Opinion ID: 397163
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Union's Majority

Text: 39 Seventy-nine employees were in the bargaining unit on July 12 when the Company received the Union's request for bargaining. The Union had received authorization cards from 42 of these employees. The Company challenges the validity of several of the cards. 40 The Company challenges Thomas Waugaman's card because of the alleged misinformation given him by Union representatives as to the purpose of the cards. Where the terms on the card are unambiguous, however, it must be counted unless a union adherent deliberately and clearly cancels its meaning. NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co., 395 U.S. 575 at 606, 89 S.Ct. 1918, 1936, 23 L.Ed.2d 547; Red Oaks Nursing Home, Inc. v. NLRB, 633 F.2d 503, 507 (7th Cir. 1980). The terms of the card here are clear, and there is no evidence of a deliberate cancellation. 41 The Company challenges Ancelmo Acosta's card because there is no evidence that anyone explained its meaning to him. The record shows he signed the card and turned it in at the June 26 organizational meeting. At this meeting the Union had employees interpreting in Spanish the remarks of the Union representatives. This challenge, therefore, lacks merit. 42 The Company also challenges Carillo's, Gonzalez's, and Samarron's cards because of their alleged inability to understand English. There was no evidence in the record, however, indicating that these employees spoke only Spanish. 43 The Company challenges the cards of Altamirano, Moreno, and Martinez because the Company payroll records show that they began work on June 26 at 8:00 A.M., worked 111/2 hours, and so could not have attended the organizational meeting. Substantial evidence in the record, however, showed that the Union meeting lasted as long as three hours (beginning at 5 or 5:30 p.m.) and that the card signing occurred at the end of the meeting. These cards were properly counted. NLRB v. Philamon Labs, Inc., 298 F.2d 176, 180 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 370 U.S. 919, 82 S.Ct. 1555, 8 L.Ed.2d 498 (1962). 44 Finally, the Company challenges the card of Felix Campos because his pretrial affidavit was admitted to authenticate his card. Campos's affidavit states that he attended the June 26 meeting and he authorized another employee to sign his name to his authorization card. The Company challenges the admissibility of this affidavit under Rule 804 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. 45 The Administrative Law Judge gave reasons justifying the affidavit's admission. Campos was unavailable because he could not be found. His affidavit had probative value because it explained the difference between the signatures on the authorization card and his W-4 form. The affidavit was given under oath-a person who willfully lies is subject to criminal penalties. The affidavit, therefore, had equivalent guarantees of trustworthiness. See Copperweld Steel Co. v. Demag-Mannesmann-Bohler, 578 F.2d 953, 963-64 (3d Cir. 1978); United States v. Lyon, 567 F.2d 777, 784 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 918, 98 S.Ct. 1476, 55 L.Ed.2d 510 (1977). Finally, there was adequate notice because as soon as the General Counsel learned that Campos was unavailable, he informed the Company that he would introduce the affidavit. United States v. Bailey, 581 F.2d 341, 348 (3d Cir. 1978).