Opinion ID: 1477516
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Columbus, Indiana.

Text: There is much discussion in the briefs concerning the activities of a Citizens' Committee of about 100 business and professional men, organized in May, 1937, shortly after the Amalgamated started its organizational campaign. Admittedly, this committee was hostile to, and formed primarily for the purpose of combatting the Amalgamated, and its activities appear to have been confined largely to the employees of petitioner. A Grievance Committee was set up and employees were urged, at meetings called by the Committee, in newspaper advertisements and in handbills circulated through the plant and otherwise, to accept facilities offered by the Committee for the presentation of their grievances rather than those provided by Amalgamated. The employees were urged to join the Committee for the purpose of demonstrating their loyalty to the citizens and their employer. The Board found that petitioner, by aiding and assisting the Citizens' Committee, interfered with, restrained and coerced its employees in violation of Section 7 of the Act. The Board also found that Superintendent Shepherd and other supervisory employees at the Columbus plant signed such cards, asked various employees to sign them, and permitted widespread solicitation and signatures on the premises of the plant during working hours. Petitioner does not dispute this finding but contends that such activity did not constitute an unfair labor practice. There is no merit in this contention. Of course, the Citizens' Committee had a right by any lawful means to combat the activities of the Amalgamated. They undoubtedly thought they were justified in so doing, and, in fact, might have been. The record, however, plainly discloses that petitioner actively assisted and cooperated with the Citizens' Committee in its anti-union campaign. As an aider and abettor, it became chargeable with the activities of the Citizens' Committee. It is beside the issue to point out that the Citizens' Committee was within its rights. What the Board has condemned, and we think properly, is the active assistance given the Committee by petitioner. The Board also found that petitioner violated 8(1) by participating in the eviction from town of an Amalgamated organizer, and by the discharge of one Pauline McComas for the reason that she joined the union. We are satisfied the evidence justifies these findings. There is no occasion for us to discuss it. We pause, however, to briefly refer to the undisputed fact that a woman organizer for the union was forced to leave town and warned not to return. The only controversy there can be concerning this incident is petitioner's contention that it was not responsible. If this incident stood alone, there might be some merit in the contention. Taken in connection with the general situation, however, and the fact that numerous of petitioner's employees participated, including one who had a supervisory status, even though of a limited character, we think it may be strongly inferred, not only that petitioner had knowledge, but that it gave its tacit approval to a flagrant act of interference. The Board found that petitioner sponsored the organization of the Columbus Independent Union and dominated and interfered with its management and control. Petitioner tacitly concedes the validity of this finding insofar as assistance is concerned. It disputes, however, that there was any evidence of domination. As stated heretofore concerning a similar contention with reference to the Michigan City plant, we do not believe it makes any difference so far as the Board's order is concerned. Petitioner was also found to have violated 8(3) in regard to hire and tenure. At this plant there were 31 employees named in the complaint. The Board dismissed the charges as to 16 and found discrimination as to 15. About September 15, 1937, petitioner, for valid reasons, curtailed its operations and laid off all but a small number of its employees. In January, 1938, operations were greatly increased, and shortly thereafter were back to normal. Here, as at Michigan City, a number of new employees were hired in preference to those found to have been discriminated against. Here also petitioner seeks to justify its refusal to hire old employees, members of the Union, for the reason that they had formerly been employed in divisions of its plant where their services were not needed when operations were fully resumed. In other words, that no inference arises from the fact that new employees were hired for particular work which the old employees were not familiar with because they had previously been employed in other kinds of work. We have considered the evidence with reference to each of these employees, and while we are of the view that it furnishes rather scant support for the Board's finding, we are not prepared to say that it is not sufficient. The hostile attitude and the numerous unfair acts charged and found against petitioner cast a grave reflection upon its explanation as to why positions were given to new, rather than old, employees.