Opinion ID: 778104
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Layoff and Subsequent Discharge of Dale Smith

Text: 20 On April 28, 1995, the same day of the Union election, Paula Clark resigned, effective immediately. At that time, both Belongia and Burkel were away on sick leave. That same evening, Dale Smith, who was an observer at the Union election, received a phone call from Russell Pomeroy, FiveCAP's fiscal officer. Pomeroy told Smith that because Clark had resigned and Belongia and Burkel were on sick leave, Smith would be temporarily laid off. Smith also received a letter to this effect, dated April 28, indicating that with three out of five employees absent, Smith would be laid off for two weeks or less. Clark testified before the ALJ, however, that upon her resignation she left three weeks worth of scheduled work for both the inspectors and laborers. Smith also testified that he could have performed Belongia's tasks while he was on sick leave. Smith told Pomeroy over the phone that he wished to complete one such outstanding project in order to get paid. After speaking with Trucks, Pomeroy permitted Smith to come in to complete this project. 21 Smith returned to work on May 4 to complete his outstanding project. While he was working on the project, he received a phone call from a woman named Sandra Fraley. Fraley was a friend of Darlene Pietz, a client of FiveCAP. Fraley asked Smith when he would be able to assist Pietz with her weatherization projects. Smith explained to Fraley that he was temporarily laid off and did not know when Pietz's project could be completed. He suggested that Fraley or Pietz call the local FiveCAP contact person or speak with Trucks directly. 22 Later that day, Trucks received a phone call from Lutheran Social Services, indicating that they had received a complaint from Fraley about the timeliness of the weatherization department's work on Pietz's mobile home. Trucks testified that in speaking with Lutheran Social Services, she realized that Smith had violated FiveCAP's confidentiality policy by discussing the business of a client with a non-client. That afternoon, Trucks called Smith into her office and angrily reprimanded Smith for violating FiveCAP's confidentiality policy. Smith asked Trucks if she was going to fire him. Trucks ultimately responded, you are going to be fired, but not right now. Smith and Trucks continued to angrily exchange words, and Smith continued to ask if he was fired. Trucks ordered Smith to leave the building; when he refused, Trucks ordered her secretary to call the police. Smith then left, telling Trucks that he would be in touch with her in the form of a lawsuit. 23 That same day, Trucks sent Smith a letter indicating that he had been terminated because of his behavior in their meeting. She testified that she did not have any intention of discharging Smith when she called him into her office, but his conduct during their meeting was inappropriate and merited termination. 24 Mindful of the factors relevant to a finding of anti-union animus, we find that substantial evidence exists to support the Board's determination that the layoff and subsequent firing of Smith was unlawful. Smith was known by Trucks to be an avid supporter of the Union: he testified at the representation hearing and also observed the Union election that took place the same day he was laid off. The Board appropriately found suspicious the haste with which Smith was laid off, particularly given the backlog of weatherization projects left by Clark upon her departure. Moreover, the severity of Trucks's punishment of Smith, first by laying him off and next by terminating him, relative to the insignificance of his acts also contributes to a finding that Trucks was acting out of anti-union animus. Indeed, the Board found incredible Trucks's justification for the termination of Smith. Finally, the fact that all of these events transpired within days of the union election certainly supports the Board's finding of unfair labor practices. See Adair Standish Corp. v. NLRB, 912 F.2d 854, 861 (6th Cir.1990) (More importantly, Adair's decision to post the tardiness policy (along with the union authorization revocation notice) immediately after the union election belies the company's assertion that the posted policy was nothing more than a formal statement of existing protocol.). The NLRB concluded on the basis of substantial evidence that Trucks acted based upon her disdain for the Union rather than any legitimate employer-related reason.