Cps Chemical Company, Inc., in 97-3595 v. National Labor Relations Board, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Afl-Cio, Intervenor-Respondent. National Labor Relations Board, in No. 97-3659, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Afl-Cio, Intervenor-Petitioner v. Cps Chemical Company, Inc.

160 F.3d 150, 159 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2705, 1998 U.S. App. LEXIS 28223
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedNovember 9, 1998
Docket97-3595
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 160 F.3d 150 (Cps Chemical Company, Inc., in 97-3595 v. National Labor Relations Board, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Afl-Cio, Intervenor-Respondent. National Labor Relations Board, in No. 97-3659, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Afl-Cio, Intervenor-Petitioner v. Cps Chemical Company, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cps Chemical Company, Inc., in 97-3595 v. National Labor Relations Board, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Afl-Cio, Intervenor-Respondent. National Labor Relations Board, in No. 97-3659, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Afl-Cio, Intervenor-Petitioner v. Cps Chemical Company, Inc., 160 F.3d 150, 159 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2705, 1998 U.S. App. LEXIS 28223 (3d Cir. 1998).

Opinion

160 F.3d 150

159 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2705, 136 Lab.Cas. P 10,280

CPS CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., Petitioner in 97-3595,
v.
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Respondent,
Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union,
AFL-CIO, Intervenor-Respondent.
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Petitioner in No. 97-3659,
Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union,
AFL-CIO, Intervenor-Petitioner,
v.
CPS CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., Respondent.

Nos. 97-3595, 97-3659.

United States Court of Appeals,
Third Circuit.

Argued Sept. 25, 1998.
Decided Nov. 9, 1998.

William K. Harvey (Argued), Jackson, Shields, Yeiser & Cantrell, Cordova, TN, Mark Edward Rogart, General Counsel, CPS Chemical Company, Inc., Woodbridge, NJ, for CPS Chemical Co.

Steven B. Goldstein (Argued), National Labor Relations Board, Contempt Litigation Branch, Washington, DC, Margaret A. Gaines, Frederick L. Feinstein, Linda Sher, Aileen A. Armstrong, National Labor Relations Board, Washington, DC, for National Labor Relations Board.

Marsha S. Berzon (Argued), Altshuler, Berzon, Nussbaum, Berzon & Rubin, San Francisco, CA, Jonathan P. Hiatt, James B. Coppess, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC, Kathleen A. Hostetler, Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, Lakewood, CO, for Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, AFL-CIO.

Before: BECKER, Chief Judge, WEIS and GARTH, Circuit Judges.

OPINION OF THE COURT

BECKER, Chief Judge.

CPS Chemical Company, Inc. ("CPS") petitions for review of an order of the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB" or "Board") finding that CPS violated section 8(a)(1) and (5) of the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA" or "Act") by refusing to recognize and bargain with Local 8-397 of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union ("OCAW" or "International"). The Board has cross-petitioned for enforcement of its bargaining order. CPS does not contest that it failed to recognize and bargain with Local 8-397. Rather, it argues that it was not obligated to do so because the affiliation of the independent union at CPS's Old Bridge, New Jersey, plant with Local 8-397 "resulted in such discontinuity that OCAW could not legitimately claim to represent the employees without a NLRB election to resolve the question concerning representation." Pet'r Br. at 1.

CPS relies heavily on several cases decided by this Court in the 1970s, in which we refused to enforce Board orders similar to the one at issue here. See Sun Oil Co. v. NLRB, 576 F.2d 553 (3d Cir.1978); NLRB v. Bernard Gloekler N.E. Co., 540 F.2d 197 (3d Cir.1976); American Bridge Div., U.S. Steel Corp. v. NLRB, 457 F.2d 660 (3d Cir.1972). Our reasoning in those cases, however, has been undermined in significant respects by an intervening decision of the Supreme Court. See NLRB v. Financial Inst. Employees, Local 1182, 475 U.S. 192, 106 S.Ct. 1007, 89 L.Ed.2d 151 (1986) [Sea-First ]. Sea-First created a new standard by which we must evaluate cases such as the present one and prevents us from relying on at least some of the factors we considered persuasive in our earlier cases. More specifically, Sea-First requires the Board (and us) to focus exclusively on employees and their relationship to their union when evaluating whether a "question of representation" exists. Any concern with the effect of internal union changes on the union's relationship with the employer, upon which we focused in our earlier cases, are outside the purview of representation issues under the Act. Further, to the extent that a portion of our analysis in the earlier cases is still valid, we find this case easily distinguishable on its facts.

In this case, the Board applied its general principles governing union recognition, as well as the specific principles for union affiliations that require the employer to demonstrate that an affiliation has created a substantial change in a union and in the relationship between the employees and their union. The Board found there to be no substantial change. We find that the Board's factual findings and its application of these affiliation principles have substantial support in the record, and that its conclusions are based on a reasonable interpretation of the Act and the case law in this area. Consequently, we will deny CPS's petition for review and will enforce the Board's order.1

I.

CPS operates a chemical plant in Old Bridge, New Jersey, at which it employs approximately 32 production employees (operators, mechanics, and laborers). From 1984 through 1995, these employees were represented by an independent union, which was not affiliated with any local, regional, or national organization. The independent union handled its own negotiations, electing a committee of workers to bargain with the employer, and processed its grievances without outside assistance. On the rare occasions when grievances were arbitrated, the union hired an attorney to handle those cases. In 1995, leaders of the independent union began exploring the possibility of affiliating with a larger union. At this time, the employer and union were parties to a three-year collective bargaining agreement, effective through January 3, 1996. In April 1995, about half of the CPS employees met with representatives of Local 8-397 of OCAW, a national union with approximately 85,000 members. Following discussions with OCAW, a special meeting was called by the independent union's leadership for CPS employees to vote on whether or not to affiliate with Local 8-397. Notice of the meeting was sent to all union members on May 1, 1995, and the meeting was held on May 17, 1995.

Fifteen employees attended the May 17 meeting and voted by secret ballot. Seven others mailed in absentee ballots. All twenty-two members of the independent union who voted cast their ballot in favor of affiliation. As a result of the vote, a resolution was adopted changing the name of the independent union and handing over all assets and property of the independent union to Local 8-397. The resolution also indicated that Local 8-397 would become a party to the collective bargaining agreement with CPS, and directed the leadership of the union to take all necessary steps to effect the change in affiliation.

CPS employees make up only a small portion of Local 8-397's membership; employees of approximately 18 different employers are affiliated with the Local, which has about 550 members. All Local 8-397 members employed by the same company make up a "unit group." Each unit group handles its own negotiations and grievances, but a representative of OCAW usually assists in negotiations and arbitrations. The unit groups decide grievance settlements on their own and must approve any collective bargaining agreement to which they are a party.

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Bluebook (online)
160 F.3d 150, 159 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2705, 1998 U.S. App. LEXIS 28223, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cps-chemical-company-inc-in-97-3595-v-national-labor-relations-board-ca3-1998.