National Labor Relations Board v. Radio & Television Broadcast Engineers Union, Local 1212, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Afl-Cio

272 F.2d 713, 45 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2245, 1959 U.S. App. LEXIS 5246
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedDecember 3, 1959
Docket25573_1
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 272 F.2d 713 (National Labor Relations Board v. Radio & Television Broadcast Engineers Union, Local 1212, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Afl-Cio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second 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. Radio & Television Broadcast Engineers Union, Local 1212, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Afl-Cio, 272 F.2d 713, 45 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2245, 1959 U.S. App. LEXIS 5246 (2d Cir. 1959).

Opinion

CLARK, Chief Judge.

The National Labor Relations Board petitions for enforcement of its order '121 NLRB No. 158 that the respondent 'Union (IBEW) cease and desist from ’conduct found to constitute an unfair labor practice under § 8(b) (4) (D), 29 'U.S.C. § 158(b) (4) (D), the “jurisdictional dispute” provision of the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947. Briefly stated, the underlying dispute is between the respondent union and an IATSE local 1 2*****over assignment by ■the Columbia Broadcasting System of lighting ■ work in connection with certain “remote” television broadcasts, i. e., those not originating in the company’s 'home studios. This continuing dispute 'has necessitated the cancellation of several telecásts following work stoppages by one of the unions when lighting work was assigned to the other. The present .proceeding arises from such an incident ^instigated by respondent’s refusal to operate the camera equipment unless it also performed the program’s lighting tasks.

For purposes of this enforcement proceeding, respondent concedes its violation of § 8(b) (4) (D). But it contends that the Board failed to comply with the special procedure prescribed by § 10 (k), *29 U.S.C. § 160 (k). 2 This section provides that when an unfair labor practice is charged, under § 8(b). (4) (D), “the Board is empowered and directed to hear and determine the dispute out of which such unfair labor practice shall have arisen,” with an exception not here involved encouraging voluntary adjustment of the dispute. The Board concedes that a determination under this section is a prerequisite to the issuance of a cease and desist order, but contends that its ' hearing and finding fulfilled the requirement.

Thus the only question involves the construction of the statutory direction to “determine the dispute.” The Board’s position is that its finding that the respondent had no claim by contract, order, or certification to the disputed work suffices, while respondent maintains that the Board is required affirmatively to allocate the work to one of the competing unions. This issue has been resolved against the Board by the Third and Seventh Circuits. See N. L. R. B. v. United Ass’n of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada, Locals 420 and 428, AFL (Hake), 3 Cir., 242 F.2d 722; N. L. R. B. v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL-CIO (Wendnagel), 7 Cir., 261 F.2d 166. But the Board has adhered to its position, although it has not sought certiorari to resolve the dispute.

We turn first to an examination of the statutory language. The scheme of § 10 (k) is to provide an opportunity for the private adjustment of disputes causing jurisdictional strikes; but in the absence of such adjustment, the Board itself is to determine the disputes. - It is difficult to attribute any meaning to the word “dispute” unless it refers to the controversy between the unions as to which is entitled to the work. It also seems clear that the Board’s function is to impose a settlement in the event that the parties are unable themselves to reach agreement. *715 Since private adjustment can only envision agreement as to which group is entitled to the work, the Board is required to make this determination where private negotiation proves unsuccessful. Further, under the Board’s view that Congress has left the determination of disputes involving work assignments to the employer, the § 10 (k) hearing and determination become superfluous. Private settlement would be equally encouraged by a provision for a 10-day notice in advance of an unfair labor practice proceeding.

Although the language of the enactment is unambiguous, the legislative history is not thereby rendered immaterial. But since Judge Hastie in the Hake case, supra, 3 Cir., 242 F.2d 722, has fully reviewed this history, we shall content ourselves with a brief summarization. The original provision, as adopted by the Senate, would have settled jurisdictional disputes by compulsory arbitration before a Board-appointed arbitrator or in the alternative through adjudication by the Board itself. S. 1126, 80th Cong., 1st Sess. (1947). But the arbitration clause was deleted in conference committee, so that the bill as enacted prescribed Board determination alone. H.R.Conf.Rep. No. 510, 80th Cong., 1st Sess. 57 (1947). The discussion of these provisions on the floor and in committee reports leaves no doubt that the Congress contemplated affirmative Board adjudication of disputed work allotments. See Hake, supra, 3 Cir., 242 F.2d 722, 725; 71 Harv.L.Rev. 1364, 1366 (1958).

The Board urges that its policy has encouraged the voluntary settlement of jurisdictional disputes and thus has refuted the fears of those who opposed passage of § 10 (k) on the ground that it would encourage rather than prevent strikes. Such apprehension not only was expressed in the Congress, but also constituted one of the grounds for the Presidential veto. See 93 Cong.Rec. 6452-6453, 6506, 7486. But this line of argument in effect admits that the Board’s construction of the Congressional mandate does not conform to the understanding expressed by opponents, as well as proponents, of the section. Since the provision has not been effectuated as enacted, whether or not jurisdictional strikes will be encouraged remains as speculative today as it was in 1947. Since Congress chose to disregard this risk, it is not for the courts or the Board to accord it greater weight. It might also be noted in passing that during the pendency of the present case, another telecast was cancelled because of picketing by the IATSE when the disputed lighting work was assigned to respondent. Thus the prospect of voluntary settlement seems somewhat remote.

The Board also relies on arguments based on the internal consistency of the Act’s provisions. Thus it cites § 303(a) (4), which contains language substantially identical to that of § 8(b) (4) (D), but which by virtue of § 303(b) grants an independent action for damages to those injured by jurisdictional disputes. The Board asserts that an incongruous result is reached if damages may be assessed under § 303(a) (4), although the union may be found entitled to the work by virtue of an affirmative allocation under § 10 (k). In this respect reliance is placed on International Longshoremen’s & Warehousemen’s Union v. Juneau Spruce Corp., 9 Cir., 189 F.2d 177, affirmed 342 U.S. 237, 72 S.Ct. 235, 96 L.Ed. 275. While there is language in the opinion of the Ninth Circuit which supports the Board’s position, 3 the Supreme Court’s decision rests on the premise that the two sections are not to be construed in pari materia. It is to be expected that the considerations which underlie the grant of private redress differ from those which determine the application of administrative process.

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272 F.2d 713, 45 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2245, 1959 U.S. App. LEXIS 5246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-labor-relations-board-v-radio-television-broadcast-engineers-ca2-1959.