Court Opinion

ID: 9456690
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:00:19.464014+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:04.526781
License: Public Domain

PELL, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
The Board by a two to one decision agreed with the Trial Examiner that Mortell, through the posting of certain notices, attempted to dissuade its employees from cooperating with the General Counsel and thereby interfered with the effectiveness of the Board’s process in securing for employees vindication of rights protected by the Act, in violation of Section 8(a) (1). 29 U.S.C. § 158(a) d).
On April 6, 1966, in preparation for the hearing in this matter, the General Counsel forwarded subpoenas and a covering letter to some 175 persons, approximately 100 of which were directed to Mortell’s employees. The subpoena called for the attendance of the witness at the Board’s hearing then scheduled for June 14. The letter that accompanied this subpoena stated that attendance at the time and place indicated in the subpoena was mandatory and that failure to so appear “subjects you to legal action being brought against you in the federal court”; the General Counsel is the only person who can grant a release from subpoena and that only after the General Counsel had talked to the individual could it be decided whether his attendance would ultimately be required. The letter concluded by requesting the addressee to telephone or call upon the General Counsel’s representative at a specified motel between April 11 and April 15, 1966.
Shortly after the mailing, Mortell posted a notice on its bulletin board informing its employees that if they had any questions about the subpoena or letter, they should contact Personnel Director Donner. Donner testified that some six individuals responded to the notice and sought his advice, among whom was employee Karla Starr. The Board in its decision states that Donner admitted informing Starr that she did not have to respond to the request for an interview. I do not find support in the record for this statement. From the Trial Examiner’s findings of fact it appears that Starr testified that Donner told her she did not have to appear in court or visit the General Counsel’s representative at the motel and that she told Donner that she thought she had to go. While Mortell did not cross-examine Starr with respect to this aspect of her testimony, Donner did testify that he told Starr that she might have to appear at the trial but that compliance with the General Counsel’s request that she confer with him at the motel “was strictly up to her.” She could go or not, but that if she decided to go, and wanted time off for that purpose, he wanted advance notice.
The Trial Examiner in his findings of fact pointed out that Starr was born in *460Germany and had not acquired much skill in the reading and writing of English and he was not convinced that there was any conflict between the testimony of Starr and Donner or that her testimony did not mean that Donner simply told her that a visit to the motel was not legally compulsory. I find no support for the Board reaching any other interpretation than that at which the Trial Examiner arrived.
On April 15, 1966 Mortell posted the following notice on its bulletin board:
“NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES
“This notice is prompted for two reasons. First, many of our empoyees are confused as to the meaning and importance of communications which may have been received by them from the National Labor Relations Board, asking them to contact Mr. Eisenburg. Secondly, we wish to provide you with the truth about a meeting notice passed out by union organizers on April 13.
“1. On August 3, 1965, our employees rejected a union in a secret ballot election. The U.A.W. asked the N.L.R.B. to throw out the election results and give them the bargaining rights without a second election. The N.L.R.B. has agreed to hold such a hearing to consider this possibility. This is the reason many of our employees have received a notification about a subpoena to appear at the hearing.
“Preliminary to this hearing Mr. Eisenberg wishes to ask you certain questions about the union affair. Do not confuse the subpoena with Mr. Eisenberg’s request. You are under no obligation to discuss the case with him prior to the hearing. If you wish to discuss the matter with him, you are encouraged to do so. However, we have received reports that union organizers, trying to supply witnesses for Mr. Eisenberg, have coerced and misrepresented Mr. Eisenberg’s communication, causing some of our people to believe that they must contact Mr. Eisenberg at this time. This is typical of the union ethics we have all seen over the last sixteen months.
“Do not be intimidated by the union organizers. Their ‘Notice of Meetings’ handout is further intimidation to seek your cooperation with Mr. Eisenberg. They would have you believe a certified union exists and you had better play ball with them.
“2. The ‘Notice of Meeting’ handout is misleading. There is no certified Local 1387 at the J. W. Mortell Company. This is another instance of ‘union baloney.’ Whether our employees will eventually be represented by the U.A.W. will depend upon the outcome of the court hearing which will probably take several weeks. It will be months after the hearing before a decision is handed down.
“Wonder if those attending the meeting will be obliged to pay union dues?
J. W. MORTELL COMPANY”
The Trial Examiner in his findings of fact states that the General Counsel apparently had some difficulty in contacting his witnesses, but the reason for this was not developed. In this respect it is to be noted that the “Notice to Employees” was not posted on the bulletin board until the last day on which the witnesses were requested to get in touch with the General Counsel’s representative, so there is very little basis for thinking that the “Notice” was the cause for witnesses staying away.
In any event, on May 18, 1966 the General Counsel mailed one of two types of letters to. the witnesses; one type to the witnesses he regarded as “friendly” and the other to persons who had not responded to the letter of April 6.
The latter letter asked the addressee to communicate with the General Counsel at the motel during a designated period and also stated: “There is also another reason why it is advisable for you to contact me. If we meet, you may be excused or at least you will be given a definite time to appear, so as to reduce *461to a minimum the inconvenience caused you. On the other hand, if you arrive at the hearing without having previously talked to me you may have to be present for many hours, or even more than one day, before you are called to testify.”
After the aforementioned letters were received by employees, Mortell, on May 24, 1966, posted a further notice to employees on the bulletin board. This notice was as follows:
“NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES MEETING WITH NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD ATTORNEYS
“Once again employees have asked the Company if they must go to the motel of the government lawyers about the union case.
“Feel free to go to the motel or feel free to stay away. No one can legally pressure you either way. Some of you have been told you will be held in court by the government lawyers for four or five days. This is only a union pressure tactic to force you to go to the motel. We honestly do not believe the government lawyers will hold you in court just to punish you for not going to the motel. You might be required to wait in court several hours but we are confident that an orderly arrangement will be worked out.
“We sincerely regret these latest union pressure tactics, and we hope you will bear with us until this whole thing is concluded.
“Feel free to go to the motel or feel free to stay away.” (Emphasis in the original.)
Other than a minor discrepancy between the testimony of Starr and Donner, the evidence on this particular matter is undisputed. It has been held by this court that the Board’s construction of written documents and undisputed evidence is not binding on this court. Celanese Corp. v. N.L.R.B., 291 F. 224, 226 (7th Cir. 1961). Irrespective of whether this particular holding is applicable in the case before us, it is clear that whether on the record as a whole there is substantial evidence to support the Board’s findings is a question which Congress has placed in the keeping of the Courts of Appeals. Universal Camera Corp. v. N.L.R.B., 340 U.S. 474, 491, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1951). As did member Zagoria of the Board, I do not find that the notices in question were unlawful, being of the opinion that the Board’s finding in this respect was not supported by substantial evidence.
The Board in finding that the activities of Mortell interfered with the rights of employees to obtain redress from the Board and thereby violated Section 8(a) (1) of the Act relied upon Certain-Teed Products Corp., 147 NLRB No. 160 (1964). Member Zagoria pointed out that unlike the situation in Certain-Teed, Mortell’s notices were temperate in tone.
It appears to me that Mortell’s written communications and actions were well within the ambit of freedom of expression permitted by 29 U.S.C. § 158(c), reading as follows:
“The expressing of any views, argument, or opinion, or the dissemination thereof, whether in written, printed, graphic, or visual form, shall not constitute or be evidence of an unfair labor practice under any of the provisions of this subchapter, if such expression contains no threat of reprisal or force or promise of benefit.”
I am unable to find in the record any showing that Mortell’s activities in this particular regard interfered with employees’ rights nor that the General Counsel was unable fully to present the employees’ case at the hearing. The Personnel Manager correctly advised Starr that it was not legally compulsory for her to interview the General Counsel’s representative at the motel. Not all of Starr’s testimony was brought to *462this court in the appendix and therefore it is not possible to tell whether she in fact did go to the motel. It is clear, however, that she did testify and all that she had to say about the situation was brought out at the hearing. Certainly there was nothing improper in the Personnel Director telling her that if she went to the motel he wanted to be advised thereof. The proper operation of a manufacturing plant requires, whenever possible, that there be advance notice of absenteeism so that there will be minimal interference with the normal operation of the plant.
It is also to be noted that it was the General Counsel who warned hesitant witnesses they might have to be present at the hearing “for many hours, or even more than one day” if they did not discuss the case with him in advance.
It appears quite evident from the notices posted that the union was also communicating with the employees on the subject of the meetings with the General Counsel’s representative in a manner which the company felt misrepresented the situation. The company was answering the union’s assertions and making it clear that there was no legal obligation to discuss the case at the motel. The company also stated, however, that if the employees wished to discuss the matter with him they were “encouraged to do so.” The employer candidly indicated the objectivity of the government in the matter by stating that they felt confident that an orderly arrangement would be worked out for the employee to testify.
The union pressure tactics referred to in the last notice obviously was not with reference to the government communications but rather those from the union.
In the absence of any showing whatsoever that the General Counsel was in fact hampered in his presentation of this case, I find no basis in this particular matter for upholding the Board’s decision.