Opinion ID: 270611
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pre-election interrogation and threats.

Text: 14 The trial examiner, affirmed by the Board, found as a fact that the interrogation and threats as set out above were actually made by respondent's supervisors. We cannot say that such findings were without substantial evidentiary support on the record considered as a whole and we are, therefore, by Section 10(e) of the Act, precluded from disturbing them. 29 U.S. C.A. § 160(e). Universal Camera Co. v. N. L. R. B., 340 U.S. 474, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1950). It is further argued that the interrogations and other observations by respondent's supervisors were neither coercive nor designed or calculated to interfere with the employees' rights guaranteed by Sec. 7 of the Act. Whether they were of such illegal nature was a matter of inference which, if validly made with evidentiary support, was within the exclusive province of the Board. N. L. R. B. v. Ford, 170 F.2d 735, 739 (CA 6, 1948); N. L. R. B. v. Link-Belt Co., 311 U.S. 584, 596-597, 85 S.Ct. 368, 85 L.Ed. 368 (1940); N. L. R. B. v. Nevada Consolidated Copper Corp., 316 U.S. 105, 62 S.Ct. 960, 86 L.Ed. 1305 (1941). We have held that interrogation of employees as to Union membership is not, per se, violative of Section 8(a) (1) of the Act, N. L. R. B. v. Tennessee Coach Co., 191 F.2d 546, 555 (CA 6, 1951); N. L. R. B. v. Flemingsburg Mfg. Co., 300 F.2d 182, 184 (CA 6, 1962), but may become so when viewed as part of a course of conduct which also included remarks that could be viewed as coercive. N. L. R. B. v. Nelson Mfg. Co., 326 F.2d 397, 398, 399 (CA 6, 1964); United Fireworks Mfg. Co. v. N. L. R. B., 252 F.2d 428, 430 (CA 6, 1958). Even though we might place a different construction on the remarks of respondent's people, we cannot say that the Board's inferences were without substantial evidentiary support.