Opinion ID: 1989368
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Timing of Layoffs

Text: In concluding that the reasons related to the discharges were unrelated to union activities, the CIR determined that the layoffs did not occur around the time of the union organizing effort. The Union contests this finding. While the layoffs were approximately 1½ years after the Union was organized, the Union asserts that the CIR did not take into account the fact that for most of that time the County was precluded by law from terminating the employment of any employees. The Union asserts that the proper timeframe to determine the relationship between the union organizing activity and the employment terminations did not begin until April 5, 1996, when the second wage and benefit action before the CIR was dismissed. Beginning on April 21, 1995, when the Union filed a wage and benefit action with the CIR, the County was statutorily barred from altering the status quo regarding employee status. See Neb.Rev. Stat. § 48-811 (Reissue 1998). From April 21, 1995, until April 5, 1996, there was at least one proceeding before the CIR between the County and the Union. In addition to the statutory prohibition, a CIR status quo order was in effect for much of this time, so the County would have been in contempt had it discharged any employees during that time. The employment terminations here occurred within weeks after the County was legally permitted to terminate the employment of any employees. While the County had the power to terminate the employment of union organizers from the time the Union was organized in December 1994 until April 21, 1995, it is unclear what knowledge of union activity the County had at that time, and it was only after then that the Union won a wage and benefit dispute before the CIR and pursued a status quo violation. The CIR never considered the effect of § 48-811 in concluding that the timeframe of the layoffs was too far removed. Thus, we determine that contrary to the CIR's finding, the Union met its burden to show that the timing of the employment terminations inferred an unlawful motivation.