Comcast Cablevision v. NLRB

Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided November 14, 2000·No. 99-6270·Published

Opinion

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH 

(/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS

81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

&20&$67 &$%/(9,6,21 ; 7$

  &RPFDVW&DEOHYLVLRQ7D\ORU 1RV Y1/5%

%HIRUH0(55,77DQG*,/0$1&LUFXLWsXGJHV%(// 'LVWULFWs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sRKQ*$GDP6WXDUW0,VUDHO0$57(16 ,&(*($5<./$66/(**+,2,65$(/ *25&+2: 6RXWKILHOG0LFKLJDQIRU,QWHUYHQRU BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 23,1,21 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 521$/' /(( *,/0$1 &LUFXLW sXGJH  &RPFDVW &DEOHYLVLRQ ,QF VHHNV UHYLHZ RI WKH 1DWLRQDO /DERU 5HODWLRQV%RDUGjV'HFLVLRQDQG2UGHUGLUHFWLQJ&RPFDVWWR UHFRJQL]H&RPPXQLFDWLRQV:RUNHUVRI$PHULFD/RFDO $)/&,2 WKH8QLRQ DVWKHHPSOR\HHVjH[FOXVLYHEDUJDLQLQJ UHSUHVHQWDWLYH DW LWV 7D\ORU 0LFKLJDQ IDFLOLW\  &RPFDVW DOOHJHVWKDWWKH8QLRQXQGXO\LQIOXHQFHGWKHRXWFRPHRIWKH

7KH +RQRUDEOH 5REHUW +ROPHV %HOO 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 'LVWULFW sXGJH IRU WKH :HVWHUQ 'LVWULFW RI 0LFKLJDQ VLWWLQJ E\ GHVLJQDWLRQ  &RPFDVW&DEOHYLVLRQ7D\ORU 1RV 1RV &RPFDVW&DEOHYLVLRQ7D\ORU  Y1/5% Y1/5%

7KHKHDULQJRIILFHUIRXQGWKDWLWZDVWKH8QLRQjVSUDFWLFH UHSUHVHQWDWLRQHOHFWLRQE\DQQRXQFLQJGXULQJWKHFDPSDLJQ WR KRVW D SDUW\ ZLQ RU ORVH XSRQ WKH FRQFOXVLRQ RI DQ WKDW LW ZRXOG SURYLGH IUHH WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ DQG RQH QLJKWjV HOHFWLRQRUJDQL]LQJ FDPSDLJQ  ,Q DGGLWLRQ DOO &RPFDVW ORGJLQJLQ&KLFDJRRYHUWKHZHHNHQGIROORZLQJWKHHOHFWLRQ HPSOR\HHVZHUHLQYLWHGWRWKHSDUW\UHJDUGOHVVRIWKHLUVXSSRUW IRUHPSOR\HHVZKRZLVKHGWRDWWHQGDWZRKRXUPHHWLQJRQ IRUWKH8QLRQ7KHIDFWWKDWWKH8QLRQRSWLPLVWLFDOO\FDOOHGLW FDEOHLQGXVWU\LVVXHVDWSPWKDW6XQGD\DIWHUQRRQ$ D mYLFWRU\ SDUW\l GRHV QRW LQ DQG RI LWVHOI PDNH WKH SDUW\ VHFRQGREMHFWLRQZDVILOHGFRQFHUQLQJWKH8QLRQjVLQYLWDWLRQ REMHFWLRQDEOH  )RU WKHVH UHDVRQV &RPFDVWjV DOOHJDWLRQV IRUDOOHPSOR\HHVWRDWWHQGDmYLFWRU\SDUW\lRQWKHQLJKWRI FRQFHUQLQJWKHSDUW\DUHZLWKRXWPHULW WKHHOHFWLRQ ,,,&21&/86,21 $VDUHVXOWRIWKHVHWZRLQVWDQFHVRIDOOHJHGPLVFRQGXFW &RPFDVWDUJXHVWKDWWKHHOHFWLRQVKRXOGEHVHWDVLGH$%RDUG )RUDOORIWKHUHDVRQVVHWIRUWKDERYHZHJUDQW&RPFDVWjV KHDULQJRIILFHURYHUUXOHG&RPFDVWjVREMHFWLRQVDQGFHUWLILHG SHWLWLRQIRUUHYLHZDQGGHQ\WKH%RDUGjVFURVVDSSOLFDWLRQIRU WKH8QLRQ$WKUHHPHPEHUSDQHORIWKH%RDUGDIILUPHGWKH HQIRUFHPHQWRILWV2UGHU KHDULQJRIILFHUjVGHWHUPLQDWLRQ7KH%RDUGQRZFURVVDSSOLHV IRUHQIRUFHPHQWRILWV'HFLVLRQDQG2UGHU)RUWKHUHDVRQVVHW IRUWKEHORZZHJUDQW&RPFDVWjVSHWLWLRQIRUUHYLHZRQWKH LVVXHRIWKH8QLRQjVWULSRIIHUDQGGHQ\WKH%RDUGjVFURVV DSSOLFDWLRQIRUHQIRUFHPHQWRILWV2UGHU ,%$&.*5281' $)DFWXDOEDFNJURXQG &RPFDVWLVDFRUSRUDWLRQHQJDJHGLQWKHWUDQVPLVVLRQRI FDEOHWHOHYLVLRQ SURJUDPPLQJ LQ VRXWKHUQ 0LFKLJDQ   2Q sXO\   WKH 8QLRQ ILOHG DQ HOHFWLRQ SHWLWLRQ ZLWK WKH %RDUGVHHNLQJWRUHSUHVHQW&RPFDVWjVHOLJLEOHHPSOR\HHV LQ7D\ORU0LFKLJDQ$SSUR[LPDWHO\WKUHHZHHNVEHIRUHWKH HOHFWLRQ 6KDQQRQ .LUNODQG RQH RI WKH 8QLRQjV SULQFLSDO RUJDQL]HUVLQYLWHG&RPFDVWHPSOR\HHVWRFRPHWR&KLFDJR IRUDZHHNHQGWRDWWHQGDWZRKRXUFDEOHPHHWLQJGXULQJWKH DQQXDOFRQYHQWLRQRIWKH8QLRQjVSDUHQWRUJDQL]DWLRQ7KH PHHWLQJ ZDV VFKHGXOHG IRU ODWH 6XQGD\ DIWHUQRRQ RQ WKH ZHHNHQGIROORZLQJWKHHOHFWLRQ .LUNODQGWROGWKHSURVSHFWLYHYRWHUVWKDWWKHPHHWLQJZRXOG SURYLGH D JRRG RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU WKHP WR mFRPSDUH QRWHVl DERXWWKHFDEOHLQGXVWU\+HDOVRLQIRUPHGWKHHPSOR\HHVWKDW WKH8QLRQZRXOGSD\WKHWUDQVSRUWDWLRQDQGKRWHOH[SHQVHVRI WKRVHZKRDWWHQGHG:KHQDVNHGIRUDVKRZLQJRILQWHUHVW  &RPFDVW&DEOHYLVLRQ7D\ORU 1RV 1RV &RPFDVW&DEOHYLVLRQ7D\ORU  Y1/5% Y1/5%

WKHUH ZHUH mKDQGV DOO RYHU WKH SODFHl  7KH HPSOR\HHV & 7KH %RDUG GLG QRW HUU LQ GHWHUPLQLQJ WKDW WKH FRQVLVWHQWO\ GHVFULEHG WKH RIIHU DV D IUHH ZHHNHQG WULS WR 8QLRQjV SUHHOHFWLRQ RIIHU RI D mYLFWRU\ SDUW\l ZDV &KLFDJRDWWKH8QLRQjVH[SHQVH,QWKHHQGILYHHPSOR\HHV DFFHSWDEOHFRQGXFW WUDYHOHGWR&KLFDJRDOWKRXJKDWOHDVWWZRRWKHUVKDGSODQQHG RQDWWHQGLQJDQGGURSSHGRXWVKRUWO\EHIRUHWKHZHHNHQGGXH &RPFDVW DOVR FODLPV WKDW WKH 8QLRQjV SUHHOHFWLRQ WRODVWPLQXWHFRQIOLFWV DQQRXQFHPHQWRIDmYLFWRU\SDUW\l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jVREMHFWLRQ VLJKWVHHLQJ  7KH FRVW WR WKH 8QLRQ IRU WKH ZHHNHQG WULS ZRUNHGRXWWRDSSUR[LPDWHO\SHUHPSOR\HH $EVHQWDQ\VKRZLQJRILPSURSULHW\LQDXQLRQjVSURPLVHWR KROG D SRVWHOHFWLRQ SDUW\ VXFK DQ RIIHU LV QRW FRQVLGHUHG $VHFUHWEDOORWHOHFWLRQZDVFRQGXFWHGDPRQJWKH&RPFDVW FRQGXFWWKDWZRXOGUHDVRQDEO\LQWHUIHUHZLWKDQHOHFWLRQ6HH HPSOR\HHVRQ$XJXVWWRYRWHRQZKHWKHUWKH8QLRQ 1/5%Y/ s(TXLSPHQW&R)G G&LU ZRXOGEHFRPHWKHLUFROOHFWLYHEDUJDLQLQJUHSUHVHQWDWLYH2I ILQGLQJWKDWDXQLRQjVSURPLVHWRKRVWDSRVWHOHFWLRQSDUW\ WKHYRWHVFDVWE\WKHHOLJLEOHHPSOR\HHVZHUHLQ ZDVQRWREMHFWLRQDEOHFRQGXFW ,Q.X[0IJ&RY1/5% IDYRU RI WKH 8QLRQ DQG  DJDLQVW  7KH HOHFWLRQ ZDV WKXV  )G   WK &LU   WKLV FRXUW VWDWHG WKDW GHFLGHGE\DYRWHVZLQJ mVXSSO\LQJIRRGDQGVRIWGULQNVLVFRPPRQSODFHLQ$PHULFDQ HOHFWLRQVDQGLVQRWWKHHTXLYDOHQWRIEX\LQJYRWHV>

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Comcast Cablevision v. NLRB, (6th Cir. 2000).

Comcast Cablevision v. NLRB (Comcast Cablevision v. NLRB) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.