National Labor Relations Board v. H. E. Fletcher Co.

108 F.2d 459, 5 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 708, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 2591
CourtCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit
DecidedDecember 18, 1939
DocketNo. 3403
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 108 F.2d 459 (National Labor Relations Board v. H. E. Fletcher Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the First 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. H. E. Fletcher Co., 108 F.2d 459, 5 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 708, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 2591 (1st Cir. 1939).

Opinion

FORD, District Judge.

The National Labor Relations Board, hereinafter called the Board, petitions this court under the provisions, of Section 10 (e) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 160(e), hereinafter..referred to as the Act, for the enforcement of an order made by it under the provisions of Section 10(c) of .the Act in a proceeding instituted against the respondent. A charge was filed with the. Board by the Granite Cutters’ International Association of America, hereinafter called the Union, on September 3, 1937,. later amended on September 24, 1937, in which it was alleged the respondent had engaged in and was" engaged in unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8, subsections (1) and (2) of the Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 158.(1,2), in that it had dominated and interfered with the formation and administration of, and contributed financial and other support to, a labor organization known as the “Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co.,” hereinafter called the Plan.

On September 24, 1937, a complaint was issued by the Regional Director of the Board alleging that the respondent had engaged in and was engaged in certain unfair labor practices affecting commerce, within the meaning of the Act. Copies of the complaint and notice of hearing were given to the respondent, the Union, and the Plan.

On October 1, 1937, the “Employees of H. E. Fletcher Co.,” a voluntary association functioning under the Plan, filed a motion to intervene, which was granted.

The complaint alleged that the respondent had its principal place of business in West Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and in the course and conduct- of . its business causes and has continuously caused the granite which it quarries to be transported in interstate commerce from Massachusetts into, and through, other states of the United States. Further, that:

“3. The respondent, by its officers and agents has dominated and interfered with and is dominating and ‘interfering with the formation and administration of a labor organization,' to wit, the Employees Representation Plan of the H. E. Fletcher Co., in that (a) the respondent sponsored and caused the formation of said Plan, (b) the respondent, through its officers and agents has actively participated in said Plan and given aid and encouragement thereto and (c) the respondent has contributed financial and other support to said Plan.”
“5. By the aforesaid acts, respondent has heretofore interfered with, restrained and' coerced and is now interfering with, restraining and coercing its employees in the exercise of their rights to self-organization, to form, join, and assist labor organizations to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in concerted activities for the purposes of collective bargaining and other mutual aid and protection * * * ”
“7. The aforesaid acts -of respondent constitute unfair labor practices affecting commerce, within the meaning of Section 8, subdivisions (1), and (2), and Section 2, subdivisións (6) and (7) of said Act.”

.. The respondent in its answer, filed October 4, 1937, denied all the material allegations in the complaint and on October 15, 1937, filed a. motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of jurisdiction.

Hearings were held on October 18 and 19, 1937, before a trial examiner- for the Board and.on December 18,-1937,. the latter ¡ filed’’his - report' containing his findings [461]*461of fact and recommendations and on March 2, 1938, the Board issued its decision setting forth its findings of facts, conclusions of law, and its order, which reads as follows :

“that the respondent, * * * its officers, agents, successors, and assigns shall:
“1. Cease and desist
“(a) From in any manner dominating and interfering with the administration- of Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co., and its adjunct, Employees of H. E. Fletcher Co., or any other labor organization of its employees, and from contributing financial and other support to Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co., and its adjunct, Employees of H. E. Fletcher Co., or to any other labor organization of its employees:
“(b) From in any manner giving effect to its agreement with its employees under Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co.;
“(c) From in any other manner interfering with, restraining, or coercing its employees in the exercise of their rights to self-organization, to form, join or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining and other mutual aid or protection, as guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
“2. Take the following affirmative action which the Board finds will effectuate the policies of the Act:
“(a) Withdraw all recognition from Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co., and its adjunct, Employees of H. E. Fletcher Co., as the representative of any of its employees for the purpose of dealing with the respondent concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment, completely disestablish Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E.. Fletcher Co., and its adjunct, Employees of H. E. Fletcher Co., as such representative, and disavow its contract therewith;
“(b) Immediately post notices in conspicuous places throughout its plant and maintain such notices for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days, stating (1) that the respondent will cease and desist as aforesaid, and (2) that the respondent will withdraw all recognition from Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co., and its adjunct, Employees of- H. E. Fletcher Co., as the representative of any of its employees for the purpose of dealing with the respondent concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment that Employees’ Representation Plan for H. E. Fletcher Co., and its adjunct, Employees of H. E. Fletcher Co., are disestablished as such representative, and that the respondent’s agreement therewith is void and of no effect.”

It was admitted by the respondent that there was little conflict as to the basic facts in the evidence, and that its real objection is directed to the conclusions of the Board. The facts as found by the Board are contained in the following summary:

That the respondent, a corporation organized in 1924, under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has its principal office and place of business in West’ Chelmsford, Massachusetts, where it is engaged in the quarrying, cutting, sale, and distribution of granite in the form of paving blocks, building work, curbing, rough granite, and crushed stone. The West Chelmsford plant consists of the quarry proper, a curb yard, stone sheds, service department, and a mill. For the purpose of moving the stone within the plant, the respondent maintains approximately five miles of trackage over which it operates its own steam engine and eight or nine freight cars. The respondent also owns a small quarry at Milford, Massachusetts, about 40 miles from West Chelmsford. Granite quarried at Milford is shipped to the West Chelmsford plant for further fabrication.

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108 F.2d 459, 5 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 708, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 2591, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-labor-relations-board-v-h-e-fletcher-co-ca1-1939.