Opinion ID: 385886
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: surveillance and threats

Text: 29 Director of Circulation Jules Molenda urged Yvette Hamilton, then office manager of the circulation department, to have some employees attend a Union meeting and report back. She persuaded two employees to attend the meeting and Molenda, on his own, persuaded two others to attend as well. The Board's conclusion that this activity constituted an unfair labor practice is supported by substantial evidence. Cf. NLRB v. Randall P. Kane, Inc., 581 F.2d 215, 218 (9th Cir. 1978). 30 City Editor Michael Todd told Sarah and William Wilson, both Times employees, that management was watching who attended NLRB hearings on the representation petition. He told them he did not think Sarah Wilson should attend, although it would be all right for William Wilson to attend, because his job was covering labor news. Creating the impression of surveillance of union activities can be as coercive as actual surveillance and, therefore, constitute an unfair labor practice. See NLRB v. Miller Redwood Co., 407 F.2d 1366, 1368 (9th Cir. 1969). Substantial evidence supports the Board's conclusion that Todd committed an unfair labor practice. 31 The Board also found that Director of Circulation Molenda, at a group meeting of the circulation department, threatened employees that if the Union won the election it would be cheaper to replace the composing room employees with a computer. Larry King, a lower-level mailroom supervisor, threatened two mailroom drivers that, if the Union won the election, at least one of them would be laid off because the company could not afford both. The Board has the primary responsibility to distinguish between a threat, which is an unfair labor practice, and a prediction of the probable consequence of unionization, which is not. See NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co., 395 U.S. 575, 618, 89 S.Ct. 1918, 1942, 23 L.Ed.2d 547 (1969); NLRB v. General Telephone Directory Co., 602 F.2d 912, 915 (9th Cir. 1979). Prior anti-union policies or sentiments by the Company can be considered in determining if the particular statement is a prediction or a threat. See e. g., NLRB v. Lenkurt Electric Co., 438 F.2d 1102, 1107 (9th Cir. 1971). In both of these instances, ample evidence supports the Board's conclusion that unfair labor practices were committed.