International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers International and Its Local 1c v. National Labor Relations Board

447 F.3d 1153, 179 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2647, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 10590, 2006 WL 1118514
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedApril 28, 2006
Docket04-72270
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 447 F.3d 1153 (International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers International and Its Local 1c v. National Labor Relations Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers International and Its Local 1c v. National Labor Relations Board, 447 F.3d 1153, 179 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2647, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 10590, 2006 WL 1118514 (9th Cir. 2006).

Opinion

PREGERSON, Circuit Judge.

Petitioner International Chemical Workers Union Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers International and Its Local 1C (“Union”) petitions this court for review of a decision by the National Labor Relations Board (“Board”). This case arises out of events that took place while the Union and American Polystyrene Corporation (“Company”) were in negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement. Applying the rule announced by the Supreme Court in NLRB v. Truitt Mfg. Co., 351 U.S. 149, 76 S.Ct. 753, 100 L.Ed. 1027 (1956), the Board held that the Company bargained in good faith, even though it refused a request by the Union to turn over its financial documents. Am. Polystyrene Corp., 341 N.L.R.B. No. 67, 200A-2005 NLRB Dec. ¶ 16,656 (Mar. 30, 2004). We hold that substantial evidence does not support the Board’s conclusion that the Company bargained in good faith. The Company clearly asserted an inability to pay that, under Truitt, required it to disclose corroborative documents to the Union. Furthermore the Company never effectively retracted its claim that it could not afford to pay for the Union’s proposals. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 160(f), and we grant the petition for review.

*1156 I. Factual Background

The Company manufactures plastics at its Torrance, California facility. During the relevant period, the Union represented the Company’s eight-person production and maintenance unit and was party to a 1999-2002 collective bargaining agreement covering those employees.

On April 22, 2002, the Company and the Union held their first meeting to negotiate a successor collective-bargaining agreement. Union representative Jeffrey Ferro (“Ferro”) presented the Union’s proposals, which included increases in wages and company contributions to employee 401 (k) plans. In response, at the April 23rd bargaining session, Company General Manager Carolyn Tan (“Tan”) proposed smaller wage increases, discontinuation of company 401(k) contributions for an unspecified period, and the elimination of company-provided meals.

At the April 29th bargaining session, the Company proposed to discontinue its 401(k) fund matching for one-year. After a discussion of the Company’s counterpro-posals, Ferro asked if “things were really that bad” that the Company could not continue to match the 401(k) plans, provide meals, or provide a meaningful wage increase. Tan replied that “things are tough.” Ferro asked, “Are you saying that you can’t afford the Union’s proposals?” Tan replied, “No, I can’t. I’d go broke.”

At the end of the April 29th session, Ferro composed the following letter on his laptop computer and hand delivered it to Tan:

Based on your responses on April 23 and today to Union Proposals ... and the fact that you claim that things are tough and the Company cannot afford these items, the Union demands access to review the Company’s books. Please let us know when they will be available for our review, so we can make arrangements for our accountant[’]s schedule.

On April 30th, in a hand-delivered letter to the Union, Tan responded:

I am in receipt of your letter dated April 29, 2002, in which you request access to the Company’s books. I am rejecting this request. While I have told you that we are a small company and times are tough, at no time have I ever told you we cannot afford your proposals. Rather, in these uncertain economic times, we believe that we need to take a more cautious approach than what you propose. I hope this clears up any confusion that you have regarding our responses to your proposals.

At the next bargaining session on May 2nd the parties discussed the Company’s financial condition again. During the session, Ferro asked if business was really that bad. Tan replied, “Have you seen sales lately?”

The topic of the Company’s financial health came up again during the next bargaining session, on May 14th. Tan stated that the Company was not taking the position that it was experiencing financial hardship. Ferro asked why the Company had proposed “all these take aways.” Tan, responding specifically to the inquiry about the Company’s meal plan, stated that other companies were not providing meal coverage. By hand-delivered letter to Tan dated May 14th, Ferro wrote:

We have reviewed our notes and our understanding of what has been said by you ... and it is clear that you said you could not afford the Union[’]s proposals or to continue paying meal allowances or matching money on the employee’s 401K. During one session our notes reflect the following dialog:
Union: Are things that bad that you can’t continue to pay meal allowances and continue to match the 401K plan?
*1157 Carolyn: Things are tough.
Union: So are you saying you cannot afford the Union[’]s proposals?
Carolyn: No I can’t. I’d go broke. Therefore, by this statement, your proposals to freeze 401K matches for one year, to discontinue meal allowance and your efforts to have non-bargaining unit employees, the Union again demands access to review the Company’s Financial Records. Failure to comply will result in the filing of Unfair Labor Practice Charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

Tan responded by letter the same day:

I am in receipt of your letter dated May 14, 2002, that I received today in which you assert that I told you that American Polystyrene could not afford the union proposals. You further contend that your notes reflect that I said, “No I can’t. I’d go broke.” I never said these words or anything similar. As I wrote you in my last letter, I have never stated that we could not afford any of your proposals. The fact of the matter is that after I informed you that times are tough, you asked me, “Are things that bad?” I responded, “Have you looked at sales.” Because I have never told you that we cannot afford any of your proposals, it would be inappropriate for me to allow you access to our financial records, and hence, I am denying your request.

On June 18th, the Union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Board alleging, in part, that the Company refused to supply information to the Union in violation of Section 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act (“Act”), 29 U.S.C. § 158(a)(5).

On August 1st, Tan notified the Union that due to unimproved sales and rising inventories, the Company planned to stop production and lay off some employees beginning August 30th, for approximately ninety days. On August 30th, the Company laid off six of the eight unit members.

On September 4th, the Union again requested access to the Company’s financial records. By letter dated September 6th, the Company again refused the Union’s request to see its financial records.

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447 F.3d 1153, 179 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2647, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 10590, 2006 WL 1118514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/international-chemical-workers-union-council-of-the-united-food-ca9-2006.