Opinion ID: 516427
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: scope of review, and the importance of the nlrb's

Text: 19 REASONED EXPLANATION AND CLEAR ARTICULATION OF ITS DECISION 20 Our authority to review an order of the NLRB is limited. If the Board adopts a rule that is rational and consistent with the Act, then the rule is entitled to deference from the courts. Moreover, if the Board's application of such a rational rule is supported by substantial evidence on the record, courts should enforce the Board's order. Fall River Dyeing, 107 S.Ct. at 2235 (citations omitted). On the other hand, the deference owed to an agency construction of a statute depends substantially on the persuasiveness of the agency view. A position without reasoning has little power to persuade. Local 825, International Union of Operating Engineers v. NLRB, 829 F.2d 458, 460 (3d Cir.1987) (citation omitted). [T]he Board bears the burden of stating reasons for its action and making sufficient factual findings to support them. Only when the Board does so can it clearly show that it has legitimately exercised its discretion. Local 467, Upholsterers' International Union v. NLRB, 419 F.2d 179, 182 (3d Cir.1969). 21 The Union contends that the NLRB's order does not provide a reasoned explanation for the NLRB's conclusion. It claims that the NLRB's opinion is subject to two interpretations--either the NLRB adopted the ALJ's opinion in its entirety as stated in the text of the order, or, as the language of the footnote indicates, the Board adopted only the order and not the ALJ's opinion. We have stated that we will not refuse to enforce an order of the NLRB merely because the [NLRB] adopted the ALJ's findings and conclusions with respect to such order instead of filing independent findings. NLRB v. Daybreak Lodge Nursing & Convalescent Home, Inc., 585 F.2d 79, 81 (3d Cir.1978). But the Union does not request that we require the NLRB to file independent findings in this case. Instead, it points out that in this case it is impossible to determine what findings and conclusions the NLRB either adopted or made independently. 22 We turn to an analysis of the union's contentions in light of the applicable law.