Opinion ID: 389551
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Salesmen.

Text: 18 The Board's order to bargain with Local 604, however, rests on several violations of section 8(a)(1) and section 8(a)(3) that would warrant the issuance of a bargaining order. For this reason, we grant enforcement of this order and need not determine whether the Company violated section 8(a)(1) by hiring additional salesmen solely for the purpose of destroying Local 604's majority status. 19 We recognize that for each violation of section 8(a)(1) and section 8(a)(3) charged by the Board, the Company presents an alternative view of the evidence or a legitimate business justification for its actions. 2 On factual issues, however, the Board's findings will be conclusive if supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole. Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB, 340 U.S. 474, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1951). This court cannot overturn the Board's choice between two fairly conflicting views of the evidence, even though we might justifiably take a different view were the matter before us de novo. Buffalo Bituminous, Inc. v. NLRB, 564 F.2d 267, 270 (8th Cir. 1977). Nor can this court pass on the credibility of the witnesses, weigh the evidence, or reject reasonable inferences made by the Board because other inferences might also be reasonably drawn. 3 Singer v. NLRB, 429 F.2d 172, 179 (8th Cir. 1970). 20 Applying these standards to the present case, we conclude that substantial evidence in the record as a whole supports the Board's findings that the Company engaged in unfair labor practices against its salesmen. In particular, the Board might reasonably infer from the coincidence in time between the salesmen's union activities and the Company's conduct that the employer acted with the intent of impeding the salesmen's efforts at unionization. Fitzgerald's conversations with Hawkins and Van Ronzelen occurred within two days after Local 604's request for recognition had been rejected by the Company. At the next weekly sales meeting, Fitzgerald canceled the bonus contest, transferred the salesmen between new and used car sales, and recalled the salesmen's demonstrators. In addition, Gilliam's efforts to dissuade the salesmen from union membership began during this period and continued until he ultimately fired Hawkins. Finally, the Company's reinstatement of Hawkins occurred only after it learned that Hawkins had filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Board. The Board could reasonably infer from the timing of these events that the Company interfered with, restrained, or coerced the salesmen in the exercise of their right to self-organization, in violation of section 8(a)(1), and discriminated against the salesmen in the terms and conditions of employment to discourage them from membership in Local 604, in violation of section 8(a)(3). 21