National Labor Relations Board v. Don Burgess Construction Corp.

596 F.2d 378, 101 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2315, 1979 U.S. App. LEXIS 14924
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMay 4, 1979
DocketNo. 77-3437
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 596 F.2d 378 (National Labor Relations Board v. Don Burgess Construction Corp.) 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
National Labor Relations Board v. Don Burgess Construction Corp., 596 F.2d 378, 101 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2315, 1979 U.S. App. LEXIS 14924 (9th Cir. 1979).

Opinion

SNEED, Circuit Judge:

This case is before us on the application of the National Labor Relations Board for enforcement of its order entered against Don Burgess Construction Corporation d/b/a Burgess Construction (BC) and Donald Burgess and Yerlon Hendrix d/b/a V & B Builders (VB). The Board’s decision and order is reported at 227 N.L.R.B. 765 (1977). On November 14, 1977, this Court granted the motion of the Sequoia District Council of Carpenters (Union) to intervene. This Court has jurisdiction of this proceeding under Section 10(e) of the National Labor Relations Act, as amended (61 Stat. 136, 73 Stat. 519, 88 Stat. 395, 29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq.), as the unfair labor practices found by the Board occurred at Fresno, California.

We find substantial evidence in the record as a whole to support the Board’s findings and conclude that its order should be enforced.

I.

FACTS.

BC is a California corporation with its principal place of business in Fresno, California, engaged in business as a general contractor for light commercial construction. BC was formed in August 1973 with Donald Burgess as president, general manager and principal stockholder holding a 70 percent interest in the company.

[381]*381In May 1974, BC decided to employ its own carpentry crew of several union carpenters including Verlon Hendrix as foreman. On June 6, 1974, Burgess signed a memorandum agreement with the Sequoia District Council of Carpenters binding BC to the terms of the 1971 — 1974 master area agreement. By its own terms this agreement expired on June 15, 1974.

In August 1974, Burgess and Hendrix made an oral agreement forming VB, a 50/50 partnership, which was to operate as a general contractor and carpentry subcontractor. Each partner contributed $250. The agreement was reduced to writing and signed nine months later. Upon formation of the partnership all the carpenters employed by BC were transferred to VB.

On August 6, 1974, Union business agent John Horn approached Burgess at the job-site and requested Burgess to sign the Union’s 1974L-1977 master agreement. Burgess replied that BC was not interested in signing the agreement as it no longer employed carpenters. Burgess indicated that the carpenters working on the project were now employed by VB. When Horn asked whether VB would sign the agreement, Burgess said that he would discuss the matter with Hendrix. That same day Burgess signed a memorandum agreement binding VB to the terms of the 1974-1977 master agreement, with which VB has remained in full compliance.

In October 1974, Burgess wrote the Union stating that BC “is not a signatory to your agreement. If you feel you have recognition, please contact me.” The Union’s executive secretary, Lawrence Null, immediately called Burgess to determine whether Burgess denied signing the current Union contract. Burgess replied that all his carpenters were on VB’s payroll and that BC would not be employing carpenters. Null was satisfied that the VB carpenters were protected under the signed agreement, their wages were correct, and contributions were being made on their behalf to the Trust Fund.

BC employed no carpentry employees of its own from August 1, 1974 until January 1975 at which time it began employing nonunion carpenters. BC did not apply the terms of the VB union contract to these new employees. In late March 1975, during a routine check of construction projects, Business Agent Horn discovered nonunion carpenters working at one of BC’s projects. In a followup investigation a few days later, the project was back in compliance using only union workers. The union took no action.

On May 1, 1975, through another routine check, the Union again found nonunion carpenters working at the same BC jobsite. The Union picketed the jobsite from May 6 to May 9 to protest the use of the nonunion carpenters.

II.

BOARD PROCEEDINGS.

On October 15, 1975, the Union filed an unfair labor practice charge against BC that alleged violations of section 8(a)(1), (3) and (5) of the Act. In its Decision and Order, the Board found, in agreement with the Administrative Law Judge, that the complaint was timely filed, that BC and VB were a single employer, that the carpenters employed by them constituted a single appropriate unit, and that the respondents, BC and VB, had violated section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the Act by refusing to bargain with the Union as the bargaining representative for BC’s carpentry employees, by failing to apply the terms and conditions of the Union contract to those employees, and by unilaterally changing those employees’ terms and conditions of employment. The Board also found that the respondents discriminated in violation of section 8(a)(3) and (1) of the Act by laying off union carpenters at VB while at the same time BC was hiring nonunion carpenters.

The Board’s order requires BC and VB to cease and desist from the unfair labor practices so found, and in any other manner interfering with employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act. Affirmatively, the Board’s order requires BC and VB to reinstate and make whole the employees [382]*382unlawfully laid off; to recognize and bargain with the Union upon request; to give retroactive effect to the terms and conditions of the 1974-1977 collective bargaining agreement; to apply the terms of the agreement to the carpenters employed by BC; to make the BC carpenters whole for any wage losses they may have suffered from January 1975; to pay to the Union’s trust fund any contributions required by the agreement; and to post appropriate notices.

Respondents attack the Board’s order on numerous grounds. They invoke the protection of section 10(b) of the Act initially. Next they insist that the single employer finding has no basis in law or fact, that the carpenters employed by BC and VB do not constitute a single appropriate bargaining unit, that there existed no intent on the part of VB and the Union to extend the collective bargaining agreement to the employees of BC, that in any event there were no unfair labor practices, and that the Board’s order violates federal antitrust law. Finally, respondents insist that the Board abused its discretion in denying their motion to reopen the record. None of these attacks strike home. We shall discuss each in the order of their recital above.

III.

THE SECTION 10(b) ISSUE.

Section 10(b) of the Act on which the respondents rely provides that “no complaint shall issue based upon any unfair labor practice occurring more than six months prior to the filing of the charge with the Board . . . .” 29 U.S.C. § 160(b) (1976). Respondents point out that under Local 1424, International Association of Machinists v. NLRB (Bryan Manufacturing Co.), 362 U.S. 411, 80 S.Ct. 822, 4 L.Ed.2d 832 (1960) there must exist substantial evidence of unfair labor practices after April 15, 1975,1 the date which is six months “prior to the filing of the charge with the Board,” viz. October 15, 1975. They correctly assert that the unfair labor practice charge based on BC’s hiring of a separate nonunion carpentry crew beginning in late January 1975 involved events well before April 15, 1975.

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596 F.2d 378, 101 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2315, 1979 U.S. App. LEXIS 14924, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-labor-relations-board-v-don-burgess-construction-corp-ca9-1979.