Court Opinion

ID: 9454641
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:53:13.57015+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:12.941062
License: Public Domain

DUFFY, Senior Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. In this case, the trial examiner found that the Company had not engaged in unfair practices as alleged in the complaint, and recommended that the complaint be dismissed.
The Board, in a three to two decision, rejected the findings of the trial examiner and ordered the Company to bargain with the Union not only concerning reclassification, but also concerning any “changes in our operations or in the method of payment for work.” Thus, we have the examiner and two members of the Board on one side and three Board members on the other.
The trial examiner found an express waiver of the Union’s right to bargain on the disputed issues. He also found that the dispute in question did not involve a “change in incentive plans.” It seems clear that a reclassification of an employee does not involve a change in an incentive plan.
Paragraph 35 of the contract provides, in part: “* * * Nor will the Union or its members attempt to bring about a settlement of any claim or issue upon which the arbitrator is empowered to rule by any other means.”
In my view, the Board had no right to ignore the express waiver of the Union. The effect of the Board’s order is to nullify an express provision of the contract. *112I think that the trial examiner and the two dissenting Board members were correct.
I further object to the Board’s order which requires the Company to notify its employees that the Company will “keep our word about what we say in this notice.” The inference is that the Company failed to keep its word as to the issues in this case. Such a provision is unwarranted and unfair.