Opinion ID: 365902
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Restrictions on solicitation

Text: 7 The Board found that Herman promulgated and enforced an invalid no-solicitation rule. The employer insists that no rule was promulgated but rather that in isolated incidents it took justifiable action against union solicitation, limited to the participants therein. Both parties are overly insistent upon semantics. The ultimate question is whether the employer's actions, whether or not cast into a rule, interfered with the organizational rights of employees under the Act. 8 Prior to the organizational campaign the employer had no clearly discernible rule or policy against solicitation. Herman testified that employees could discuss any subject on the job without any attempt by the employer to curtail discussion if it did not interfere with work. He explained that the company was normally loose about such matters but that he would occasionally prod employees when talk about any subject substantially interfered with work. 9 The leaders of the organization effort were Suarez, Velasquez, and Vigoa. After organization began but before September 7, several supervisors reported to Herman that Suarez, the most active organizer, was interfering with the work of others by soliciting for and discussing the union while they were working. Herman asked counsel what he should do and was advised to do nothing as the situation might clear up by itself. On September 6 Suarez interfered minimally the Board found with the work of a maid. Her supervisor protested, and a mini-confrontation occurred between Suarez and the supervisor. Herman, in English, reprimanded Suarez, told him not to talk to employees while they were working, although he could do as he wished during lunch and break times, and warned Suarez that he could be fired if he failed to comply. Suarez became belligerent and intimated that he did not understand, although he had often conversed with Herman in English. Herman had a translator restate in Spanish what he had said to make sure that Suarez understood. 4 10 Around September 7, Herman told union adherent Velasquez that he should not engage in union propaganda during working hours but could do so during lunch or breaks. 11 About a week later Suarez, Velasquez and another employee entered the elevator with a maid, and Suarez and Velasquez tried to get her to sign a union card. In fact she had already signed a card. 5 The maid was frightened and tired of having (Suarez) harassing me about the union. She complained to her supervisor. Herman then talked to Suarez who denied the incident. (Suarez's testimony that he was not even present in the elevator was rejected by the Board.) Suarez's attitude was belligerent and evasive. When he denied the incident Herman fired him. 12 Reasonable restrictions upon solicitation are not Per se invalid because imposed during an organizational campaign. The Act does not require an employer to anticipate all problems and provide for them by written rule. NLRB v. Avondale Mills, 242 F.2d 669, 671 (CA5, 1957), Aff'd sub nom. NLRB v. United Steelworkers of America, 357 U.S. 357, 78 S.Ct. 1268, 2 L.Ed.2d 1383 (1958). A new rule or a tighter enforcement policy will, however, be invalid if imposed with discriminatory intent. William L. Bonnell Co. v. NLRB, 405 F.2d 593 (CA5, 1969). Herman admitted that his discussions with Suarez after the two incidents with the maids were the first times there had ever been substantial enforcement of a policy against talk that interfered with work. Initial promulgation of a no-solicitation policy upon the commencement of a union organizational campaign is strong evidence of discriminatory intent. NLRB v. Mangurian's, Inc., 566 F.2d 463, 465 (CA5, 1978); Brewton Fashions, Inc. v. NLRB, 361 F.2d 8, 17 (CA5), Cert. denied,385 U.S. 842, 87 S.Ct. 95, 17 L.Ed.2d 75 (1966). The employer may, of course, demonstrate that imposition of the restrictions was justified because the union campaign brought about substantial work disruption in a plant for the first time. Permian Corp., 189 N.L.R.B. 860 (1971); TRW, Inc. v. NLRB,393 F.2d 771, 773 (CA6 1968). The Board considered that the interference with work by the incidents involving Suarez was minor, and we cannot disagree. It was not demonstrated that the warning to Velasquez on September 7 was brought about by any interference with work. Herman did testify to receiving reports, before September 7, of Suarez's interfering with work by solicitation, but we cannot merely assume that these interferences, if they occurred at all, were substantial. 13 We must also give consideration to the fact that the employer, while forbidding pro-union interferences with work permitted anti-union activities the meetings called by Herman and the interviews by Garcia that interfered with work. 6 14 Also, in considering the no-solicitation policy we must note the restriction on access, discussed in III, below, which was identified by the supervisor involved as a new rule promulgated at a management meeting. 15 We conclude that the Board's finding of discriminatory restraints on solicitation is supported by substantial evidence and must be enforced.