Opinion ID: 609103
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pre-Election Day Meetings

Text: 6 In early November 1990, an initial meeting of employees was held to discuss the possibility of organizing. Carlos Toro, a packer at Digitron, testified that while there were authorization cards signed at the meeting, no production analysts encouraged employees to sign the cards. 7 Alan Talluto, a former production analyst who was promoted to general supervisor, testified that he was also present at the November 1990 meeting and that Michael Robertson, a production analyst, played a lead role at the meeting. Talluto testified that Robertson was  'sitting up front doing a lot of talking, a lot of one on one conversation with Tom' (Ziembovic[, a Union organizer]. J.A. at 12. Talluto testified that Robertson stated that if more than fifty percent of the employees signed authorization cards, the Union automatically became the bargaining representative. Talluto noted that Robertson did not ask employees to sign authorization cards for the Union, however.
8 Toro also testified that he was present at a meeting which was held during the third week of December 1990 at the Wonderland Mall in Livonia. At that meeting, there were approximately six to eight employees and seven production analysts. Toro testified that at the meeting Robertson expressed his support for the Union to employees who were sitting with him at a table. In addition, Robertson stated that the employees might get fired without a union and that if the Union was voted in, employees would get more benefits. 9 Talluto was also present at the Wonderland Mall meeting. Talluto testified that Robertson conducted the meeting and, in response to a question, told a group of about ten employees that Digitron knew who had signed the authorization cards and that if the Union did not get voted in, those employees would be discharged. 10 Robert Sleeper, a production analyst, testified that at the Wonderland Mall meeting no one employee or production analyst dominated the meeting and denied that Robertson told employees that they would be discharged or laid off by Digitron.
11 Talluto was also in attendance at a meeting held on December 21, 1990 at Archie's Restaurant. At this meeting, there were seven production analysts and one packer, Mable Whitehurst. Ziembovic was also present. Talluto testified that Ziembovic told the production analysts that Digitron was going to contend that they were supervisors and that their votes would be challenged at the election.