Opinion ID: 2975059
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Center Construction’s petition for review.

Text: Center contends that the Board’s findings in numerous respects were not supported by substantial evidence, simply pointing to Center’s own evidence and insisting that the ALJ and the Board should have accepted Center’s evidence and rejected Local 370’s evidence. Center further argues that there was no basis for issuance of the Gissel order. Center also contends that the Board held that Center should have recognized Local 370 based on the authorization cards alone, but the Board did not so hold, so we have no need to consider that argument. Picket line incidents. “It is well-settled Board law that absent proper justification, the photographing of employees engaged in protected concerted activities violates the Act because it has a tendency to intimidate.” Clock Elec., Inc. v. NLRB, 162 F.3d 907, 917-18 (6th Cir. 1998) (internal quotation marks omitted). Center contends that it was not coercive for Supervisor Welsh to take pictures of the picketers, because Center did not need pictures to tell it who was picketing. Center has to establish a justification for photographing the picketing, not establish that it could conduct reprisals even without the photographs. No justification was shown. Center also contends, “During the entire time picketing occurred at Center’s facilities, none of Center’s employees were seen or observed picketing.” This argument is mystifying, since Center concedes plumber Lance Nos. 05-2259/2425/2326 Center Construction Co. v. NLRB Page 7 Lockhart was picketing (although Center contends Lockhart was laid off at the time), and Patrick Ruddy, another Center employee, testified that he and other Center employees picketed. Center also contends that Welsh’s statements to the employees refusing to cross the picket line were not coercive, since all Welsh did was remind employees that Center had a mandatory policy of calling in to report absences. This version of events is contradicted by testimony that Welsh told the employees honoring the picket line that if they did not get to work, he would have them fired. The ALJ accepted the latter version of Welsh’s statement, Center Constr., 2005 WL 2204524, at , and the Board adopted his credibility findings. Id., at , n.1. An employee who chooses to honor a protected primary strike by coworkers is engaging in protected concerted activity. Savage Gateway Supermarket, Inc., 286 NLRB 180, 183 (1987), enforced, 865 F.2d 1269 (6th Cir. 1989) (mem.). Threatening to fire the employees for engaging in such protected activity violates section 8(a)(1) of the NLRA. NLRB v. Difco Labs., Inc., 427 F.2d 170, 172 (6th Cir. 1970)