Opinion ID: 779052
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Access of Website

Text: 51 Konop argues that Davis interfered with Konop's organizing efforts by viewing the website under false pretenses. Absent a legitimate justification, employers are generally prohibited from engaging in surveillance of union organizing activities. Cal. Acrylic Indus. v. NLRB, 150 F.3d 1095, 1099-1100 (9th Cir.1998). The reason for this general proscription is that employer surveillance tends to create fear among employees of future reprisal and, thus, chills an employee's freedom to exercise his rights under federal labor law. Id. at 1099. 52 In NLRB v. Unbelievable, Inc., 71 F.3d 1434 (9th Cir.1995), we upheld the Board's finding that the employer engaged in unfair labor practices by eavesdropping on private conversations between employees and [a] Union representative, which occurred in the employee break room. Id. at 1438-39. We see no principled distinction between the employer's eavesdropping in Unbelievable and Hawaiian's access of Konop's secure website. 53 Hawaiian suggests that Davis had a legitimate reason to access Konop's website — to identify and correct any false or misleading statements. Assuming such a concern could justify Davis' monitoring of private union organizing activities, Hawaiian has presented little evidence to suggest that any statements on Konop's website were actually defamatory. Moreover, as discussed below, there are triable issues whether Hawaiian used information it obtained from the website to assist one union faction over another, and to coerce and intimidate Konop. Under these circumstances, we conclude that Konop has raised a triable issue that Hawaiian's access of Konop's website was not justified. 54 Hawaiian also argues that Davis' access did not violate the RLA because it did not appreciably limit Konop's organizing activities. Hawaiian emphasizes that, after learning about Davis' access to the website, Konop restricted access for a mere half-day and declined to temper the language in his articles. Hawaiian, however, presents no authority indicating that employees subject to surveillance or eavesdropping must also demonstrate that they consequently limited their organizing activity. It is the tendency to chill protected activities, not the actual chilling of protected activities, that renders eavesdropping and surveillance generally objectionable under federal labor law. See, e.g., Cal. Acrylic, 150 F.3d at 1099-1100. That a hardy individual might continue his organizing activities undeterred, despite an employer's surveillance, does not render the employer's conduct any less of a violation. 12 55 Accordingly, we find that Konop has raised a triable issue of fact that Hawaiian interfered with Konop's union organizing activity in violation of the RLA by accessing Konop's website.