Johnston v. Evans

223 F. Supp. 766, 54 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2594, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7686
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedOctober 25, 1963
DocketCiv. 529
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 223 F. Supp. 766 (Johnston v. Evans) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnston v. Evans, 223 F. Supp. 766, 54 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2594, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7686 (E.D.N.C. 1963).

Opinion

LARKINS, District Judge.

This proceeding is on a Petition for Temporary Injunction filed by the Regional Director of the Eleventh Region of the National Labor Relations Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board) pursuant to Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act, as amended (29 U. S.C.A. § 160(j); herein called the Act). Said petition was filed on September 18, 1963, seeking an order directing the original Respondents to show cause why an injunction should not be granted as prayed in said petition and an Order was entered by this Court made returnable on October 2, 1963, before this Court at Trenton, North Carolina. This Court treats the Order to Show Cause, or Rule Nisi, as a simple motion, which is preferred to a formal Order to Show Cause and is treated as a motion under the rules. Application of Tracy, 106 F.2d 96 (2nd C.C.A., 1939), certiorari denied 308 U.S. 597, 60 S.Ct. 129, 84 L.Ed. 500. This matter is before the Court upon the return to the Show Cause Order, or Rule Nisi.

The Board seeks a temporary injunction pending the final disposition on the merits of the matters herein pending on a charge and amended charges filed by the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, AFL-CIO (hereinafter referred to as the ILGWU) alleging that the original Respondents, Evans, et al., have violated Section 8(a) (1), (2), and (3) of the Act. These sections proscribe an employer from interfering with, restraining or coercing employees in the exercise of their right to engage in certain collective activities, from dominating or assisting and supporting a labor organization, and from discriminating against employees to discourage membership in a labor organization.

Both the ILGWU and the Grifton Clothing Company Employees Union (hereinafter referred to as the GCCEU) filed motions to intervene.

The hearing on the merits is scheduled to be conducted before a Trial Examiner of the Board at the Lenoir County Courthouse in Kinston, N. C. on October 29, 1963.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Petitioner is Regional Director of the Eleventh Region of the Board, an *768 Agency of the United States, and files this petition for and on behalf of the Board, upon Complaint filed by ILGWU.

2. Respondents, Sidney H. Evans, Trading as both Evans Manufacturing Company and Grifton Clothing Company; Evans Manufacturing Company, Inc.; and Sidney H. Evans, individually and as an officer and principal of the foregoing (herein called original Respondents) are engaged within this judicial district in transacting business.

3. GCCEU is party to a collective bargaining agreement with original Respondents, Evans, et ah, covering wages, hours, and conditions of employment of the employees of original Respondents, Evans, et al., at its Grifton, North Carolina plant. The Petition of GCCEU to Intervene as Party Respondent was allowed by the Court and they have participated in these proceedings.

4. ILGWU orally moved the Court for permission to intervene and subsequent to the hearing reduced its motion to writing and submitted briefs in support thereof. They too have been permitted to participate in said proceedings, although said motion was taken under advisement.

5. On June 21 and June 29, 1963, the ILGWU filed charges of unfair labor practices by original Respondents, Evans, et ah, with the Board. These charges were subsequently amended on August 9, and August 19, 1963, by the ILGWU. Said charges were referred to the Petitioner as Regional Director of the Eleventh Region of the Board. Thereafter, the General Counsel of the Board, on behalf of the Board, by Petitioner, issued an order consolidating the cases and a consolidated complaint pursuant to Section 10(b) of the Act was issued on September 17, 1963, alleging that original Respondents, Evans, et ah, have engaged in, and are engaging in, unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8(a) (1), (2), and (3) of the Act, and affecting commerce within the meaning of Sections 2(6) and (7) of the Act.

6. Original Respondents are engaged at Grifton, North Carolina, in the manufacture and sale of children’s wearing apparel and in the operation and conduct of its business the original Respondents annually ship finished products to points-outside the State of North Carolina valued in excess of f50,000.00.

7. The ILGWU and the GCCEU, both unincorporated associations, are organizations in which employees participate and which exist for the purpose in whole or in part of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment or conditions of work, and are labor organizations within the meaning of Sections 2 (5) and 8(a) of the Act. Both, at all times material herein, have been engaged in this judicial district in promoting and protecting the interests of employee members.

8. No labor organization has been certified by the Board pursuant to the provisions of Section 9 of the Act as the collective bargaining representative of the production and maintenance employees of original Respondents’ Grifton, North Carolina, operation.

9. The Court upon reading the Petition, the Response of the original Respondents, the Response of the Intervenor, the affidavits submitted by the parties, and considering the oral testimony taken at the hearing finds that there is reasonable cause to believe that the original Respondents, Evans, et al, have committed, and are committing unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8(a) (1) and (2) of the National Labor Relations Act, as amended.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

This Court has jurisdiction of the parties and of the subject matter of this proceeding, and under Section 10 (j) of the Act is empowered to grant injunctive relief. Section 10(j) provides:

“(j) The Board shall have power, upon issuance of a complaint as provided in subsection (b) charging that any person has engaged in or is engaging in an unfair labor practice, to petition any district court, of the United States * * *, with *769 in any district wherein the unfair labor practice in question is alleged to have occurred or wherein such person resides or transacts business, for appropriate temporary relief or restraining order. Upon the filing of any such petition the court shall ■cause notice thereof to be served upon such person, and thereupon shall have jurisdiction to grant to the Board such temporary relief or restraining order as it deems just and proper.”

There are three steps required by Section 10(j) before a district court may issue an injunction. They are as stated by Hunter, D. J., in Lebiis for and on Behalf of N. L. R. B. v. Manning, Maxwell and Moore, Inc., 218 F.Supp. 702, 705 (W.D.La.1963), citing Douds v. International Longshoremen’s Ass’n, 241 F.2d 278 (2nd C.A., 1957):

“First, there must be a charge alleging that some person has engaged in or is engaging in an unfair labor practice. The second step is the issuance of a ‘complaint’ by the National Labor Relations Board. The third step is a hearing to determine :

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Bluebook (online)
223 F. Supp. 766, 54 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2594, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnston-v-evans-nced-1963.