Hull v. Sheet Metal Workers' International Ass'n

161 F. Supp. 161, 41 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2812, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2340
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedApril 9, 1958
DocketCiv. A. No. 34266
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 161 F. Supp. 161 (Hull v. Sheet Metal Workers' International Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hull v. Sheet Metal Workers' International Ass'n, 161 F. Supp. 161, 41 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2812, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2340 (N.D. Ohio 1958).

Opinion

WEICK, District Judge.

In this case, petitioner, who is the Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board, seeks in behalf of the Board, a preliminary injunction pursuant to Sections 10(j) and 10(Z) of the National Labor Relations Act, as amended (29 U.S.C.A. § 160 (j, Z) to restrain the respondents, Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and several of its local unions, from engaging in unfair labor practices, alleged to be in violation of Section 8(b), subsections (1) (A), (4) (A), (4) (B) and (4) (C) of the Act (29 U.S.C.A. § 158(b)).

An order to show cause was issued and in response thereto a hearing was held and the Court listened to the evidence offered by all of the parties for nine days.

During the progress of the hearing, the respondents, Local No. 58 and its agent Edward M. Hickey, were dismissed •for lack of jurisdiction.

The charging party was The Burt Manufacturing Company, an Ohio Corporation of Akron, Ohio.

Burt filed its original charge with the Board on June 5, 1957 and its amended charge on December 13, 1957. The Board thereupon issued its complaint against respondents and notice of hearing thereon.

It is not necessary to decide whether the charge of unfair labor practices is true^ for this relates to the merits of the case and is a matter .solely within the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board to determine, subject to review by the Court of Appeals.

The petitioner is entitled to injunctive relief if he can show that there is reasonable cause to believe that the charge [164]*164is true. Hull v. Local No. 24, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauf-fers, Warehousemen and Helpers, D.C. Ohio 1957, 148 F.Supp. 145.

The respondents and United' Steelworkers of America and its local No. 1159 AFL-CIO are labor organizations within the meaning of Section 2(5) of the Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 152(5).

On October 29, 1945 the National Labor Relations Board certified United Steelworkers of America, CIO, as exclusive bargaining agent of the employees of The Burt Manufacturing Company, an Ohio corporation of Akron, Ohio. Shortly thereafter a collective bargaining agreement was entered into between Burt and the Steelworkers’ Union and a contractional relationship has continued ever since and is in force today.

Burt has been engaged since 1890 in the manufacture of roof ventilators and wall louver equipment. Its interstate business in 1957 amounted to $1,000,000. It is reasonable to conclude that the unfair labor practices alleged affects commerce within the meaning of Sections (6) and (7) of the Act, 29 U.S.C.A. §§ 156, 157.

Petitioner claimed that notwithstanding the Board’s certification of the Steelworkers’ Union as exclusive bargaining agent for Burt’s employees and the collective bargaining agreement between Burt and the union, the respondents engaged in unfair labor practices proscribed by the Act to coerce Burt’s employees to leave the Steelworkers’ Union and join the respondent, International and its Local No. 70; that to accomplish said result respondent exerted economic pressure on Burt to persuade or to induce it to coerce its employees to join respondents’ union; that the economic pressure was applied by respondents on Burt by boycotting its products by forcing their members not to handle or install Burt products; by forcing contractors, subcontractors and other employers who were customers of Burt and their employees not to handle or install Burt products; by distributing lists of fair contractors having collective bargaining agreements with respondents among their members and Burt’s customers from which Burt’s name had been omitted.

Petitioner further claimed that respondents induced or encouraged employees of employers to engage in a concerted refusal in the course of their employment to handle or install Burt products with an object of forcing an employer to cease handling Burt products, forcing an employer to recognize respondent, International and its Local No. 70 when it had not been certified as bargaining agent by the Board and forcing an employer to recognize or bargain with respondents when the Steelworkers’ Union had been certified by the Board as exclusive bargaining agent for the employees.

The respondents claimed that their activities against Burt and Burt’s customers were not for the purpose or with the object claimed by petitioner, but were in pursuance of its traditional policy of protecting its trade jurisdictional claims as established in its constitution and provided for in its standard form of collective bargaining agreement with employers; that the activities were not directed against employees nor were they for organizational purposes.

F. C. Sawyer, Vice President of Burt testified as to a meeting held in Akron on or about October 1, 1946 in the office of Burt’s attorney with representatives of the International and Local No. 70 concerning a work stoppage at the General Electric job in Coshocton, Ohio because of the use of Burt ventilators; that one Frederick, representing the International stated that the Sheet Metal Workers would not install “scab” ventilators made by Burt. He inquired when Burt’s contract with the Steelworkers’ Union would expire and when informed as to the time stated that Burt should then take the men out of the Steelworkers’ Union and put them in the Sheet Metal Workers’ Union. Burt’s attorney told Frederick that this could not be done. Frederick then stated that Burt should put the men in the Sheet Metal Workers’ Union or [165]*165this coining fall when they go to their convention in Chicago a resolution would be passed placing Burt on the blacklist. Frederick suggested that Burt could shut down its plant and let the men go and in this manner they could be persuaded to join. Frederick stated that if they decided to release the job it would be the last time. The job was finally released and the men returned to work.

Sawyer further testified that during the period from 1946 to 1956 many construction jobs involving the use of Burt products were interfered with by Sheet Metal Workers’ Union and that he continually complained about it to the officials of the Steelworkers’ Union which had organized Burt’s shop.

The evidence discloses that commencing in 1956 the activities of the respondents directed toward Burt increased in intensity. This increase in tempo coincided with a stepped-up nation-wide organizational drive directed by the International Union and was in accord with its national policy as disclosed in its official publications. Lists of so-called fair contractors, i. e., employers who had collective bargaining agreements with respondents were published therein and distributed to all the members of respondents in connection with the membership drive.

The letter dated December 16, 1955 written by Robert Byron, the General President of Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association to B. W. Ohler, Director, District 28 United Steelworkers of America concerning a high school job at Medina, Ohio where Local No. 70 had refused to install Burt Ventilators, stated:

“This company [referring to Burt] has been non-union for our organization for many years, and we have tried a number of times to organize them but to no avail.
“We did not know that the steelworkers had an agreement with the Burt Manufacturing Company, so called on Business Representative Frost to release the job.

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Bluebook (online)
161 F. Supp. 161, 41 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2812, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hull-v-sheet-metal-workers-international-assn-ohnd-1958.