Opinion ID: 739940
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Adequacy of Maersk Employees and Their Failure to Apply

Text: 32 for Positions 33 In addition to finding anti-union animus, the ALJ found that New Breed failed to prove that it had a legitimate reason for failing to hire any Maersk employees. The Board upheld the findings, which New Breed challenges. We decline the invitation to upset these findings. 34 New Breed argues that it would have declined to hire Maersk employees, regardless of their union affiliation, because Maersk employees were deficient and no Maersk employee applied for a position. See Airport Parking Management v. NLRB, 720 F.2d 610, 613 (9th Cir.1983) (holding that when a finding of impermissible motivation in hiring has been made, an employer may defend the hiring by showing that, even absent the illegal motivation, it would not have hired the predecessor's employees.) This defense lacks merit. New Breed's characterization of Maersk employees as deficient is belied by evidence that Moynihan, the company's operations manager, stated that he saw no problem with Maersk employees. Evidence that New Breed repeatedly assured Maersk employees of continued employment also undermines its current contention that it viewed Maersk employees as inadequate. Finally, New Breed's argument that Maersk employees failed to apply for positions is vitiated by the fact that Maersk employees were never notified of New Breed's surreptitious recruitment plan. 35 The evidence supports the Board's finding that New Breed would have hired Maersk employees, if not for its anti-union animus. 36