Court Opinion

ID: 9466754
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 01:26:35.818526+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:39:56.289346
License: Public Domain

BAILEY BROWN, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
My dissent is based on the following facts that were found by the Administrative Law Judge and, more importantly, are without dispute. After these four employees had walked out and after they had returned from Dearborn and their conference with the supervisor, they were separately interviewed by the manager, Baker, and each of them was advised that if she would make her share of the trips to pick up payroll cheeks and do cleanup work when the maid was ill, she would be retained as an employee. Reagan and Szabo refused to perform either task and were thereupon discharged. Lange agreed to make the trips but refused to help with the cleanup; Baker advised her that he would think it over but later that day discharged her. Mitchell agreed to do both tasks and was retained as an employee.
Since the foregoing facts are without dispute, I cannot see how it can be said that the decision of the Board (overruling the Administrative Law Judge) to the effect that the concerted activity (the walkout) “at least played a part” in the decision to discharge these three employees is supported by substantial evidence. On the contrary, it is absolutely clear that these three employees were discharged for their refusal to do the work, that is, for insubordination. Accordingly, in view of these undisputed facts, in my opinion the decision of the Board is not supported by substantial evidence.