Source: https://casetext.com/case/nlrb-v-ortronix-inc
Timestamp: 2019-10-17 15:36:54
Document Index: 443893545

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 151', '§ 160', '§ 160', '§ 160', '§ 102', '§ 1001']

N.L.R.B. v. Ortronix, Inc, 380 F.2d 737 | Casetext
N.L.R.B. v. Ortronix, Inc.
380 F.2d 737 (5th Cir. 1967)
N.L.R.B.v.Ortronix, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth CircuitOct 12, 1967
N.L.R.B. v. Smith Industries, Inc.
See, e.g., Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath, 341 U.S. 123, 71 S.Ct. 624, 95 L.Ed. 817 (1951)…
N.L.R.B. v. Titche-Goettinger Company
However, because of the 2 challenged votes which were neither opened nor counted (see Board brief p. 5, n.…
July 11, 1967. Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc Denied October 12, 1967.
Marcel Mallet-Prevost, Asst. Gen. Counsel, Eugene B. Granof, Atty., N.L.R.B., Washington, D.C. Arnold Ordman, General Counsel, Dominick L. Manoli, Associate General Counsel, Lawrence M. Joseph, Atty., N.L.R.B., for petitioner.
Norman F. Burke, Orlando, Fla., van den Berg, Gay Burke, Orlando, Fla., for respondent.
Petitioner, N.L.R.B., seeks enforcement of its order of December 13, 1965 directed to respondent, Ortronix, by which it found that respondent violated Sections 8(a)(5) and (1) of the National Labor Relations Act ( 29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq.) by refusing to bargain with the Union (Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, AFL-CIO), which was certified by the Board following a representation election. The unfair labor practice charge was made by the Board without a hearing on the merits, the trial examiner having granted the General Counsel's motion for judgment on the pleadings, which was affirmed by the Board (156 N.L.R.B. No. 1). We hold that the action of the Board is arbitrary and unreasonable because under the circumstances of the case there were material disputed facts which required a hearing on the merits as provided for by Sections 10(b) and 10(c) of the Act ( 29 U.S.C. § 160).
The applicable provisions in pertinent part read as follows: ( 29 U.S.C. § 160)
( 29 U.S.C. § 160)
On September 20, 1963, the Union filed its petition seeking to represent the company's production and maintenance employees. The Regional Director held a hearing after which he directed an election be held. The company's request for a review of that decision was denied. On March 31, 1964, the election was held which the company won by a vote of 166-84. The Union filed objections to the election because of alleged unfair labor practices having occurred at the Orlando, Florida, plant. An ex parte administrative investigation was conducted by the Regional Director who sustained the Union's objections and directed the holding of a new election. The company requested the Board to review the Regional Director's rulings maintaining the Union's objections to the election and calling a new election; it also requested a hearing, all of which was denied by the Board.
Such an administrative investigation is provided for in Section 102.69(c) of the Board's Rules Regulations ( 29 C.F.R. § 102.69(c)).
[3] In Neuhoff Brothers, Packers, Inc. v. N.L.R.B., 5 Cir. 1966, 362 F.2d 611, we reviewed a case in which summary judgment had been granted against the company on a union complaint that the company refused to bargain, and said, "* * * we must assume that for the Board to prevail, any factual issues that may have properly been raised before the Board, are to be viewed most strongly from the standpoint of the company * * *." The Board's order was enforced.
Respondent company claims that the summary judgment procedure was unauthorized either under the National Labor Relations Act or the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq.). The company contends that it has never had an opportunity to present, either to the Board or one of its trial examiners, in a formal proceeding, the facts on which it relies to sustain its objections to the second election in which the Union prevailed nor has it been confronted in such a formal proceeding with the evidence on which the Regional Director relied to set aside the first election which the company had won.
In our view there exist numerous substantial and material issues of fact — there is head-on clash between the company and Union allegations of irregularity in the two elections — which call for a formal hearing and the failure of the Board to provide one was a denial of procedural due process. See United States Rubber Company v. N.L.R.B., 5 Cir., 1967, 373 F.2d 602. The employer here seeks to overturn the result of an election and the burden is on it to show that the election was unfairly conducted. A hearing is, therefore, necessary and indispensable if a proper and fair resolution of all the disputed facts contained in the charges and counter-allegations of the company and the Union, taken with the facts which the Regional Director considered as a result of his investigations, is to be made by the Board. Until this is done, under the circumstances here, the employer will not have been given an opportunity to carry the burden of proving its case. On review of the Board's findings, we have discretion to require that the Board not shut off a party's right to produce evidence or conduct cross-examination material to the issues, as well as to see that a party's rights are not finally foreclosed until his case has been fairly heard. National L.R. Board v. Indiana Michigan Elec. Co., 318 U.S. 9, 28, 63 S.Ct. 394, 405, 87 L.Ed. 579 (1943). Since substantial and material factual issues exist, they can be resolved only after a formal hearing. See Home Town Foods, Inc. v. N.L.R.B., 5 Cir., 1967, 379 F.2d 241; National Labor Relations Bd. v. Dallas City Packing Co., 5 Cir., 1956, 230 F.2d 708; National Labor Rel. Bd. v. West Texas Utilities Co., 5 Cir., 1954, 214 F.2d 732; National Labor Relations Board v. Sidran, 5 Cir., 1950, 181 F.2d 671; N.L.R.B. v. Capital Bakers, Inc., 3 Cir., 1965, 351 F.2d 45.