Opinion ID: 422273
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the unlawful interrogations

Text: 22 Upon a careful review of the record, we conclude that the following factual findings on the unlawful interrogations are supported by substantial evidence. During April and early May of 1980, Luis Diaz actively began to organize respondent's employees on behalf of the United Auto Workers. Word of this activity was quickly disseminated throughout the plant, and management admittedly was aware of rumors of the organizational drive. 23 On one occasion, when Diaz and several coworkers were having coffee in the company cafeteria, Piotrowski approached them and asked, What is happening? Are you forming the union? Diaz replied that they were talking about baseball. Piotrowski responded that he thought they were talking about the union; he then left. Similar exchanges were repeated on two or three occasions within the next few days, always when two or more employees had gathered to have coffee. Piotrowski consistently asked, Are you forming the union? Diaz consistently denied discussing or forming the union. 3 On May 12, 1980, near employee Hill's work station and in the presence of Diaz and several unnamed employees, supervisor Shea asked employee Olivio, Are you in the union? Three days later, as Olivio and several coworkers were standing near the bulletin board, on which was posted a notice of a future union meeting, Shea approached, read the notice, and commented, That is garbage. If you want to go, go, but that won't help you. On May 15, Piotrowski approached employees Villegas and Bolano, who were standing near the coffee machine, and asked, Are you talking about the union, or what? Villegas denied discussing the union. This identical scenario was repeated one week later. 24 The ALJ concluded that respondent's interrogation reasonably tended to interfere with the exercise by the employees of their section 7 rights in violation of section 8(a)(1) of the Act. The ALJ stressed several factors: the nature of the questioning, the lack of justification for it, the number of times it was repeated, the timing of the interrogation (early stages of an organizational campaign when it would be intimidating to employees affiliated or considering affiliation with the union), the dishonesty of the employees' replies, and Shea's declaration of anti-union animus. The ALJ's finding that respondent unlawfully interrogated its employees during the early stages of an organizational campaign was adopted by the Board on review.
25 Section 8(a)(1) makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights to organize and bargain collectively through chosen representatives. 29 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1) (1976). In order to establish an 8(a)(1) violation, it need not be shown that an attempt at coercion succeeded; the test is whether the employer engaged in conduct which reasonably tended to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their section 7 rights. Jays Foods, Inc. v. NLRB, 573 F.2d 438 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 859, 99 S.Ct. 176, 58 L.Ed.2d 167 (1978). 26 Our analysis of respondent's conduct is prefaced by several basic propositions: Section 8(a)(1) does not prohibit all employer questioning of employees about union activities. NLRB v. Berger Transfer & Storage Co., 678 F.2d 679, 689 (7th Cir.1982). Isolated interrogation, free of coercive statements and absent resort to systematic intimidation, does not constitute an unfair labor practice but falls within the free speech protection of the Act. NLRB v. Century Broadcasting Corp., 419 F.2d 771, 780 (8th Cir.1969) (citations omitted). A violation is established only when the questions asked, viewed and interpreted as the employee must have understood the questioning and its ramifications, could reasonably tend to coerce or intimidate the employee with respect to union activities. NLRB v. Rich's Precision Foundry, Inc., 667 F.2d 613, 624 (7th Cir.1981). 27 Several factors are relevant to the determination whether the employer's conduct reasonably could have tended to intimidate the employees or to induce fear of reprisals in them: (1) the background of the employer-employee relationship, specifically the presence or absence of a history of employer anti-union animus; (2) the questioner's status in the company hierarchy, with special emphasis on employee perceptions of the questioner's status; (3) the nature of the information sought; (4) the place and method of interrogation; and (5) the truthfulness of the reply. First Lakewood Associates v. NLRB, 582 F.2d 416, 419 (7th Cir.1978). We emphasize that these factors are not exclusive; we must consider all relevant circumstances, including whether the questions were accompanied by a persuasive, legitimate explanation for the employer's interest, id., and whether the questioned employee was assured that no reprisals would follow his response, Satra Belarus, Inc. v. NLRB, 568 F.2d 545, 548 (7th Cir.1978). 4 28 Coercive interrogation is one of the subtler means by which an employer interferes with an employee's protected rights. 5 The interrogation often is not overtly intimidating or coercive, and it is difficult to determine how often, and under what circumstances, a threat of retaliation will be inferred by the employees. 6 The above enumerated tests are not definitive, and coercion may occur even when all factors cut in favor of the employer. 29 The instant case involved seven separate incidents of allegedly unlawful interrogation. Although supervisor Shea denied questioning employee Olivio, substantial evidence on the record considered as a whole supports the findings of fact. Whether the findings of section 8(a)(1) violations predicated upon these facts have a reasonable basis in law is a closer question. Analyzed as discrete occurrences, each of these incidents is seemingly innocuous, and viewed separately might not amount to a violation of section 8(a)(1). It is clear, however, that the ALJ's assessment was influenced by the repetitious nature of the inquiries. A continuous course of conduct may be a circumstance coloring employee perception of individual instances of seemingly innocuous conduct. Peerless of America, Inc. v. NLRB, 484 F.2d 1108, 1114 (7th Cir.1973) (citations omitted). 30 It also should be noted that each incident of interrogation took place when several employees were gathered together. Although it is not possible to determine from the record the exact number of employees who were present during the seven interrogations, it is reasonable to infer that in view of the relatively small size of respondent's work force, other employees were aware of respondent's repeated questioning. 31 Respondent stresses that there is no evidence of a history of anti-union animus. Indeed, the ALJ did limit respondent's attempts to establish this, concluding that a showing of anti-union animus was not required to establish the 8(a)(1) violation of unlawful interrogation. However, the ALJ did note Shea's declaration of hostility toward the union which occurred three days after the interrogation of Olivio by Shea. Had the ALJ based his finding of coercive interrogation solely upon this single, isolated declaration of hostility, we would be inclined to deny enforcement of the Board's order. See Utrad Corp. v. NLRB, 454 F.2d 520 (7th Cir.1971). 32 We note the nature of the information sought; pointed questions such as are you forming a union? and are you in the union? are much more coercive than relatively innocuous questions such as have you heard rumors of union activity? or how is the union doing? In addition, questioning is more likely to have a coercive impact in situations in which the purpose of the interrogation is not explained and there are no assurances against reprisals. A key characteristic of the interrogations in this case is that they were unaccompanied by explicit explanations for respondent's interest. Absent persuasive, legitimate explanations for persistent questioning as to whether employees support the union, they can reasonably infer that the underlying purpose of the interrogation is to segregate union supporters for future reprisals. First Lakewood Assoc. v. NLRB, supra, 582 F.2d 416. In this case, each of the employees questioned denied involvement with the union. The untruthful answers elicited from respondent's employees are a strong indication that they feared reprisals. 33 Respondent also stresses that the interrogation occurred either in the employees' work area or in the cafeteria between persons in daily contact, and that the atmosphere was casual and friendly. Respondent further notes that Shea, though an admitted supervisor, was not an officer of Ajax. We agree that the place of interrogation and the rank of the interrogators bear on the issue of coercion; however, assuming the authority of the interrogator to speak for the employer, the crucial question is not his status in the company hierarchy, but whether the employees viewed him as a representative of the company. NLRB v. Camco, Inc., 340 F.2d 803, 806 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 382 U.S. 926, 86 S.Ct. 313, 15 L.Ed.2d 339 (1965). When the interrogator is perceived as an agent of the employer, the coercive nature of the questioning is heightened, and the likelihood that the questions will be perceived by the employees as casual, isolated, or the product of friendly discussion is decreased. First Lakewood Assoc. v. NLRB, supra, 582 F.2d at 419. In the instant case, the record shows that the employees viewed Shea and Piotrowski as agents of respondent. 34 In sum, although we find this a close question, the Board's conclusion has a reasonable basis in law. Accordingly, we grant enforcement of the Board's order requiring respondent (1) to cease and desist from interrogating employees about their union sympathies and activities; (2) from in any like or related manner interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of their section 7 rights; and (3) to post notice for 60 consecutive days of its intent to refrain from doing so.