Opinion ID: 316660
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: compensatory damages and litigation costs

Text: 12 Marriott sought from the Board an order requiring the union to pay compensatory damages for lost business and costs of redress. The Board's order failed, without comment, to provide such relief. Section 10(c) of the LMRA, 29 U.S.C. 160(c), authorizing the Board to enjoin employers and unions from violating the Act and to order them to take affirmative action, has been construed as giving the Board broad authority to create new remedies. See e.g., Southern S.S. Co. v. NLRB, 316 U.S. 31, 46, 62 S.Ct. 886, 86 L.Ed. 1246 (1942). 13 Whether and to what extent damages may serve the policies of the Act in a given case is a complex problem for the Board to decide in light of its administrative experience and knowledge. The primary purpose of the Act is to protect the public interest and the policies of the Act by mitigating the effects of the violation and preventing future violations. Compensation, like any other remedy, should be ordered only when it will serve this primary purpose. See, e.g., UAW v. Russell, 356 U.S. 634, 642-643, 78 S.Ct. 932, 2 L.Ed.2d 1030 (1958). 14 In this case, the language of 8 (e) at least supports the view that the Board might not have jurisdiction. It was only after resort to the legislative history and careful consideration thereof that the Board settled upon a reading of that section which rendered the Lufthansa-IAM agreement an unfair labor practice within the Board's jurisdiction. We cannot say, therefore, that the Board abused its discretion in not awarding damages. Accordingly, we do not revise the Board's order. We express no opinion on the power of the Board to award such affirmative relief. See Lipman Motors v. NLRB, 451 F.2d 823, 828-829 (2d Cir. 1971); Herald Co. v. NLRB, 444 F.2d 430 (2d Cir.), cert. denied 404 U.S. 990, 92 S.Ct. 532, 30 L.Ed.2d 541 (1971). Cf. Food Store Employees, Local 347 v. N.L.R.B., 155 U.S.App.D.C. 101, 476 F.2d 546 (1973). 15 In its brief in this court, Marriott has for the first time requested reimbursement for litigation expenses. Section 10(e) of the LMRA, 29 U.S.C. 160(e), provides that no objection not urged before the Board may be considered by the court unless excused by extraordinary circumstances. Marriott has not shown the necessary extraordinary circumstances to excuse its failure to request costs and attorney fees before the Board. See NLRB v. Ochoa Fertilizer Corp., 368 U.S. 318, 322, 82 S.Ct. 344, 7 L.Ed.2d 312 (1961); NLRB v. Swain & Morris Constr. Co., 431 F.2d 861 (9th Cir. 1970). Therefore, Marriott's request for reimbursement of costs and attorney fees must be denied. 16 The Board will prepare and submit a judgment enforcing its order.