Opinion ID: 520682
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Summary of Objective Evidence

Text: 18 The Company asserts that its doubt was arrived at in good faith, based on the following factors: the hiring of permanent replacements; returning strikers crossing the picket line; violence and threats associated with the strike; resignations from the Union and withdrawals of dues deduction authorizations; breakdown in Union leadership; Union inactivity and lack of communication with the Company; employee dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the Union; and, finally, the composition of the bargaining unit on April 9, 1986. A summary of the Company's evidence supporting its good faith doubt as to the Union's majority status is outlined below. 19 (1) Replacement of strikers. Shortly after the strike was called on November 11, 1985, the Company began hiring replacement workers for the strikers. On November 12, the Company placed an advertisement in a local newspaper seeking new employees to replace those who had gone out on strike. Between November 13 and 15, the Company had hired 85 new employees as replacements for the strikers. During the first ten days of the strike, a total of approximately 150 new workers were hired. By the end of December 1983, Bickerstaff had hired 193 new employees and the Company was again fully staffed. According to the Company's records, a total of 227 replacements had been hired when Bickerstaff withdrew recognition. The record shows that 93 of these replacements were actually working at the close of business on April 4, 1986. Twice during negotiations following the strike, Bickerstaff refused to agree to discharge replacements as proposed by the mediator on behalf of the Union. 20 (2) Returning strikers. Out of approximately 300 bargaining unit employees, 195 initially participated in the strike. The Union representative conceded at the hearing that: On or about December 12th or 13th, [1985], a majority of the striking employees abandoned the strike to return to work. By mid-January 1986, 101 strikers had crossed the picket line and had returned to work. On the critical date the Company withdrew recognition of the Union, at least 147 former striking employees had abandoned the strike and returned to work. The record shows that 133 of the original strikers were employed by the Company at the close of business on April 4, 1986. 21 (3) Violence and threats associated with the strike. At the commencement of the strike, there were a number of incidents of violence associated with the strike. The record shows that these incidents included damage to property, ranging from a shotgun blast into the home of an employee to slashed tires, and personal threats against employees who crossed the picket line. As a result of these incidents of violence, Bickerstaff filed a complaint in state court on November 14, 1986 seeking injunctive relief against the Union and its officers to prevent recurrence of the threats and acts of violence. On November 15, the Circuit Court of Russell County, Alabama granted the injunction, restraining the Union and its members, agents, [and] representatives from committing acts of violence, threats, injuries, or damage to property. There were no incidents of violence reported after entry of the injunction on November 15. 22 (4) Written resignations and dues check-off. After the commencement of the strike, fifteen former union members tendered written resignations from the Union. The record shows that the Company received twenty-three withdrawals of dues deduction authorizations in addition to the written resignations. Therefore, a total of thirty-eight employees either resigned or withdrew from union dues deductions after the strike began on November 11, 1986. 23 (5) Breakdown in union leadership. Shortly after the strike started, the union experienced internal difficulties involving the resignation of its business manager. On December 12, 1985, Union Business Manager Tommy Williams officially resigned his position. After Mr. Williams' resignation, there was no effort to employ another business agent for Local 246 although a succession of four representatives of the International and the District Council of the Union attempted to function as business agent. On January 3, 1986, the International Union parent labor organization placed the Union under trusteeship and dismissed the Union's elected officials. On the following day, January 4, the District Council assumed control of the Union. 24 (6) Union inactivity. The last meeting between the Union and Bickerstaff occurred on January 13, 1986. On January 23, 1986, Bickerstaff declared an impasse and implemented its final offer. The Union did not respond and Bickerstaff received no further communication from the Union until the Union's letter of April 8, 1986, three months later, by which it offered to enter into a collective-bargaining agreement. 25 The Company submits that a diminishing number of pickets also indicated the lack of union activity and support for the strike. From a high of 39 pickets and picket lines at three separate locations during the week of November 24, 1985, the number of pickets diminished to 20 by the end of January and, finally, to 8 by mid-March. No pickets were seen by the Company after March 30, 1986. 26 Prior to the strike, the Company asserts that the Union had been active in pursuing grievances and arbitrations for Bickerstaff employees. After the strike, however, the Union never represented any of the members who filed grievances against the Company. A request for arbitration on a matter pending before the strike was never pursued by the Union. Prior to the Company's withdrawal of union recognition, there were four unfair labor practice charges filed against Bickerstaff. 6 The first three, which were filed during the month of November 1985, were filed by the Union itself. The fourth charge was filed on March 24, 1986; however, it was filed by an individual party without union support or participation. 27 (7) Employee dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the Union. On March 6, 1986, an unfair labor practice charge was filed against the Union by three of Bickerstaff's employees. The charge alleged that the Union failed in its duty to fairly represent Bickerstaff's employees. A letter from the Regional Director of the Board on March 20, 1986, a copy of which was sent to Bickerstaff, set out the following investigative findings: 28 Although some of the members of the Local, including some of the Local Union officials, were dissatisfied with the representation provided them by the International Union after the resignation of the business manager, there was no evidence which would establish that the International Union's conduct was based on any arbitrary or discriminatory considerations. In addition, even though some of the members of the Local have alleged that representatives of the International Union and the business manager of the Local promised to pay benefits to employees participating in the strike against Bickerstaff Clay Products, the Union's refusal to pay those benefits would not constitute an unfair labor practice. 7 29 The Company asserts that the Board's own investigation into the unfair labor charge filed by three of the Union's members verified two factors which were significant in Bickerstaff's decision to withdraw recognition: (1) that members of the Local were dissatisfied with leadership provided by the Union; and (2) that the Union reneged upon promised strike benefits. 30 (8) Composition of bargaining unit on April 9, 1986. When the Company withdrew recognition on April 9, the record shows that 304 employees were working in the bargaining unit. The ALJ noted that by the critical date, at least 147 former strikers had returned to work and a total of 227 replacements had been hired. The ALJ stated that the record did not show what portion of the 304 employees working on April 9, 1986 was made up of replacements, returning strikers, or employees that did not engage in the strike. However, the Board found that the record shows that on April 4, 1986 there were 304 employees at work, of whom 93 had been hired to replace strikers; 133 were strikers who had crossed the picket lines and returned to work; and 78 were employees who had not struck.