Opinion ID: 1474265
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: .The Middletown Plant

Text: The evidence in this part of the case falls into two categories: first, evidence of a statistical character as to employees generally; second, evidence relative to specific instances of alleged contempt directed against individual employees. The statistical charts contain evidence of a general nature, and also include evidence as to individual cases which are not included in the second category. We shall deal first with the general statistical evidence. 1. The Board's master chart is a statement of the days, hours and weekly earnings of all employees at the Middletown plant from the week ending July 23 to October 15, 1938. The chart divides the workers into three classifications: the old employees (those who returned to work before June 1, 1938), the new employees, and the strikers (who returned to work after June 1). The purport of the chart is plain and unmistakable. The strikers, as a whole, received less work and less pay than the other two categories of employees. The Master erred in giving no weight to the Board's statistical data. While that data was not prepared in its most effective form, yet it was based on evidence in the record and tended to show discrimination in that the strikers who returned to work after June 1, 1938, did receive less work and less pay than the other employees for the three months' period. The respondent contended that this chart was generally inaccurate, but in view of the fact that the Board checked its facts with respondent and gave careful attention to the correction of details, this contention appears to be without substance. The respondent further objected to the brevity of the time span (only three months, ending October 15, 1938) and to the differentiation in classification of the strikers, who had returned to work after June 1, 1938, and those who had joined the back-to-work movement. Although they impressed the Master, neither of these objections seems to us to derogate from the validity of the chart. It was quite rational to treat the two groups of strikers separately, and the disparity in the actual earnings of the two tends to illustrate that the company was less concerned about those whom it was forced to reinstate than those who fell in line with its back-to-work scheme. As to the brief span of time which the chart covers, that is the vital period upon which the Board relies mainly for its charge of contempt. It was important to get an over-all picture of how the respondent was complying with the court's decree, and in this respect we find that the chart was entirely serviceable. Accordingly, we conclude that the Board made out a prima facie case, and had the matter rested there, we would overrule the Master. But the company introduced testimony by Brainerd, its personnel and employment manager, which may be summarized thus: The company, beginning a week after this court's decree of June 1, 1938, reinstated all strikers as rapidly as was possible, consistent with a policy of keeping the plant open and in full production; and, if an effort had been made to reinstate strikers more rapidly, production would have fallen off to the point where other workers, including returned strikers, would have suffered losses in earnings. [10] If Brainerd's testimony is competent, credible and unimpeached, the Master, if he believed Brainerd, could rely upon his testimony as he did. Brainerd's testimony, thus relied on, met the prima facie case which the Board had made out. The Board contended, in effect, that Brainerd's testimony is hearsay; that the company could have adduced, but did not adduce, better evidence through the testimony of Brainerd's subordinates who had first-hand knowledge of the facts relating to the cases of the employees in question; and that, therefore, Brainerd's secondhand testimony is entitled to no weight and cannot support the Master's findings. To that contention there are these answers: (a) In proceedings before the Board, such hearsay testimony, where it is the kind on which reasonable men are accustomed to rely in serious affairs, is admissible and may be the basis of valid findings and valid orders made by the Board; for it is only convincing, not lawyers' evidence which is required, evidence such as a reasonable mind might accept, though other like minds might not do so. [11] The hearing before the Master, to be sure, concerned alleged violations not of the Board's order but of an order of this court; but our order was for the enforcement of the Board's order; it would be unreasonable to hold that the Board may rely on hearsay in formulating its order but that a Master appointed to consider alleged violations of our enforcing order may not. (b) Brainerd was the personnel officer whose duty it was to supervise subordinates in charge of allocation of work. His hearsay testimony was not mere gossip. (c) Nor is this a case like N.L.R.B. v. Cities Service Oil Co., 2 Cir., July 2, 1942, 129 F.2d 933, 937, where we held that, in the circumstances, it was not reversible error for the Board to exclude certain hearsay testimony; there, as we noted, the Board's counsel admitted that the testimony should probably have been admitted but argued that the error was harmless; we agreed with that argument because the excluded testimony (1) was contrary to direct evidence which was in the record, (2) was cumulative of other testimony which was admitted, and (3) was virtually conceded by company's counsel at the hearing before the Board to have little significance. The Board's statistical evidence and Brainerd's testimony created an issue of fact calling for a finding by the Master based on the weight of the evidence. Brainerd's testimony, if believed by the Master, was sufficient to outweigh the prima facie case made by the Board. It was not necessary for the company, in its effort to overcome that prima facie case, to produce the first-hand testimony of Brainerd's subordinates. The Board could have called them as witnesses to rebut Brainerd's testimony, but it did not choose to do so. The Master, consequently, had a right to rely on Brainerd's unimpeached testimony, given in the Master's presence, if the Master believed Brainerd. As the Master did believe that testimony and so relied, and as he made findings of fact accordingly, we cannot disregard those findings since we cannot say that they are clearly erroneous. It is suggested that Brainerd's testimony is stereotyped and, therefore, entitled to little weight. But in many kinds of actions, defenses tend to fall into a few categories. Defendants in automobile collision cases, for instance, often plead contributory negligence; the testimony on that issue in any one such suit is pretty much like that in every other; but courts, merely by calling such testimony stereotyped cannot justify ignoring it. It is further suggested that if we sustain the Master on this issue, we will be going counter to what we said in our earlier opinion (97 F.2d 195, 197), as to reinstatement of employees: If this involves disturbance of the company's business, it is no doubt unfortunate; but, having chosen to challenge the law, it must abide the loss. But that was far from saying that particular employees should be restored to their same jobs with such promptness that such restoration would result in a loss to the employees as a whole. 2. We shall now deal with the specific claims of the Board on behalf of various individual employees. A number of these individual cases revolved about the question of whether the decree required that striking employees be reinstated to their exact old jobs. The Remedy provided that such production and maintenance employees shall be reinstated to their former classifications.   The Master misinterpreted our decree in this respect. The decree was not satisfied merely by reinstatement to former classifications. Such interpretation is contrary to the clear intent of the decree, which was directed at a restoration of the status quo. The various details of the Board's Remedy were designed to this end, and not as a limitation on the broad sweep of the decree. Therefore, the provision for restoration of strikers to the same classification was to enable them to retain the same economic conditions as before the strike. That a return to a workman's former job was contemplated by the decree was further made manifest by the two opinions of this court in the prior course of this case, citing the Board's order. [12] In both these opinions, we referred to reinstatement to former or old jobs. The respondent claims to have relied on a statement made by a representative of the Board, agreeing with respondent's interpretation of the decree. But the views of the Board's representatives were expressly stated to be purely personal and so cannot be held to be binding on the Board. It should be noted that, at the time of the conference with the Board's representatives, the matter was already before this court and respondent could easily have applied to the court for an interpretation. Albert Ambrosia was reinstated in the same classification although in a different group which did the same work at the same amount of time and pay. Fifteen months later there were some lay-offs in his group due to a decrease in production which resulted in a cut in Ambrosia's pay. The Board claims that he should have been reinstated to his exact old job. The Master found that Ambrosia has been reinstated to his former classification and recommended that the claim be dismissed. The Master's recommendation as to Ambrosia is rejected in view of his misinterpretation of our decree. We award Ambrosia $83.00 back pay for loss of wages, and order that he be reinstated to his exact old job in his original group. Sigmund Piasecki, at the time of the strike was milling rear uppers at 59 cents an hour. He was reinstated on June 22, 1938 and did milling and bench work at 58 cents an hour and then milled rear cones at 63 cents an hour. He returned to his exact old job in October, 1938, following a request by the Board. Meanwhile that job had been held by old employees who had earned $53.00 more than he did during the period. The claim is that he should have been given his old job when reinstated or by July 15. The Master found that he had been reinstated to a job at his former classification at a wage which gave him at least the same earning possibilities and recommended that the claim be dismissed. We reverse the Master's recommendation and allow Piasecki $53.00 back pay, which is the loss he sustained from the failure originally to reinstate him to his exact old job. Foster, at the time of the strike, did the freeing-up job in the Riveting Department. He was reinstated on July 8, 1938, to a job in his classification in the same department at the same rate per hour. His old job was done by Savory who, from July 15 to October 15, had more hours of work and earned approximately $44.00 more although, after that time, Foster's hours increased and both received the same amount of time. The Master found that Foster had been reinstated to a job in his classification and dismissed the claim. We reverse the Master's findings and award $44.00 for loss of wages to Foster. Mae Romegialli, an inspector of ribbon-spools, was reinstated July 7 to her classification at the same hourly rate. On August 29, she was returned to the spool job. Meanwhile her work had been done by a new employee who had earned $19.50 more than she during the same period. The Master found that she had been properly reinstated to her classification. We reverse the Master's findings and award Romegialli $19.50 for loss of wages. Ten cases involved a determination of whether the employees had received substantially equivalent employment elsewhere. The Master found as a fact that Hubner, Muskatallo and Whitemore had received such substantially equivalent employment, and were therefore not entitled to reinstatement. In accordance with the Master's recommendation, we dismiss the claims made on behalf of these three men. The Master found as fact that Luciano Gioiella, Dumais, Geary, Myjack, Groeper and Bellmore had not received substantially equivalent employment. Accordingly we order reinstatement of these six employees where they have not already been reinstated and make the following awards for loss of wages: Luciano Gioiella, $131.00; William Dumais, $228.00; Patrick Geary, $224.64; Rudolf Myjack, $48.80; Max Groeper, $381.47; Joseph Bellmore, $132.40. In the case of Stanley Kulas, the Master's finding was that Kulas had received substantially equivalent employment elsewhere. This finding is clearly erroneous, in view of the fact that the value of Kulas' wages was considerably diminished by the cost of commuting to his new job. His home was approximately one mile from the Middletown plant but he had to travel 32 miles daily to and from New Britain, Conn., where he found new employment. Kulas having already been reinstated, we think he should be made whole for the net pecuniary loss he incurred through respondent's failure properly and promptly to reinstate him, and we remand the matter to the Master for determination of such amount. Reneson and Moore: These two cases, though not identical, present similar problems. The decree of the court imposed a positive duty on respondent to make offers of reinstatement to production and maintenance employees, subject to certain conditions. Clearly, such a duty, within the terms of the decree, was owed to Reneson and Moore. A letter offering reinstatement was sent to Moore but he failed to appear for an interview and the company assumed that he rejected the offer. The letter was correctly addressed and duly mailed but Moore testified that he had never received it. Reneson received a letter offering him reinstatement. He signified his desire for re-employment to the company which sent him a letter asking him to report to work at a subsequent date. Reneson denies having received this letter. Subsequently the Board took up the matter and Reneson was reinstated. The claim is for loss of wages from July 15 to February 19, 1939, when he was reinstated. The Master found that the letter was mailed to Reneson and that Reneson had never received it, but the company acted in a normal way in sending its summons to return to work by mail. It is well settled that, in ordinary intercourse, in the absence of conditioning circumstances, such as a custom of the trade, the risk of loss in communication is on the one who selects the means of communication. This is as it should be. The company here was subject to a positive duty. It failed to discharge that duty. That the failure was occasioned by a loss in the mails is no excuse, for the respondent selected the mails as its method of communication. It is common knowledge that, while the mails are customarily safe, letters occasionally are lost. Here, in discharging its duty, the respondent must bear the risk of any such failure on the part of the mails. It could just as well have selected a more certain means, e. g., registered letter with return receipt, thereby providing a check against any misadventure such as occurred in these two cases. Accordingly, we award Reneson $347.15, and Moore, $826.00, their net loss in wages occasioned by respondent's failure properly and promptly to reinstate them in accordance with our decree. Aligning Department: Weglowski and Harris were two aligners who were reinstated to jobs as regular aligners. The Board claims that they were not fully reinstated in that one of them should have had the job of Garde, repairman in the Department. Garde could not be removed as he was an employee hired before the strike. It is also claimed that Weglowski and Harris were discriminated against in that they were not given a touch-up job, but this was a new classification of additional inspection for which they were probably not fitted without more training. The Master found that Weglowski and Harris were duly reinstated and we affirm that finding. Rullman and Haglund, Cone and Ginty were aligners who were discharged for incompetence; the Master's findings uphold the respondent and pursuant to his recommendation, we discharge the claim on behalf of these four men. Assembly Department: Palumbo and Magnano worked in groups 2 and 2-A which had 26 employees between them. At the time of the strike, Palumbo was an inspector and was reinstated to his old job July 15, 1938. Magnano was a typesetter and was reinstated on June 27, 1938. The Board claims that, of the 26 new employees, eight or nine new workers were getting more work than these two men and that this was a result of respondent's policy of ignoring seniority in laying off employees during slack times. The Master found no discrimination. Palumbo and Magnano got as many hours of work as the others. We affirm the Master's finding that Palumbo and Magnano had been fully reinstated. Barry, at the time of the strike, was a carriage-fitter, working on regular and large carriages. When he was reinstated, the work on large carriages was being done by Tosto, who was an old employee. After two or three months, a complaint was made and Barry was given that work. In the meantime, Barry had been working on regular carriages but his time and pay were the same as though it had included working on large carriages. A new machine  Model 17  was being manufactured and Tosto was broken in on that job. The Board claims that this work should have gone to Barry. The Master found no showing of discrimination in the selection of Tosto for the Model 17 job. Tosto, in fact, had greater seniority than Barry. We therefore dismiss this claim. Luciano Gioiella was reinstated to his old job and worked for one year and then was transferred to a sweeping job which involved some lifting. Several months later due to the fact that he was not physically suited to do the lifting, he was transferred to a sweeping job which involved cleaning lavatories in the Assembling Department at the same pay. Gioiella refused to accept this new job. The Board claims a discriminatory discharge. The Master found no discrimination and we affirm his finding in this respect. John Gioiella, Wamester and Jacobson: These three workers were hired as learners a few days before the strike. Respondent had no place for learners on July 15 and, pursuant to the court's decree, placed them on the preferred list and offered them jobs several months later. The Board claimed that respondent should have reinstated them and given them jobs to which new employees succeeded after being learners. The Master found there was no discrimination. We disagree. There was no reason for not reinstating them. If strike-breakers were in a position to be put on assembly jobs after a short period of training, then these employees must have been. We order that Gioiella and Jacobson be reinstated, and award $40.41 to Gioiella and $2.47 to Jacobson for loss of wages. Wamester admitted that he suffered no loss, and therefore we affirm the Master's findings as to him. At the time of the strike, Oehmen was working in the shift job in the Assembly Department in group 2. He had previously worked on the bell job and was reinstated to that job at the same pay. The man on the bell job was an old employee who had returned during the strike. The Board withdrew its claim for loss of wages but insisted that he should have been reinstated to his exact old job. The Master dismissed the claim on the ground that Oehmen had been reinstated to his old classification. While the Board's contention that Oehmen should have been returned to his exact old job is correct, inasmuch as there was no resultant damage to Oehmen, it is difficult to see that there was any discrimination. We affirm the Master's findings. Final Inspection Department: Donohue, Emilio Romegialli and Grimm were final inspectors at the time of the strike. There was no vacancy in that department on July 15, 1938, and all of the then final inspectors were old employees. The three were placed on the preferential list and offered jobs at Elmira which they refused. In the fall of 1938, they were reinstated to their old jobs. Three of the final inspectors on July 15, 1938, while old employees, had had other jobs at the time of the strike. The Board claims that they should all have been removed and their jobs given to Donohue, Romegialli and Grimm. Final inspectors worked their way up through the production line and were usually transferred to other jobs on the line when there was no inspecting for them to do. The right to work during the slack period on the line was thus an incident of the final inspector's job. Consequently, it is hard to see how they could be denied reinstatement as long as there was work being done on the line by individuals employed since May 26, 1936. The Master adopted this view. He recommended that compensation be allowed for the difference between what these three workers would have earned as final inspectors and what they did in fact earn at other jobs. We affirm the Master's recommendation that Donohue, Romegialli and Grimm be reinstated in the Assembly Line if there are no vacant final inspectorships. There is no data in the record whereby there can be a determination of the amounts due these employees as line workers, and we refer the matter to the Master for such determination. Sub-Assembly Department: Jennie Myjack obtained a maternity leave four or five months before May 26, 1938. She was advised that, when she could return to work, her job would be available. She was not reinstated until February 15, 1939. Her old job meanwhile was done by a strike-breaker. The respondent's defense was that the employment relationship had terminated when she took her leave. There was testimony in the record that it was the company's policy to reinstate such employees when a job became available. The Master found that the employment relationship having been terminated at the time of the strike, the company was not required to reinstate her. Whether she retained the right to return to work by any arrangement with the company was a pure question of fact, and we affirm the Master's finding. The Board also claims under this heading that the employees on the preferential list should have been given a chance to work on Model 17  a new machine which was not being made at the time of the strike. It was manufactured in Elmira except for the carriage which was made at Middletown. We affirm the Master's finding that there was no discrimination here. This was a new mechanism requiring specialized workmen, and, besides, there were not sufficient jobs at Middletown on this model to make a dent in the preferential list. Rebuilt Department: Antoinette Lombardi was not reinstated to her exact old job but rather to her former classification with pay which would have given her the same daily earnings. We affirm the Master's recommendation that the claim be dismissed. Grinding Department: Zwyno, at the time of the strike, ran a foot-press on platen-rolls and spent some time on springs and tapes, a girl's job. The platen-roll job was moved to Elmira prior to July 15. He was offered a job at Elmira and refused. On July 15 a girl was working on springs and tapes, and the company's evidence indicates that no place was open for Zwyno on that date until October 1939, when he was returned to work and assigned to a job in the Raw Stores Department. The Board claims that on July 15 there were three new male workers in the department and that Zwyno should have been reinstated to one of these jobs. The Master recommended that the claim be dismissed. We reverse the Master's finding as to Zwyno. He was certainly entitled to have one of the jobs of the new men who were retired four and ten days after July 15, 1938, and accordingly we award Zwyno $115, the net amount of his loss in wages. Fortin, at the time of the strike, worked in the Turret Lathe Department and did all other jobs and worked all over the place. The job was moved to Elmira and the Board claims that he should have been given one of the jobs held by the three new workers at the Middletown plant, referred to in Zwyno's case, supra. The Master found no discrimination. We think that Fortin, like Zwyno, should have had one of the jobs of the new men. Thayer, a new man, should have been removed and Fortin, who had operated a turret-lathe like Thayer, substituted. We order that Fortin be paid his net loss to the date of his reinstatement to his old job, which sum the Board found to be $111.76. Inspection Department: Loss, Maher and Champion, at the time of the strike, were assigned to inspect in the Type Action Department. They were reinstated after the strike. The claim is that, prior to the strike, when they completed their work in the type-action department, they would be transferred to work in other departments. After the strike this policy was not followed in the case of these three employees, but was in others. The Master found no discrimination. The testimony here is conflicting and we affirm the Master's findings. Japan Department: Mastergeorge, at the time of the strike, had had the job of framing and paneling for one or two weeks, having previously been a learner. Because there was no opening for her, she was not reinstated on July 15. She was placed on the preferred list and offered an Elmira job, which she refused. The company's evidence is that there was no opening for her until August 22, 1938, at which time she was given a job in the type-action department. In March, 1939, there was an opening in the Japan Department and she was placed there. All the workers in the Japan Department, on March 15, were old employees, except Riggott, whose work was not the same as Mastergeorge's. The Board claimed that Mastergeorge should have been reinstated on July 15 to Riggott's job or one of the jobs held by new employees. The Master found that there was no evidence that Mastergeorge could have performed any of these jobs and accordingly dismissed the claim. We affirm the Master's finding in this respect. Kelley was not reinstated on July 15, 1938, although there was a job available. The company's doctor felt that he was a compensation risk although he did not report him physically unfit for work. The Master found that Kelley was undoubtedly fit for work and recommended that Kelley be allowed $250.00 for loss of wages resulting from failure to reinstate him by July 15, 1938. We adopt the Master's findings. Carta and Murphy did hand-scraping of carriage-ends. Their job was supplanted by machinery run by newly hired girls. They were later put in the Rebuilt Department, assembling rebuilt machines. The claim is that they should have been returned to their old jobs even though they were now being performed by girls working at machines, and also they should have been assigned to jobs in the Rebuilt Department earlier, since the company recognized their ability to work in that department by giving them jobs there in August 1938. The Master found that the work done by the machines was a different job and that there was no evidence to substantiate the claim to earlier reinstatement in the Rebuilt Department. This is purely a question of fact, and we adopt the Master's findings as our own. Antonovitz and Whalen were reinstated in the Rebuilt Department for there was no work available in the Japan Department. The Master found no discrimination and recommended that the claims be dismissed. We affirm the Master's findings. Milling Department: Mandeville, at the time of the strike, straightened carriage-ends in the rough. Four or five months previously he had spent part of his time straightening finished carriage-ends. On July 15, he was reinstated to the latter job. The rough carriage-ends job was being done by an old employee who had returned during the strike. The Master recommended that the claim be dismissed. There was plainly an attempt to comply with the decree here and a fair compliance in so far as Mandeville was reinstated to a job he had previously done. We affirm the Master's findings. Casey's old job was not available as a full-time job on July 15 due to a cut in production. She was familiar with machine jobs in the department and was assigned to one. The Master found no discrimination and we accordingly dismiss the claim. Raw Stores Department: Fields, at the time of the strike, worked in the stockroom and disbursed supplies. Dougherty, who worked with him, received supplies. They went on strike together but Dougherty joined the back-to-work movement during the strike. During the slack period after July 15, 1938, Dougherty worked more than Fields. The company alleged that it had to have a man receiving, regardless of slack. The Board claimed that Dougherty should have been laid off and Fields should have been given both jobs during the slack, and hence Fields was not properly reinstated. It cites as a precedent that, during the depression of 1929, Dougherty had been laid off and the two jobs done by Fields alone. The Master found no ground for a claim of discrimination, and we dismiss the claim. Tool Department: Huber was restored to his exact old job. The Master found, as a fact, that he did not have to share his work with the new employees and that there was no discrimination. We affirm the Master's findings. Type-Action Department: Magnano, Scanlon and Benashski were not put back in their old jobs which were occupied by workers who returned to work during the strike and prior to July 15, 1938. The Master found no discrimination and we accept his findings. Type Department: Perina Walsh was returned to a job in her old classification. The rate of pay was less than the old job, although the evidence was that she could have made the same amount if she had been able to get out production. An old employee who had returned to work prior to June 1, 1938, had her old job. She complained to the foreman and was returned to that job in October or November 1938. The Board claimed that she should have been returned to that job on July 15, 1938. The Master found no discrimination and we accordingly dismiss the claim. Time-Clerks: Nineteen time-clerks were stationed in the various departments. The Board claims that they were production and maintenance employees and should, therefore, have been reinstated by July 15. They were not reinstated because respondent did not regard them as production and maintenance employees. Their duties were to record the time worked, to figure the amounts due and report to the accounting department. They also distributed tools and supplies to the men in the various departments in which they worked, unlike other clerks, they were carried on the payrolls of production and maintenance departments, their pay being charged to overhead. The Master found that these were not production and maintenance employees and hence not entitled to reinstatement. We think the Master's findings in this respect were clearly erroneous. To all intents and purposes, time-clerks working in a production and maintenance department, were members of that unit. They should, therefore, have been reinstated by July 15, 1938. Accordingly, we order that, where possible, they should now be reinstated, and the matter is referred to the Master for further testimony to determine the net loss in wages.