Document: 517 U.S. 392116 S.Ct. 1396134 L.Ed.2d 593 HOLLY FARMS CORPORATION et al., Petitioners,v.NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD al. No. 95-210. Supreme Court of the United States Argued Feb. 21, 1996. Decided April 23, Syllabus* See v. Detroit Lumber Co., 200 321, 337, 26 282, 287, 50 L.Ed. 499. Respondent National Labor Relations Board (Board) approved a bargaining unit at Wilkesboro, North Carolina, processing plant petitioner Holly Farms Corporation, vertically integrated poultry producer. The included workers described as ''live-haul'' crews--teams chicken catchers, forklift operators, and truckdrivers, who collect for slaughter chickens raised broilers by independent contract growers, transport birds to plant. On Farms' petition review, Fourth Circuit enforced Board's order. court held that classification live-haul ''employee[s]'' protected Act (NLRA or Act), rather than ''agricultural laborer[s]'' excluded from Act's coverage § 2(3) NLRA, rested on reasonable interpretation was consistent with prior decisions Eighth Circuit's case law. Held: reasonably aligned crews operations, typing them covered ''employee[s],'' not exempt laborer[s]''; therefore, properly deferred determination. Pp. ___-___. (a) term laborer,'' used in derives its meaning definition ''agriculture'' supplied 3(f) Fair Standards 1938 (FLSA). This includes farming both primary sense, which ''the raising . poultry,'' secondary encompasses practices ''performed farmer farm an incident conjunction such operations.'' When statutory prescription is free ambiguity, must choose between conflicting interpretations. Courts, turn, respect judgment agency empowered apply law varying fact patterns. Bayside Enterprises, Inc. NLRB, 429 298, 304, 97 576, 581, 494. (b) confronts no contention are engaged agriculture. Thus, sole question addresses decides whether truckdrivers activities farmer.'' producer contracts growers care feeding chicks hatched producer's hatcheries, status ends those chicks. Bayside, U.S., 302, n. 9, S.Ct., 580, 9. does resume when employees arrive farms carriage processing. conclusion entirely disposes employed agriculture, acknowledges these crew members do work "on farm." P. ___. (c) more substantial catching loading qualifies performed ''on with'' growers' operations. position this plausible, but inevitable, construction FLSA 3(f). Hence, reviewing examine only reasonableness governing legislation. (d) concluded collection slaughter, although farm,'' incidental Rather, determined, crews' tied statute. Once have grown seven weeks, contractual obligation raise ends, begins. assist chickens, play role performance their undertakings. Furthermore, all out Wilkesboro plant, begin end each shift punching timeclock functionally other processing-plant employees. It also sensible home employer. P> (e) decision adheres longstanding NLRB precedent, see, e.g., Imco Poultry, Div. Int'l Multifoods Corp., 202 N.L.R.B. 259, 260, supported Department Labor, responsible administering FLSA. Department's interpretative regulations accord engage further demonstrate 3(f)'s so plain bear one permissible context hand. 48 F.3d 1360 (C.A.4 1995), affirmed. GINSBURG, J., delivered opinion Court, STEVENS, KENNEDY, SOUTER, BREYER, JJ., joined. O'CONNOR, filed concurring part dissenting part, REHNQUIST, C. SCALIA THOMAS, Writ Certiorari Appeals Circuit. Charles Roberts, III, Greensboro, NC, petitioners. Richard H. Seamon, Washinton, DC, respondents. Justice GINSBURG Court. 1 controversy stems dispute concerning union representation headquarters facility Farms, corporation production, processing, marketing products. parties divide, federal courts, over certain workers, maintains laborer[s],'' category coverage. disagreed including Satisfied corporation's we affirm Appeals' judgment, 2 * A 3 Petitioner wholly owned subsidiary Tyson Foods, Inc., headquartered Carolina.1 encompass numerous feed mill, equipment maintenance center, 4 ''Broiler'' destined human food markets.2 hatches broiler own immediately delivers contractors. contractors then into full-grown chickens. pays services, retains title supplies medicine necessary growth. 5 weeks old, sends reclaim ferry slaughter. crews--which typically comprise nine operator, driver--travel flat-bed truck growers. At farms, catchers enter coops, manually capture broilers, load cages. operator lifts caged onto bed truck, driver returns loaded cases crew, There, slaughtered prepared shipment retail stores. B 6 In 1989, Chauffeurs, Teamsters Helpers, Local 391 (Union), (Board NLRB), seeking election proposed working Over objection, unit, ruling were 49 Stat. 449, amended, 29 U.S.C. 151 seq., 152(3). 311 273, 4, 284 (1993).3 After proceedings relevant here, ordered bargain Union representative unit. Id., 285-286. 7 Act.'' 1360, 1372 (1995). reading, added, NLRB's decisions, see 260-261 (1973), adhered Seaboard Kentucky, 159 (1993), Draper Valley 307 1440 (1992), law, Hudson 681 F.2d 1105, 1106 (per curiam), cert. denied, 459 1069, 103 488, 74 631 (1982), Valmac Industries, 599 246, 249 (1979). 1371-1372.4 8 Other Federal Courts Appeals, conflict Circuits, producers ''agriculture.'' See, Coleman Sanderson 629 1077, 1079 (C.A.5 1980); Ryckebosch, 471 20, 21 (C.A.9 1972). We granted certiorari resolve division authority. 516 ----, 116 416, 133 334 II 9 NLRA's protections extend qualify under Act. ''employee,'' NLRA states, ''[does] include any individual agricultural laborer.'' Ibid. No laborer'' appears NLRA. But annually since 1946, Congress has instructed, riders Appropriations Acts Board: ''[A]gricultural rfor purposes, shall derive 300, 6, 578, 494 (1977).5 Section provides: 10 '' 'Agriculture' branches among things cultivation tillage soil, dairying, cultivation, growing, harvesting horticultural commodities (including defined section 1141j(g) 12), livestock, bees, fur-bearing animals, poultry, forestry lumbering operations) preparation market, delivery storage market carriers transportation market.'' 203(f). 11 definition, explained, ''includes sense.'' 579. ''Primary farming'' occupations listed first 3(f): [and] poultry.'' ''Secondary broader meaning, encompassing, stated second ''any Ibid.; 7, 579, 7; Farmers Reservoir & Irrigation Co. McComb, 337 755, 763, 69 1274, 1278, 93 1672 (1949) (secondary embraces practices, themselves either farm, incidently 'such' operations''). 12 If statute's plain, courts ''must give effect unambiguously expressed intent Congress.'' Chevron U.S.A. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 837, 843, 104 2778, 2781, 81 694 (1984). legislative administrator ''to patterns,'' even if issue ''with nearly equal reason [might] be resolved way another,'' id., 580 (citing Reservoir, 770, 1282 (Frankfurter, concurring)). note, furthermore, administrators take assure exemptions expansively interpreted deny protection designed reach. F.3d, 1370 Cal-Maine 998 1336, 1339 1993));6 cf. Arnold Ben Karnowsky, 361 388, 392, 80 453, 456, 393 (1960) (exemptions ''are narrowly construed against employers assert them''); Mitchell Kentucky Finance 359 290, 295, 79 756, 759, 815 (1959) (''It well settled construed.''). III 13 Primary poultry. 300-301, 578-579. All agree confront poultry.7 agriculture--that is, 14 up, initially, farmer'' strand labor point, our securely leads us ''by considered application specification companies work. upheld rejection ''all activity should regarded Farms. 580. ''contracts [its] chicks, chicks.'' N.L.R.B., 260). Accordingly, ''farmer'' birds, had before, hatcheries. conclusion, tr uckdrivers farm.'' Tr. Oral Arg. 5. 15 now, nub operators: farm'' 16 argues language statute, to'' emphasizes enumerates ''preparation market'' ''delivery count employees' work, concludes, thus falls within domain exemption and, accordingly, enjoys protection. 17 find turn position, examining ras 18 While agreeing operators contends catch cage slaughtering constitute ''farming'' conclude, next explain, ''is based holdings, Secretary Labor's 3(f).'' 303, (footnotes omitted). 19 underscores words ''such suffice alleged agriculture consists market,'' maintains; exemption, urges, to, conjoined with, operations.8 As just supra, __, growing stage short life broiler, involved farming, are. essential question, then, inevitably ''incident operations growers.9 answers negative. 261 (Because ''have business relationship farmers, conclude farmers' operations.''). 20 answer reasonable. record reflects minimal overlap activities. chickens; responsibilities move coops arrival, present farms. App. Brief 3a. Nor rplay record, supports farming.10 They ''work plant'' 22a, located three miles Pet. Cert. A-381, 119. Crew A-831 A-832, employees, 22a. A-396 (correlation rate available crews); 29a (live production manager step operations). determination, sum, requisite ''warrant record.'' 14, Hearst Publications, 322 111, 131, 64 851, 860-861, 88 1170 (1944)). 22 think it sensible, too, homed employer's respecting particular accounts determination ''egg haulers'' (who eggs laying houses ha tcheries), ''pullet catchers'' breeding-destined growers) rank laborer[s].'' shows, pullet egg haulers hatchery while employees--who deal broilers--work ''There interchange classifications. Broiler haul pullets broilers.'' 20a-21a. poultry-raising operation, 23 regarding precedent. For years, maintained producers' ''handl[e] transpor[t] after [the producers'] ended, cannot performing [their employer's] 260. repeatedly ruled, perform separate distinct employer], i.e., shipping marketing.'' 261. (''We follows plainly Employer's not, 'raising' activities, laborers.''); (1993) (same).11 24 construing laborer endeavors ''follow, whenever possible, interpretations adopted charged responsibility experience Cornell University, 254 110 (1981); Mario Saikhon, Fresh Fruit Vegetable Workers Union, 278 1289, 1290 (1986); Wegman's Food Market, 236 1062 (1978). departed endeavor here.12 address precise situation before us, nor ambiguity. Board, however, they ''employee'' characterization 25 arrangements issued regulation, noted 303-304, 13, 580-581, follows: ''Feed dealers processors sometimes farmers latter marketable size baby former undertake furnish required possibly additional items. Typically, dealer processor until sold. Under arrangement, clearly processor, hand, 'raising poultry,' ground. Employees 'secondary' (see BB 780.137 seq. [explaining connection farmer-employer's farmer] Johnston Cotton Producers Assn., 244 553).'' CFR 780.126 27 regulation suggests surely operation. could ''secondary'' ''perform[ed] developed earlier, __-__, fit bill. sees it, ''as ''in words, ''a activity,'' sale, 261, anterior agriculture.13 28 harmony because though 780.129 (1995) reiterates 'as with' operations,'' 780.143 adds: ''The practice strong indication there conducted.'' 30 same 780.143, states that, determining ''for'' farmer, ''highly significant'' involves prope rty otherwise responsibility. once undertakes remove grower ''divest[s] himself product.'' Ibid.14 31 candidly observed ''[t]he line susceptible definition.'' 780.144. acknowledgment accords recognition ''plain'' IV 32 persuasive serving Again, stress court's function limited.'' 860). prevail, need show best read statute; rather, long reading one. Sure-Tan, 883, 891, 2803, 2808, 732 (1984) (''we will uphold [of 'employee' ] defensible''). ''[R]egardless how might initial matter,'' here merits approbation. accordingly 33 Affirmed. 34 djq whom THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SCALIA, THOMAS join, part. 35 Today concludes categories fall outside (FLSA) (NLRA): (1) rounding catching, caging live (2) flatbed (3) drivers, drive trucks plants, where market. I concur Court's neither rperform runs contrary common sense finds support text Because makes clear reach respectfully dissent. 36 devotes bulk analysis gives remarkably shrift statute itself. dismisses claim covers conclusory remark Fa rms' Ante, __. my view, unambiguous. 37 said (1984): ''[F]irst, always, directly spoken issue. clear, matter; court, agency, 842-843, 2781. None precedents sanction blind adherence Brown, 380 278, 291, 85 980, 988, 839 (1965) (''Reviewing obliged stand aside rubber-stamp affirmance administrative deem inconsistent mandate frustrate congressional policy underlying statute''); American Ship Building 318, 955, 967, 855 (''The deference owed expert tribunal allowed slip judicial inertia .''). defines ''farming branches,'' 203(f) (emphasis added). intended determined consulting portions perfectly ''directly [speak] issue,'' Chevron, 842, would hold laborers deserve deference. 38 rests largely upon misreading two respects. First, tethers ''or clause employment (or lack thereof) And second, ''incident'' farmer's ''mainly'' ''most tightly'' thereto. Neither 39 error adoption focus direct nowhere mentions nature relationship. Instead, concerned worker. rejected, entirely. 40 relies history clause, (1949). That reveals ''necessary himself. 767, 1280. One example figures prominently history: wheat rthresher travels threshing chores small basis. reasons unlike fictional thresher, themselve s. ante, (''If closely resemble threshers contemplated framers 3(f)''). 41 emphasize formal virtual exclusion practical realities. services seems beside point; precisely hired notion readily manipulable criterion strains credibility. crew's depends ''hires'' can simply charge caging, cooping require hire tasks. 42 quotation 259 gone astray: takes 'cannot operations.' ---- (quoting one's ''such'' operations--the antecedent 3(f), wit, sine qua non grower, redundant, agents clause. Ordinarily, ''terms connected disjunctive [are] given meanings, unless dictates otherwise.'' Reiter Sonotone 442 330, 339, 99 2326, 2331, 60 931 significance encompassed someone effectively redacts operative clauses. 43 cites approval (DOL) interpretive DOL declares ''[e]mployees [a] agriculture.'' accepts essence, __ employer '') original). ways, indifferent 44 misstep likewise lacks foundation exempts operati ons. manifestly disqualify ''serves,'' ''tied to,'' some enterprise. Even accepting 45 points out, hinges premise thing--either both. squared itself, places conditions prerequisite Indeed, thresher enterprise requirement simple, imposition stringent rejected 46 catch, cage, certainly doing related occurred very during preceding weeks: caught, caged, removed grower's been naught. grow designated age removed, replaced new cycle. Petitioners 23. lists customarily buttresses petitioners' argument. 47 response facts duties punch Farmer Brown's barn, signs paychecks day. irrelevant definition. asks (which concede do) operations''--that place To answer. today defers language, dissent operators. various facilities throughout States, concerns lso involve called ''pullets,'' young serve hens. whose exclusively broilers. member Oviatt dissented He viewed therefore unprotected 287 (1993). Judge Niemeyer part; like Oviatt, 3, he ranked 1373 1995). most recent rider states: ''[N]o Board's] appropriation organize organizing investigations, hearings, directives, orders units composed referred [NLRA] [FLSA].'' Pub.L. 103-333, Tit. IV, 108 2569-2570. Congress, linking FLSA, cabin exemption. version appropriations House incorporated contained Social Security Amendments 1939, 53 1377. 92 Cong. Rec. 6689-6692 (1946). Some lawmakers, objected amendment ''very broad definitio[n] excluding great number employees'' 9514 (statement Sen. Ball). debate--and consultation counsel--the Conference Committee agreed substitute ''much narrower definition'' ibid. dissent's plausible we, less crystalline, infra, inharmonious create slim encompassing afford Nation's commercial enterprises. true, ultimately slated ''harvesting'' 29-30. failed advance argument did certiorari. ''generally arguments basis below,'' Matsushita Elec. Industrial Epstein, 5, 873, 880, 134 (1996), decline entertain (1949), specifically added Senators' objections cover functions his hands, organized devoted solely job.'' 1280-1281 7653 (1937)). Nothing detracts ''separate auxiliary aid intended, redundant. post, __.FC21SHolly presses analogous figured history. responds, worker--whether feed-haul driver, catcher--must her operations'' order asserts ''there answer.'' Post, farm''--in case, removing make room more--inescapably satisfy __-__. agree, absent conducted language--''incident with''--does beyond rational debate extent connection. 780.144 (recognition ''line definition''). argues, agrees, assumption thing only--in oral argument, counsel accurately conveyed position. 33, 38. apparently recognizes, thing. gain incidental. farming. Our Maneja Waialua Agricultural 349 254, 75 719, 1040 (1955), cast doubt view ruling, railroad sugar cane exempt, overtime provisions. Maneja, grew cultivated autonomously, without growers; hence, hauled freshly cut fields 262-263, 724-725. 1077 1980), applicability FLSA's provisions, representation. Board. 1081, 4. advert (1995), citation F.2d, 553, 554 1957). distinguishable us. Johnston, employee rural supply store minimum wage requirements laborer. sold ''retain[ing] security purchase price advances feed, supplies, equipment.'' cooped, processors--entities store--that ''supervise[d] [independent] farms.'' By contrast, similarly chick-raising point 780.151(k) ''[c]ulling, grading, cooping, loading'' another emphasizes, 'preparation market,' 'by operations' [FLSA] 780.150

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