Opinion ID: 4017094
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Interrogation of Marquis Applin

Text: The Judge also concluded that Butcher’s questioning of Applin was an attempt to assess Applin’s position on unionization in order to report it to Hassinger, and that such questioning was coercive because it closely followed the mandatory anti-union meeting for employees. The Board agreed with this conclusion. Substantial evidence supports the Board’s conclusion that Butcher’s questioning of Applin amounted to coercive interrogation in violation of the Act. This conclusion is supported by evidence similar to the evidence supporting the conclusion that Sponsler was coercively interrogated: an anti-union meeting had been held the day before; Butcher clearly sought Applin’s position on the union; Butcher was Applin’s supervisor; and Butcher approached Applin on the work floor while Applin was alone, a potentially vulnerable setting. See Allegheny Ludlum Corp., 104 F.3d at 1359; supra Part II.A.1.a.