Opinion ID: 281097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the propriety of the interrogation and surveillance allegations

Text: 45 The charge filed with the Board by the union on September 29, 1964, alleged only that Yockmen had been discharged for union activity, in violation of sections 8(a)(1) and (3) of the Act. The Board's complaint, however, which was issued on April 2, 1965, included also the allegation that Harvey's comments had given an impression that respondent was engaging in 'surveillance' of the union activities of its employees, contrary to section 8(a)(1). And on the second day of the hearing before the trial examiner, the Board successfully moved for an amendment to the complaint, to include an allegation that Farnow, in his repair-shop conversation with Yockmen, had 'interrogated' the latter concerning his union activity, contrary to section 8(a)(1). Respondent's initial contention is that the latter two allegations were not properly before the trial examiner, since they were not included in the original charge. 46 In NLRB v. Osbrink, 218 F.2d 341 (9th Cir. 1954), cert. denied, 349 U.S. 928, 75 S.Ct. 770, 99 L.Ed. 1259 (1955), this court was faced with a similar argument. There we stated that section 10(b) of the Act 3 47 has been uniformly interpreted to authorize inclusion within the complaint of amended charges-- filed after the six months' limitation period-- which 'relate back' or 'define more precisely' the charges enumerated within the original and timely charge. 218 F.2d at 345, quoting NLRB v. Gaynor News Co., 197 F.2d 719, 721 (2d Cir. 1952). 48 In NLRB v. Dinion Coil Co., 201 F.2d 484, 491 (2d Cir. 1952), cited in our Osbrink opinion and recently reaffirmed as authority in Exber, Inc. v. NLRB, 390 F.2d 127 (9th Cir. 1968), the rule for determining whether a complaint issued by the Board is properly supported by the charge is set out as follows: 49 'If a charge was filed and served within six months after the violations alleged in the charge, the complaint (or amended complaint), although filed after the six months, may allege violations not alleged in the charge if (a) they are closely related to the violations named in the charge, and (b) occurred within six months before the filing of the charge.' 50 Here the additional allegations are sufficiently 'closely related' to those contained in the original charge so that the 'relation back' theory may properly be applied. Those allegations concern actions by respondent purportedly indicating its opposition to Yockmen's participation in the union, and presaging his allegedly improper dismissal. The Board's responsibility for vindicating the public interest would be unnecessarily restricted if it were strictly limited to the specific allegations contained in the charges filed with it. See Texas Indus. v. NLRB, 336 F.2d 128, 131-132 (5th Cir. 1964); NLRB v. Kohler Co., 220 F.2d 3, 6-8 (7th Cir. 1955). 4 Respondent does not contend here that it was prejudiced in any way by the 'relation back.'