Opinion ID: 717843
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Hyde's Speech

Text: 43 Threats of job loss or plant closure by an employer as a consequence of unionization is a violation of section 8(a)(1) of the Act. NLRB v. Hovey Elec., Inc., 964 F.2d 543, 546 (6th Cir.1992), citing NLRB v. Garon, 738 F.2d 140 (6th Cir.1984). The test is not actual intimidation or coercion, but whether the conduct tends to be coercive or interfere with employees' exercise of their rights. NLRB v. Elec. Steam Radiator Corp., 321 F.2d 733, 736 (6th Cir.1963); NLRB v. Okun Bros. Shoe Store, Inc., 825 F.2d 102, 105 (6th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 935 (1988). 44 In the case at bar, the Board found that AutoZone Chairman and CEO Hyde's February 19 speech to Greenville employees contained threats of job loss and plant closure in the event of unionization. Those findings are substantially supported by the record. An employer violates section 8(a)(1) of the Act by campaigning against the union on the basis that strikes are an inevitable result of unionization. NLRB v. Thomas Products Co., 432 F.2d 1217, 1218 (6th Cir.1970). Similarly, it is unlawful for an employer to tell employees, without more, that they could lose their jobs to permanent replacements in the event of a strike. Employees must be told of their rights if they return unconditionally from a strike. Laidlaw Corp., 171 NLRB 1366, 1368-1370 (1968), enforced, 414 F.2d 99 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 920 (1969). One of these rights is that employers must place permanently replaced strikers on a preferential hiring list if they return unconditionally. Larson Tool & Stamping Co., 296 NLRB 895 (1989). When threat of permanent replacement is combined with job loss, it is not reasonable to infer that an employee will interpret this to mean that a Laidlaw right exists. Baddour, Inc., 303 NLRB 275 (1991). 45 The Board found and the record substantially supports that Chairman Hyde's speech contained both a threat of plant closure and permanent loss of employment. Hyde told the employees his concerns about a union election victory given his personal experience that the Teamsters strike 100% of the time. Words such as these, as noted by the ALJ, convey the message that a successful vote for the Union will lead to a strike. See U.S. Electrical Motors v. NLRB, 722 F.2d 315, 321 (6th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 467 U.S. 1216 (1984). In addition, Hyde emphasized that AutoZone's striking employees at its Memphis and Sikeston distribution centers were all replaced and that none of them have gotten their jobs back to this day. This statement, which equates lawful strikes with permanent replacement and job loss, fails to mention the striker's Laidlaw rights, and is therefore unlawful. Finally, although Hyde did not expressly state he would close the facility, his statement conveyed that message. Hyde stated [I]f I let anyone ... think [the Union] is in charge, I might as well close the doors, put a lock on the gate, and throw away the key. I will not let [the Union], with [its] record and [its] own agenda, destroy what you and I have built. As the ALJ noted, these words convey the message that Hyde would close the plant rather than see the nonunion status of the facility changed. 1 46