Court Opinion

ID: 9464895
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 23:45:55.006927+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:38:52.455965
License: Public Domain

*1292SNEED, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
I dissent. The National Labor Relations Act does not abrogate the law of agency or the law of offer and acceptance. However Bruno’s role is denominated, he may not be treated like the post office, see Adams v. Lindsell, 1 B. & Aid. 681 (1818). His statements had operative significance only if Bruno was Kelleher’s agent to ascertain whether Young would accept Kelleher’s offer and Young’s agent for the transmission of his acceptance. The burden is upon the party asserting agency both to prove its existence and its extent. Sunset Line & Twine Co., 79 N.L.R.B. 1487 (1948). The two telephone conversations between Kelleher and Bruno (R.T. 28-29, 29-30) at best show authority in Bruno to convey information to Kelleher; but as soon as the need for negotiations arose, Young was called to attend a meeting personally (R.T. 30-33). I find sufficient evidence neither of Bruno’s actual authority to act as the agent of both Kelleher and Young, nor of his apparent authority to do so, see 29 U.S.C. §§ 152(13), 185(e).
Even assuming such authority, it is unclear whether the parties intended to be bound by their oral agreement or rather intended to be bound only when the contract was fully executed and delivered. The Board and the majority assume the former, but this is a factual question for which they muster no support. 1 Corbin on Contracts § 30 (1963); Warrior Constructors v. International Union of Engineers, Local 926, 383 F.2d 700, 708 (5th Cir. 1967). The duty upon a party engaged in collective bargaining to execute a written agreement, 29 U.S.C. § 158(d), arises only when the parties have already chosen to bind themselves orally; this provision does not ex proprio vigore create an agreement for the parties. Genesco, Inc. v. Joint Council 13, United Shoe Workers, 341 F.2d 482 (2d Cir. 1964). Kelleher’s reported statement in the June 10 conversation with Bruno, referred to by the majority, that he was “withdrawing that proposal” (R.T. 38) is consistent with the position that no agreement had been reached. I would remand to the Board for factual findings on both these issues.