Opinion ID: 367275
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: common situs:

Text: 21 Anchortank's first theory lacks merit, not because the Moore Dry Dock standards were observed, but because Dock 16 was not a common situs. Anchortank claims that Dock 16 is a common situs under alternative factual theories: (1) two other companies also use the dock facilities and (2) the vessel's owner, an entity in its own right, uses the dock for services unrelated to Anchortank's business. These facts fail, however, to transform Dock 16 into a common situs, because Moore Dry Dock and its Fifth Circuit progeny, 5 hold that to be a common situs the area must not be the primary situs of the struck employer And neutral employers must be present at the time of the picketing. 22 That others May use the dock at times when Anchortank is not using the dock is insufficient. It was factually established that the picketing occurred Only when a vessel dealing with Anchortank was either berthed or about to berth at Dock 16. Because the use of Dock 16 is exclusive, no neutral employers were present at the time of the picketing. Thus, the evil which Congress sought to proscribe, the bringing of pressure to bear on neutrals, was not present. Although Anchortank contends that had the union been successful in tying up a ship at the dock, the usage by the other firms would have been prevented, this factual situation neither occurred, threatened to occur, nor was intended to occur. Because the picketing occurred only when the dock was used for Anchortank's benefit and no other entity was threatened, the mere specter of abuse would not transform Dock 16 into a common situs. 23 Anchortank's second common situs theory, that Dock 16 is owned by a third party and that the ocean-going vessel, through its owner, was a neutral employer present during picketing, is completely foreclosed by United Steel Workers v. NLRB (Carrier Corp.), 376 U.S. 492, 84 S.Ct. 899, 11 L.Ed.2d 863 (1964). Carrier involved the picketing of a railroad spur in support of a primary strike. Although the railroad spur was located on railroad property, was used Solely by railroad employees, and serviced businesses other than the primary employer from the same spur, the Supreme Court nevertheless held that the picketing was protected primary activity and inferentially rejected the argument that the situation presented a common situs situation to which Moore Dry Dock would apply. Id. at 500, 84 S.Ct. 899. The Supreme Court, adopting the reasoning of Judge Lumbard of the Second Circuit, determined that the location and ownership were of little importance: 24  'In this case, it is undisputed that the railroad's operations for Carrier were in furtherance of Carrier's normal business. It is equally clear from the record that the picketing employees made no attempt to interfere with any of the railroad's operations for plants other than Carrier. The railroad employees were not encouraged to, nor did they, refuse to serve other plants. The picketing was designed to accomplish no more than picketing outside one of Carrier's own delivery entrances might have accomplished. Because the fence surrounding the railroad's right of way was a continuation of the fence surrounding the Carrier plant, there was no other place where the union could have brought home to the railroad workers servicing Carrier its dispute with Carrier.' 311 F.2d 135, 154. 25 The railroad gate adjoined company property and was in fact the railroad entrance to the Carrier plant. For the purposes of § 8(b)(4) picketing at a situs so proximate and related to the employers day-to-day operations is no more illegal than if it had occurred at a gate owned by Carrier. 376 U.S. at 499-500, 84 S.Ct. at 904. 26 In the same fashion: (1) Dock 16 was contiguous to Anchortank's property and leased by Anchortank, (2) no attempt was made to interfere with the operations of the other shares of Dock 16, (3) no other place was suitable to publicize the dispute with Anchortank to the vessel's employees and pilots, (4) the dock was, in fact, the vessels' entrance to the Anchortank facility and (5) the situs was related to Anchortank's everyday activity of receiving and loading chemicals. Therefore, we hold that the situs must be considered primary for the purpose of determining whether secondary activity occurred and Moore Dry Dock does not apply. 6