Opinion ID: 271751
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Coughlin's offer of Reinstatement

Text: 22 After this Court ordered enforcement of the Board's order requiring Coughlin's reinstatement the employer wrote Coughlin the following letter: 23 In conformance with an order of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, you are hereby offered reinstatement to your former, or substantially equivalent position which you held when discharged by Miami Coca-Cola Bottling Co. 24 Please notify the undersigned within 10 days of your decision, in writing, to accept reinstatement with our company. 25 In the event we have not heard from you in 10 days, we shall assume that you do not desire reinstatement. 26 Your early advice is appreciated so that the necessary arrangements can be made. 27 The employer mailed the letter January 29, 1964. Coughlin received it February 1. In a letter dated and mailed February 8, which the company received February 10, Coughlin unequivocally accepted the offer of reinstatement. The employer construed the terms of its offer to require its receipt of Coughlin's acceptance within 10 days from the date of the offer, i. e., at least by February 7. Therefore, on February 19 Coca-Cola wrote Coughlin declining to reinstate him because his acceptance had arrived at the office on February 10. 28 The Board ruled that the offer of reinstatement was ambiguous. It found that Coughlin could reasonably have construed the offer to require acceptance within 10 days from his receipt of it, i. e., by February 10. Since Coughlin could comply with the offer according to his reasonable understanding of its ambiguous terms, the Board found his acceptance timely. Restatement, Contracts §§ 231, 233(b) (1932). 29 We agree with the Board and enforce that part of its order. Contrary to respondent's argument, this is not a case such as White Sulphur Springs Co. v. NLRB, 1963, 114 U.S.App.D.C. 409, 316 F.2d 410, 415, where the question was whether the employer held open his offer of reinstatement for an unreasonably short time.