Opinion ID: 601539
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Threats to Putt

Text: 26 Section 8(a)(1) makes it an unfair labor practice by an employer to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section . 29 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1). When Spencer, the general foreman, summoned employee Putt to his office to discuss other employees' complaints about Putt, he threatened him with discharge and solicited him to quit his job in order to convince him to stop his pro-union activities. The test of interference with the right of self-organization is not whether an attempt at coercion has succeeded or failed, but whether the employer engaged in conduct which reasonably tends to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the free exercise of their section 7 rights. NLRB v. Berger Transfer & Storage Co., 678 F.2d 679, 689 (7th Cir.1982). Here, although Spencer never said the word union or any other similar word, it is clear from the record that Putt would be justified in believing that Spencer was speaking of Putt's activities on behalf of the Union when discussing employees' complaints and Putt's poor attitude toward the company. NLRB v. Overnite Transp. Co., 938 F.2d 815, 819 (7th Cir.1991); see NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co., 395 U.S. 575, 617, 89 S.Ct. 1918, 1941, 23 L.Ed.2d 547 (1969). This constitutes an unlawful interference with Putt's right to self-organization. Almet argues that Spencer was simply concerned that Putt was provoking fights with other employees. But except for Spencer's testimony, there is no other credible support in the record for this argument; the ALJ's finding therefore, and subsequently the Board's, that Spencer was motivated by Putt's union activity is entitled to our statutorily mandated deference. Universal Camera Corp., 340 U.S. at 490, 71 S.Ct. at 466.