Opinion ID: 2827787
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Shedding Load

Text: Finally, we reject NSTAR's contention that TSSs' authority to take an action known as shedding load is a salient fact that makes TSSs into supervisors. Shedding load involves intentionally cutting power to an area in order to preserve the transmission system's stability. TSSs do possess the authority to shed load, although no TSS has ever done so. And TSSs do appear to have the power to use independent judgment in making such a decision and thus in directing others to assist in implementing it. The Acting Regional Director's discussion of load shedding was brief, and he did not explicitly lay out his reasoning for rejecting NSTAR's contention that load shedding authority makes TSSs into supervisors. But his reasoning can be inferred from his decision as a whole. In particular, after the Acting Regional Director described the existence and extent of load shedding authority, he then went on to conclude that NSTAR had not shown that TSSs use independent judgment in designating employees to places, nor that TSSs appoint employees to times, give them significant overall duties, or responsibly direct them. The Acting Regional Director - 38 - thus necessarily found that NSTAR failed to show that load shedding involved any of those powers. And the record supports that finding. NSTAR does not offer any explanation for how load shedding involves TSSs designating employees to places in a way distinct from the way TSSs make such designations in trouble cases, which, as explained above, the Acting Regional Director supportably found does not require the use of independent judgment. Likewise, NSTAR does not explain how load shedding would involve giving employees significant overall duties. NSTAR does contend that TSSs have the authority to direct others to implement actions necessary to shed load. But direction must be responsible to be supervisory, Oakwood Healthcare, 348 N.L.R.B. at 692, and NSTAR offers no argument (beyond the general one already addressed above) as to what in the record shows that TSSs' power to direct others in the load shedding context meets the Board's accountability definition of responsible direction as articulated in Oakwood Healthcare. Thus, the fact that some aspects of load shedding may require the exercise of what the Act terms independent judgment is beside the point. For under the Act's supervisor definition, it is only when a worker performs a listed supervisor function that we then must determine whether its exercise requires the use of independent judgment. And for that reason, we reject NSTAR's - 39 - contention that the TSSs' authority to shed load compelled the Acting Regional Director to conclude that the TSSs are supervisors.