Opinion ID: 238648
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: As to additional matters evidencing discrimination, the Trial Examiner found:

Text: 45 1. 'Practically all of the strikers included in the complaint had walked the picket line either the morning of, or the day before, the end of the strike. Of a total of 10 union officers and committeemen, Respondent employed only one officer, Mary Easley (financial secretary), and one committeeman, Andrew Meyers. The circumstances surrounding both are significant. 46 'Meyers had applied for and was granted reinstatement prior to the end of the strike. His case is to be contrasted with Lola Wilson, who also applied to Coley prior to the removal of the picket line on March 29, and who was told to come back to work. Learning that the picket line was shortly to be removed, Wilson waited until it was taken off, then lined up with the other strikers and was interviewed by Coley, who listed her name with the others and stated that he would call her in anything became available. 47 'Easley had moved from Sapulpa following the strike, but in September 1951, Coley made a special trip to her home, some 20 miles from Sapulpa, and offered her employment. Easley was unable to accept at that time, but was later hired in February 1952, after notifying Coley that she was available for employment. Easley also testified, without denial from Coley, that shortly before the hearing, Coley had discussed with her the impending hearing in this case, stating among other things that a lot depended on the testimony to be given, that he was glad to have her back in the Company's employ, but that he would not 'walk across the street for some of them,' and that that was why he had come to look her up (for employment).' 48 2. The Company 'ceased to reemploy strikers in any substantial number around April 19 (the strike ended March 29), which coincided roughly with (the Company's) refusal to negotiate with the Union as the representative of the employees.' 49 The Board did not disturb the foregoing findings that (1) jobs were available; (2) the strikers in question had applied for such jobs; and (3) their 'applications were understood to be continuing ones' and not 'for only a short and indefinite period.' Thus the sole reason which the Company offered for not employing these strikers in plainly [97 U.S.App.D.C. 252] refuted by the record. Nevertheless the Board reversed the Trial Examiner's determination 'that by failing to employ the (strikers here, the Company) discriminated against them for the purpose of discouraging membership in the Union and thereby engaged in unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8(a)(3) and (1) of the Act.' The Board said, in effect, that a determination of discrimination was precluded by (1) the Company's non-discriminatory treatment of the vast majority of the strikers; and (2) the Company's background which was free of unfair labor practices. 50 In light of the record as a whole, including the Trial Examiner's findings, it seems to me that the matters relied upon by the Board may fairly be said to be frivolous. It is at least clear that, under any reasonable view of the Supreme Court's decisions in Federal Communications Commission v. Allentown Broadcasting Corp., 1955, 349 U.S. 358, 75 S.Ct. 855, 99 L.Ed. 1147; and Universal Camera Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board, 1951, 340 U.S. 474, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456, such matters are plainly insufficient to support the Board's action.