Opinion ID: 392983
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Participation of Leadpersons

Text: 34 If Klingler's leadpersons are supervisory staff, they should not have been included in the bargaining unit and, under certain conditions, their advocacy of the union might invalidate the election. The Board's decision held, first, that the leadpersons are not supervisory personnel and, second, that even if they were supervisors, their participation could not have affected the outcome of the election, based on the few allegations of objectionable conduct raised by Klingler. If the Board's second conclusion is adequately supported, we need not deal with the first. We will, therefore, assume that the leadpersons are supervisors for the purposes of this discussion. 35 First, we note that the Union won by a margin of 32 to 15 even when the 9 votes of the leadpersons were excluded. The validity of the election is thus not undermined merely by the votes of the leadpersons, and Klingler bears a heavy task in identifying specific conduct of the leadpersons that would tend to influence enough other votes to affect that outcome. In attempting to meet that burden, Klingler first alleges that the leadpersons were active in the organization and election campaigns. But pro-union activities by supervisors are merely an expression of personal preference and are not enough, by themselves, to invalidate an election. NLRB v. Alamo Express, Inc., 430 F.2d 1032, 1035 (5th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 1021, 91 S.Ct. 584, 27 L.Ed.2d 633 (1971). Klingler must show that the activities 36 created an environment of tension or coercion such as to preclude employees from exercising a free choice. For conduct to warrant setting aside an election, not only must that conduct be coercive, but it must be so related to the election as to have had a probable effect upon the employee's actions at the polls. 37 Singleton Packing, 418 F.2d at 281 (quoting NLRB v. Zelrich Co., 344 F.2d 1011, 1015 (5th Cir. 1965)). 38 The only evidence that Klingler offered of actual coercive conduct by the leadpersons was that two leadpersons made isolated and relatively mild threats of economic reprisals against fellow employees who did not support the union. The first of these statements was merely a misrepresentation that the union would not represent all employees equally in the distribution of benefits after the election, but would favor those who had supported the union. 12 The employee to whom the statement was made asked the union organizer privately about the statement and he publicly corrected the misinformation at an employee meeting immediately thereafter. Klingler offered no indication how this incident could have influenced other employees. The second incident was merely the comment, she'll be the grease monkey directed at an anti-union employee by a leadperson standing with several other employees. Nothing further was made of the remark, and it was never even connected directly to the election issue. Clearly, these two incidents standing by themselves are not sufficient to indicate that there was an atmosphere of tension or coercion such as to preclude employees from exercising a free choice, Singleton Packing, 418 F.2d at 281, and the acting regional director was justified in finding that they would not warrant setting the election aside. 13 39 Klingler also claims that the leadpersons signed and solicited union authorization cards, thereby tainting the showing of employee interest that the Board requires prior to directing an election. 29 C.F.R. §§ 101.17 & 101.18. But the second supplemental decision specifically found that the union's showing of interest was sufficient to warrant processing of the petition even if all of the cards signed and solicited by the leadpersons were excluded. Because Klingler does not dispute that finding, the point of error fails. 40 Klingler does not offer any other evidence that the participation of the leadpersons in the election, even if they are supervisors, tended to influence the outcome of the election. The acting regional director therefore properly overruled the objection.