Court Opinion

ID: 9455530
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 19:25:18.561968+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:38.121437
License: Public Domain

SWYGERT, Chief Judge.
I respectfully dissent.
The question before us is whether on the record as a whole there is substantial evidence to support the Board’s determination that the company violated 8(a) (1) and 8(a) (3) of the Act by threatening to discharge and by discharging employee Donald Cmar. Universal Camera Corp. v. N. L. R. B., 340 U.S. 474, 491, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1951). The correctness of the Board’s determination in this case depends in large measure upon the resolution of conflicting testimony by the trial examiner. Credibility determinations by the trial examiner, especially if affirmed by the Board, should be rejected only in exceptional circumstances. N. L. R. B. v. American Casting Service, Inc., 365 F.2d 168, 174 (7th Cir. 1966); Saginaw Furniture Shops, Inc. v. N. L. R. B., 343 F.2d 515, 516-517 (7th Cir. 1965). Therefore, after careful examination of the record, I have concluded that the Board’s findings are supported by substantial evidence. Accordingly, I would enforce the Board’s order in its entirety.

The 8(a) (1) Violation

From 1945 to 1965 employees at the Chicago plant of Great Lakes Carbon Corporation were represented by an independent union. In 1965 the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union won an election by a vote of 106 to 5 and became the bargaining representative for the plant’s employees. A few months thereafter Donald Cmar became chairman of the Workingmen's Committee. It was his responsibility to press employees’ grievances before company representatives.
Section 7 of the Act guarantees the right of employees to assert grievances against their employer. N. L. R. B. v. *30Washington Aluminum Co., 370 U.S. 9, 82 S.Ct. 1099, 8 L.Ed.2d 298 (1962). Threats of discharge made to union grievance officials and designed to discourage the vigorous presentation of grievances violate 8(a) (1) of the Act. N. L. R. B. v. Thor Power Tool Co., 351 F.2d 584 (7th Cir. 1965). The Board found that threats intended to coerce Cmar in the exercise of his duties as chairman of the Workingmen’s Committee were made by the company in a letter written by plant superintendent Stahl to Cmar on March 29, 1967.
The letter contained the following statements:
******
This is not the first time you have ' violated the Articles of Agreement by assuming an irrational and irresponsible position. Be assured, howeyer, it is the last time that such conduct will be tolerated.
******
In order for you to continue in our employ, you must conduct yourself in a manner satisfactory to us, and in the same manner as all of our other employees are required to conduct themselves. You are, in addition to all other requirements, to perform the duties to which you are assigned, and you are not to leave your job for the purpose of conducting union business or personal business with other employees without permission.
Mr. Cmar, we have gone the limit with you. From now on you will conform to the Company’s rules and regulations and you will abide by the terms of the agreement or you will be discharged.
The company argues that these statements were not intended to coerce Cmar, but instead were warnings justified by Cmar’s conduct on March 22, 1967 in connection with a dispute over the contracting out to an independent contractor of the removal of “contaminated” coke from the company’s Chicago plant.
With reference to that incident the trial examiner found that the employees working in and around the bagging department became alarmed because they feared they would lose work to the independent contractor. These employees discussed walking off the job. Cmar advised against such such action and persuaded the workers to remain on the job until Stahl could contact his superiors. Shortly thereafter Stahl was ordered by company officials to take the independent contractors off the job. Thus the trial examiner found that Cmar’s action on March 22 averted a wildcat strike. Since Stahl was undoubtedly aware of Cmar’s role in the March 22 incident, the letter written by him seven days later was almost certainly designed to discourage Cmar from taking vigorous action on behalf of employees in the presentation of grievances.
The majority attempts to justify the threats contained in the March 29 letter by relying upon the following testimony of Superintendent Stahl: “Glenn, I’m going to give you 30 minutes to get that contractor out of here or I’m going to pull everybody out of this plant.” As previously stated, the trial examiner rejected this version of the incident and accepted that given by Cmar. I have carefully studied the record and the transcript of the testimony before the trial examiner and find no reason to reject this credibility determination.

The 8(a) (3) Violation

The Board also held that Cmar was discharged in violation of 8(a) (1) and 8(a) (3). The trial examiner found that the facts surrounding Cmar’s discharge were substantially as follows. On April 27 an employee, Kazmierczak, sought Cmar’s assistance in the presentation of a grievance growing out of a work assignment allegedly in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. Cmar, who had been working continuously for approximately fifteen hours, asked foreman Beadle for permission to *31punch out and to take Kazmierczak to the union hall to prepare a written grievance. At first Beadle resisted this suggestion but after he was reminded that Cmar had worked nearly seven hours overtime, he acquiesced. During this conversation both Cmar and Beadle traded insults and profanity. Shortly thereafter Cmar told his side of the story to Stahl and left the plant. About an hour after the episode Stahl and his assistant superintendent interviewed Beadle concerning the incident. On April 28 Stahl called Cmar and told him not to report for work on the Sunday night shift. Upon further questioning Cmar learned that he had been discharged.
Assuming, arguendo, that the profanity uttered by Cmar constitutes a valid ground for discharge, nevertheless, “ * * * [t]he mere existence of valid grounds for a discharge is no defense to a charge that the discharge was unlawful, unless the discharge was predicated solely on those grounds, and not by a desire to discourage union activity.” N. L. R. B. v. Symons Mfg. Co., 328 F.2d 835, 837 (7th Cir. 1964). I believe the record before us supports the trial examiner’s conclusion that antiunion animus motivated the discharge of Cmar.
On the basis of the testimony before him the trial examiner determined from the threat of discharge contained in the March 29 letter that the company was seeking an opportunity bo discharge Cmar. That the events of April 27 served as a pretext upon which to base the discharge is supported by the unequal treatment given to foreman Beadle. My examination of the transcript indicates that Cmar and Beadle were equally to blame for the profanity and insults uttered on April 27. Nevertheless, the record fails to indicate that Beadle was disciplined in any way for his part in the episode.
I would enforce the Board’s order in its entirety.