4 ). T h e S u p re m e Co u rt d id n o t e lab o rate

o n th is “d is c ri m in ati o n ” e x ce p t i o n

. A Bo ard d e c is io n in te rp re ti n g B a b co ck s tat e d th at if th e e m p lo y e r all o w s “s u b s tan ti al c iv ic

, c h arit ab le

, an d p ro m o ti o n al a ct i v it ie s , ” th e n it c an n o t “p ro h i b i t th e d is s e m in ati o n o f m e s s ag e s p ro te c te d b y

t h e Act o n it s p ri v ate p ro p e rt y [. ]” S a n d u sky M a ll Co.

, 3 2 9

N. L

. R. B. 6 1 8

, 6 2 2 ( 1 9 9 9 ), en f’ t den ied

, S

a n d u sky M a ll Co. v. NL R B

, 2 4 2 F

. 3 d 6 8 2 (6th Ci r. 2 0 0 1 ).

T h e Bo ard ’s Ge n e ral Co u n s e l arg u e d th at g iv en S a n d u sky

M a ll

, K ro g er h a d v io lat e d § 8 (a)(1). K ro g e r c o m

m it te d th is

u n f air lab o r p r a ct ic e b e c au s e it h ad n o t e n f o rc e d th e p o li c y in

th e le as e an d in th e 2 0 1 4 le tt e r ag ain s t

— f o r e x am p le

— th e Gi rl S c o u ts o r th e S alv ati o n A rm y , b u t h ad in

v o k e d it w

h e n

u n io n m e m

b e rs s o u g h

t to c o n v in c e c u s to m e rs to b o y c o tt K ro g e r

s to re s

. T h e Ge n e ral Co u n s e l p re s e n te d n o o th e r b as is

, n o o th e r

arg u m e n t, n o o th e r re as o n f

o r f in d in g a v io lat io n

.

T h e ad m in is tr ati v e law jud g e , re ly in g e n ti rel y o n th e S a n d u sky M a ll rati o n ale

, ag re e d wi t h th e Ge n e ral Co u n s e l an d

f o u n d th at K

ro g e r h ad v io lat e d § 8 (a)(1).

On Kr o g e r’s ad

m in is tr ati v e ap p e al, th e Bo ard s e t as id e S a n d u s k y M a ll an d s im

il ar c as e s an d ad o p te d a rule f ro m

a n o th e r o f it s p o s t-

B a b co ck d e c is io n s : “a n e m p l o y er 3

d is c ri m in ate s wi t h in th e m e an in g o f th e B a b co ck d is c ri m in ati o n

e x c e p ti o n w h e n it tr e ats n o n [- ]e m

p l o y ee ac ti v it ie s th at are

J e an C ou nt ry , 29 1 N. L

. R

. B

. 11

, 12 n.3 (19 88 ). 35

s im il ar in n atu r e d i sp a rate ly [. ]” 3 6 8 N. L

. R. B. No

. 6 4 at * 1 5

. 4

T h e Bo ard th e n d is m is s e d th e c o m p la i n t b e c au s e th e ac ti v it ie s K ro g e r h ad a l l o wed w e re n o t c o m p ara b le to L o c al 4 0 0 ’s e f

f o rt s

to d is s u ad e c u s to m e rs f

ro m p atro n iz in g K

ro g e r s to re s

.

M e m b e r M c F e rran d is s e n

te d

. S h e a rg

u e d

, am o n g o th e r

t h i n g s, th at th e Bo ard c o u ld f in d a v io lat io n b e c au s e th e lan d lo rd ’s 2 0 1 4 le tt e r e s tab li s h e d th at K ro g e r ac te d w it

h u n io n “a n im u s

. ” Id. at * 2 2

. T h e Bo ard m ajo ri ty h el d th at th e

arg u m e n t w as n o t p ro p e rl y b e f

o re it

. T h e Ge n e ral Co u n s e l h ad

n o t p re s e n

te d t h e a r g

u m e n t an d th e e v id e n c e s u p p o rt in g it w as

“ sl i m at b e s t. ” Id. at * 1 7 n

. 2 3

. L o c al 4 0 0 d id n o t s e ek

re c o n s id e rati o n an d

, in s te ad

, f il e d th is p e ti ti o n f

o r jud ic ial

re v ie w

.

Our j u ri s d ic ti o n is li m it e d in th e f o ll o w in g re s p e c t: “No

o b je c ti o n th a t h a s n o t b e e n u rg e d b e f o re th e Bo ard

, it s m e m

b e r,

ag e n t, o r ag en cy , sh all b e c o n s id e re d b y th e c o u rt

, u n le s s th e f ail u re o r n e g le c t to u rg e s u c h o b j ec t i o n s h all b e e x c u s e d

b e c au s e o f e x tr ao rd in ary c ir c u m s tan c e s

. ” 2 9 U

. S

. C. § 1 6 0 ( e);

s e e W o elke & R o mero F

ra mi n g

, Inc

. v. NL

R B

, 4 5 6 U

. S

. 6 4 5

, 6 6 5

– 6 6 (19 8 2 ). “In e ac h c as e , th e c ri ti c al in q u ir y is w h e th e r th e

o b je c ti o n s m ad e b e f

o re th e Bo ard w e re ad e q u at e t o p u t th e Bo ard o n n o ti c e th at the i ssu e m ig h t b e p u rs u e d o n ap p e al. ”

Con so l. F

r e i g h tw a ys v. NL R B

, 6 6 9 F

. 2 d 7 9 0

, 7 9 4 (D. C. Ci r. 1 9 8 1 ). A d is s e n

ti n g m e m b e r’s d is c u s s io n o f an is s u e is n o t

T he B oa rd no t e d t h a

t no t on l y t he Si x t h C i rc ui t bu t a l s o ot he r 4

c i rc ui t s di s a g re e d w i t h Sa nd usk y M al l

. 36 8 N. L

. R

. B

. No. 64 a t *8 –9 ;

se e

, e

. g. , Sa l mon R un Sh op

pin g C t r

. LLC v

. N

LR B

, 53 4 F. 3d 10 8,

11 6– 17 (2 d C i

r. 20 08 ); B e -Lo St

ore s v

. N LR B

, 12 6 F. 3d 26 8, 28 4– 85 (4 t h Ci r. 19 97 ).

L oc a l 40 0 ha s no t c ha l l e ng e d t he B oa rd ’s dec i s i on t o s e t a s i de

Sa nd usk y M al l ’s i nt e rp re t a t i on of B ab c oc

k

.6

e n o u g h

. HT

H Co r p

. v. NL R B

, 8 2 3 F

. 3 d 6 6 8

, 6 7 3 (D. C. Ci r. 2 0 1 6 ); E n ter. L ea sing Co. o

f F la. v. NL R B

, 8 3 1 F

. 3 d 5 3 4

, 5 5 1 (D. C. Ci r. 2 0 1 6 ); Con trac tors’ L a b

. P o o l, In c. v. NL

R B

, 3 2 3

F

. 3 d 1 0 5 1

, 1 0 6 1

– 6 2 (D. C. Ci r. 2 0 0 3 ).

T h e juri s d ic ti o n al b ar s e rv e s “[t]h e d u al th e m e s o f n o ti c e

an d ad jud ic ato ry e f

f ic ie n c y [. ]” L o ca l 9 0 0

, Int’l Unio n o f E lec.,

R a d i o & Ma c h

. W

o rke rs v. NL

R B

, 7 2 7 F

. 2 d 1 1 8 4

, 1 1 9 1 (D. C.
Ci r. 1 9 8 4 ). “[W ]e are b o u n d b y it

. ” Hea lt h B ridg e M

g mt

. , L L C

v. NL R B

, 7 9 8 F

. 3 d 1 0 5 9

, 1 0 6 9 (D. C. Ci r. 2 0 1 5 ).

A s th e Bo ard p o in

te d o u t, th e c o m

p lai n t an d th e Ge n e ral

Co u n s e l all e g e d o n ly “d is c ri min ato ry e n f o rc e m e n t. ” 3 6 8

N

. L

. R. B. No

. 6 4 at * 1 7

. T h u s , th e c o m

p lai n t c h arg e d Kr o g er

w it h “s e le c ti v e ly an d d is

p ara te ly ” e n f

o rc in g th e n o

- s o li c it ati o n

p o li c y

. J. A

. 1 2 4

. T h e Ge n e ral Co u n s e l’ s o p e n in g s tat e m e n t a t
th e h e arin g re af

f ir m e d th at th e c as e p re s e n

te d th is “s in g le is s u e

. ”

J. A

. 4 0

. T h e Ge n e ral Co u n s e l’ s b ri e f s als o s tat e d t h a t “ [ t] h is

c as e p re s e n

ts a si n g u lar is s u e : w

h e th e r [K ro g e r]

. . . d is

p ara te ly

an d d is c ri m in ato ri ly e n f

o rc e d a n o [- ]s o li c it ati o n

/n o [- ]l o it e ri n g rule ag ain s t th e U

n io n [. ]” J. A

. 1 7 7

, 1 4 8

. T h e s am e is tr u e o f

L o c al 4 0 0

. S

ee J. A

. 2 0 2

– 1 1

. E v e n af te r th e Bo ard ’s d e c is io n

an d M e m b e r M c F e rran ’s d is c u s s io n o f a d if f e re n t th e o ry , L o c al

4 0 0 d id n o t s e e k re c o n s id e rati o n

. It rais e d th e Bo ard d is s e n te r’s
th e o ry f o r th e f ir s t ti m e in th is c o u rt

. T h at w as n o t e n o u g h

.

L o c al 4 0 0 p re s e n

ts tw o re aso n s f

o r av o id in g th e b ar in 2 9

U

. S

. C. § 1 6 0 (e ).

F ir s t, L o ca l 4 0 0 all e g e s th at it s arg u m e n t is c o n s is te n

t w it h

th e Ge n e r a l C o u n s e l’ s d is p ara te e n f

o rc e m e n t arg u m e n

t. It

c o n te n d s th at th e Bo ard “re s ts o n a f au lt y e f f o r t t o d r a w d is ti n c ti o n s b e tw e e n c ate g o ri e s o f d is c ri m in ati o n c as e s

. ” P e t’ r’s

Re p ly Br

. 7

. It is tr

u e th at th e u lt im ate is s u e w as d is c ri m in ati o n

. B u t th e re w e re d if

f e re n t p ath s to g e t th e re

. Comp a re F o u r B7

Corp

. v. NL

R B

, 1 6 3 F

. 3 d 1 1 7 7

, 1 1 8 4 (10 th C i r

. 1 9 9 8 ) (an ti

u n io n an im

u s ), a n d Can n o n d

a le Corp

. , 3 1 0 N. L

. R. B. 8 4 5

, 8 4 9 (19 9 3 ) (d is c ri m in ato ry p ro m u lg ati o n )

, w it

h S a n d u sky M a ll Co.

, 5

3 2 9 N. L

. R. B. at 6 2 7

– 2 8 (d is p ara te e n f

o rc e m e n t)

. T h e

p ro c e e d in g s b e lo w f

o c u s e d s o le ly o n d is

p ara te en f

o rc e m e n t o f

th e p o li c y , n o t o n w

h e th e r K ro g e r o th e rw

is e h arb o r ed an im o s it

y

to w ard th e u n io n

. M o re o v e r, th e Bo ard m a j o r i ty tr e ate d

M e m b e r M c F e rran ’s arg u m e n

t as a s e p ara te th e o ry in

te n d e d to
“i n d ep en d e n

tl y e s tab li s h [] a v io lat io n o f S e c ti o n 8 (a)(1).” 3 6 8

N. L

. R. B. No

. 6 4 a t * 2 2 ; see id. at * 1 7 n

. 2 2

. A n d th e m ajo ri ty

v ie w e d it as ad d

re s s in g a s e p ara te q

u e s ti o n : w

h e th e r “[ Kr o g e r]

p ro m u lg ate d ac c e s s re s tr ic ti o n s i n re s p o n s e to u n io n ac ti v it y [. ]”
Id. at * 1 7

.

S e c o n d

, L o c al 4 0 0 arg u es t h at it rais e d it s th e o ry in th e

a d mi n is tr ati v e p ro c e e d in g s b y re f e rri n g to th e lan d lo rd ’s 2 0 1 4

le tt e r. It p o in

ts to th e ad

m in is tr ati v e law jud g e ’ s s tat e m e n t th at
th e le tt e r “c le arly targ e te d u n io n s an d o th e r g r o u p s[. ]” J. A

. 3 6

. No o n e d is

p u te s th at L o c al 4 0 0 m e n

ti o n e d th e le tt e r. But m e re ly

in c lud in g e v id e n c e th at c o u ld s u p p o rt an o b je c ti o n is n o t t h e

s am e as u rg in g th e o b

je c ti o n it s e lf

. Oral A rg

. 5 :51

– 6 :51

.

De s p it e th is f ail u re , w e c o u ld c o n s id e r th e o b je c ti o n u n d e r

e x tr ao rd in ary c ir c u m s tan c e s

. 2 9 U

. S

. C. § 1 6 0 (e ). Ye t L o c al

4 0 0 h as f o rf e it e d th at to o

. It n e v e r ev en a ll e g e d e x tr ao rd in ary

c ir c u m s tan c e s in it s o p e n in g b ri e f ( o r in it s re p ly b ri e f ). S ee A lT a mi mi v. A d

elso n , 9 1 6 F

. 3 d 1

, 6 (D. C. Ci r. 2 0 1 9 ).

C an no nd al e po i nt s ou t t ha t i t “ i s s e t t l e d l a w t ha t a n ot he rw i s e 5

v a l i d no -s ol

i c i t a t i o n no -d i s t

ri bu t i on ru l e v

i ol a t e s t he A c t ‘w

he n i t i s

pr om ul g a t e d t o i nt e rf e re w i t h t he e m pl o yee ri g ht t o s e l f- or g a

ni z a t i on

ra t he r t ha n t o m a i nt a i n pr od uc t i on a n d d i sc i

pl i ne

. ’ Harry M

. St e v e ns Se rv i c e s , 27 7 NL R

B 2 7 6 ( 1 9 8 5)

, c i

t i ng c a s e s

. Se e a l s o M

ac k ’s

Su pe rmark e t s , 28 8 NL R

B 10 82

, 10 96 -1 09 7 (1 98 8)

. ” 31 0 N. L

. R

. B

. a t
84 9.8

In s u m , § 1 6 0 (e ) b ars u s f ro m re v ie w in g L o c al 4 0 0 ’s

o b je c ti o n

. A c c o rd in g ly

, w e d is m is s th e p e ti ti o n f o r jud ic ial

re v ie w

.

S o o rd ere d

.