Hehl v. Chippewa & Red Cedar Valley Carpenters' District Council

91 N.W.2d 226, 4 Wis. 2d 629, 1958 Wisc. LEXIS 464, 42 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2557
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 26, 1958
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 91 N.W.2d 226 (Hehl v. Chippewa & Red Cedar Valley Carpenters' District Council) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hehl v. Chippewa & Red Cedar Valley Carpenters' District Council, 91 N.W.2d 226, 4 Wis. 2d 629, 1958 Wisc. LEXIS 464, 42 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2557 (Wis. 1958).

Opinions

Fairchild, J.

The conclusion of the circuit court that defendants’ conduct was unlawful was based upon its finding that they picketed for the purpose of coercing plaintiff to employ members of the union and to injure him because of his refusal to interfere with the rights of his employees with respect to joining a union.

Coercion or inducement of an employer to those ends would be an unfair labor practice under sec. 111.06 (2) (b), Stats., and could be enjoined by the circuit court if the law of Wisconsin alone were applicable.

Vogt, Inc., v. International Brotherhood (1956), 270 Wis. 315, 321b, 71 N. W. (2d) 359, 74 N. W. (2d) 749; affirmed, Teamsters Union v. Vogt, Inc. (1957), 354 U. S. 284, 77 Sup. Ct. 1166, 1 L. Ed. (2d) 1347.

Conduct of a union for the same purpose and affecting-interstate commerce would be an unfair labor practice under sec. 8 (b) (2) of the National Labor Relations Act, 61 Stats, at L., p. 141, 29 USCA, sec. 158 (b) (2), p. 258. Wisconsin E. R. Board v. Chauffeurs, etc., Local 200 (1954), 267 Wis. 356, 66 N. W. (2d) 318. A state court or agency could prevent mass picketing, violence, or overt threats of violence. United Automobile Workers v. Wisconsin E. R. Board (1956), 351 U. S. 266, 274, 76 Sup. Ct. 794, 100 L. Ed. 1162; Youngdahl v. Rainfair, Inc. (1957), 355 U. S. 131, 78 Sup. Ct. 206, 2 L. Ed. (2d) 151. Otherwise (as is true here) preventive procedure can be sought only by application to the National Labor Relations Board. State agencies and courts are without jurisdiction in the matter because congress is considered to have so pro[634]*634vided. Guss v. Utah L. R. Board (1957), 353 U. S. 1, 77 Sup. Ct. 598, 1 L. Ed. (2d) 601; Amalgamated Meat Cutters, etc., v. Fairlawn Meats (1957), 353 U. S. 20, 77 Sup. Ct. 604, 1 L. Ed. (2d) 613; San Diego Building Trades Council v. Garmon (1957), 353 U. S. 26, 77 Sup. Ct. 607, 1 L. Ed. (2d) 618.

This court said recently, with reference to the Guss Case:

“It follows that where it is appropriately shown to the Wisconsin Employment Relations Board that the enterprise in which a petition to that board alleges that an unfair labor practice has been committed and seeks relief therefrom, involves a substantial amount of interstate commerce — more than de minimis — the state board must decline jurisdiction.” Wisconsin E. R. Board v. Lucas (1958), 3 Wis. (2d) 464, 469, 89 N. W. (2d) 300.

The Fairlawn and Garmon Cases reached the same result with respect to injunctive relief by a state court.

Defendants claim that their conduct, if so motivated as to be an unfair labor practice, “affects [interstate] commerce.” Plaintiff asserts that his business is local and that defendants’ conduct does not affect interstate commerce, and further, that even if it does, the unwillingness of the national board to hear his case deprives him of due process.

1. Is interstate commerce affected by the defendants’ conduct? “The term ‘affecting commerce’ means in commerce, or burdening or obstructing commerce or the free flow of commerce, or having led or tending to lead to a labor dispute burdening or obstructing commerce or the free flo.w of commerce.” The term “labor dispute” is not limited to those who “stand in the proximate relation of employer and employee” and the term “commerce” includes commerce among the states. 29 USCA, sec. 152 (7), (9), p. 202.

Plaintiff buys and receives materials which originate outside the state and move into it. Even as to the materials which physically reach the state before he buys them, his [635]*635desire to buy and ability to use them helps create the market which causes the materials to move into the state. Continued picketing would affect his desire and ability to buy. The picketing also affects suppliers and other contractors, delivering to and working at the same site. They also help to provide a market for the materials they need. It seems clear that the picketing has some effect on interstate commerce, and the only other question is whether that effect is so slight as to be disregarded.

As to amount, the United States supreme court has said: “Examining the act in the light of its purpose and of the circumstances in which it must be applied we can perceive no basis for inferring any intention of congress to make the operation of the act depend on any particular volume of commerce affected more than that to which courts would apply the maxim de minimis.” National L. R. Board v. Fainblatt (1939), 306 U. S. 601, 607, 59 Sup. Ct. 668, 83 L. Ed. 1014.

What is de minimis in this situation? “De minimis in the law has always been taken to mean trifles — matters of a few dollars or less.” National L. R. Board v. Suburban Lumber Co. (3d Cir. 1941), 121 Fed. (2d) 829, 832; certiorari denied (1941), 314 U. S. 693, 62 Sup. Ct. 364, 86 L. Ed. 554.

The circuit court made a finding that plaintiff’s business does not affect interstate commerce. The testimony indicating the smallest volume of out-of-state purchases is that they amount to about $50,000, including the lumber which plaintiff purchases after it has reached Wisconsin.

Counsel have not cited any decision involving a local contractor who uses $50,000 worth, or less, per year, of materials originating outside his state and who ships no goods and performs no service outside his state. Federal courts of appeal have, however, upheld the exercise of jurisdiction by the national board, stating that the volume of [636]*636materials moving into the state was not small enough to be de minimis. In two of these cases, certiorari has been, denied by the United States supreme court.

National L. R. Board v. El Dorado Water Co. (8th Cir. 1952), 195 Fed. (2d) 950, involved a water company, operating within Arkansas. Although there were other facts under which the claim was made that the water company’s business would affect commerce, the court passed over all grounds except the amount of out-of-state supplies purchased. The court said at page 954:

“Here materials and supplies amounting to approximately $65,000 were shipped into Arkansas from outstate for use by respondent in the operation of its plant to supply local users of water. And the present question is whether the stoppage of those imports occasioned by labor difficulties in respondent’s plant would have such a bearing on commerce as to bring respondent within the act.”

The court in the El Dorado Case relied on National L. R. Board v. Denver Bldg. Council (1951), 341 U. S. 675, 71 Sup. Ct. 943, 95 L. Ed.

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Hehl v. CHIPPEWA, ETC., DISTRICT COUNCIL
91 N.W.2d 226 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1958)

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Bluebook (online)
91 N.W.2d 226, 4 Wis. 2d 629, 1958 Wisc. LEXIS 464, 42 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2557, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hehl-v-chippewa-red-cedar-valley-carpenters-district-council-wis-1958.