National Labor Relations Board v. Stover

114 F.2d 513, 7 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 609, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3157
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 3, 1940
DocketNo. 2077
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 114 F.2d 513 (National Labor Relations Board v. Stover) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. Stover, 114 F.2d 513, 7 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 609, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3157 (10th Cir. 1940).

Opinion

PHILLIPS, Circuit Judge.

This is a petition to enforce an order of the National Labor Relations Board.1

On March 21, 1938, an amended charge was filed against Walter Stover, doing business as the Stover Bedding Company, by Upholsters and Allied Crafts Local No. SOI 2 charging that Stover had violated the National Labor Relations Act,3 29 U.S.C. A. § 1S1 et seq., by discharging certain employees because they had engaged in union activities.

On March 23, 1938, the Board filed its complaint against Stover wherein it alleged that he is engaged in assembling, manufacturing, distributing, and selling upholstered furniture, mattresses, comforters, and allied products at Salt Lake City, Utah; that a substantial proportion of the materials used in the manufacture of such products is purchased in and transported from states outside of Utah into Utah, and that a substantial proportion of the products manufactured is sold and transported from Utah to, into, and through other states; that Stover on November 3, 1937, discharged Ralph Barlow, on November 15, 1937, discharged Bonnie Maxwell, and on November 17, 1937, discharged Elmer Barlow, Steven Clements, Marvin Thomas, Oris Gray, Frank Colianna, Henry Clark, and Delbert Taufer, and had- refused to reinstate them; that Stover discharged and refused to reinstate such employees because they joined and assisted Local No. 501 and engaged in concerted activities with other of his employees for the purpose of collective bargaining and other mutual aid and protection, and thereby did discriminate in regard to hire and tenure of employment of such persons, discourage membership in Local No. 501, and engage in unfair labor practices within the meaning of § 8, subdivision (3) of the Act; that prior to and during the month of November, 1937, and down to the issuance of the complaint, Stover urged, persuaded, and warned his employees to refrain from participating, by membership or otherwise, in the activities of Local No. 501, and threatened his employees with discharge and other reprisals if they became or remained members of or participated in the activities of Local No. 501, and thereby interfered with, restrained, and coerced his employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed by § 7 of the-Act, and engaged in unfair labor practices within the meaning of § 8, subdivision (1) of the Act.

Stover filed an answer in which he denied the alleged violations of the act. A hearing was had before an examiner who filed his intermediate report. Exceptions thereto were filed by Stover and the matter came on for hearing before the Board. The Board found that Stover, by attending without invitation an initial organizational meeting of employees of his plant and other similar plants located in Salt Lake City, by instructing an employee to attend and spy upon a union meeting of his employees, and by making anti-union statements and threats to his employees, interfered with, restrained, and coerced his employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed by § 7 of the Act; that Stover discharged Ralph Barlow, Elmer Barlow, and Marvin Thomas because of union activities; and that Stover engaged in no unfair labor practices with respect to the other employees discharged.

The Board entered its order that Stover cease and desist from discouraging membership in Local No. 501, or any other labor organization of his employees, [515]*515from discriminating- in regard to hire or tenure of employees or any term or condition of employment, and from in any manner interfering with, restraining, or coercing his employees in the exercise of the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choice, and to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection. It further ordered that Stover offer to reinstate Ralph Barlow, Elmer Barlow, and Marvin Thomas and to make each of them whole for his loss of pay during the period of his discharge.

The evidence established that in the early part of September, 1937, the American Federation of Labor began organizational activities among Stover’s employees and employees in similar plants in Salt Lake City; that union organizers gave notice of an initial organizational meeting to be held at Labor Temple in Salt Lake City; that one Peterson, an organizer for the American Federation of Labor and president of the Utah State Federation of Labor presided; that Stover attended the meeting without invitation; that Peterson requested Stover to leave the meeting, pointing out the impropriety of an employer attending such a meeting; that Stover replied that he had been a member of a labor organization and favored the American Federation of Labor; that his employees were free to join the union, but that if his low-paid help could not bring him a profit, he would lay off every low-paid man in his plant.

Clem'ents testified that the Monday morning following the meeting above adverted to there was a rumor of strike at the plant and that Stover said, “If my boys go out on strike I will close my doors or blow up my plant’’; that on other occasions Stover stated that he would not sign a contract with the union and that he would have nothing to do with the union and threatened to close his shop. Thomas testified that Stover stated in the filling room of the plant that the boys were just wasting their money paying fees to the union. Ralph Barlow testified that Stover stated that he would lay off his low-paid help if they joined the union, and close the upholstery department, and that the boys who were discharged had brought it on themselves. Elmer Barlow testified that Stover instructed Mr. Naylor, an employee in the upholstery department, shortly prior to a second union meeting held the first part of October, 1937, to attend the meeting and see what was going on and who was attending; that Stover further stated the union would never be in his factory; that the unions were not doing the country any good and he did not believe in them and that he would never consent to them operating his plant because he felt he was capable of running things his own way. Paul M. Peterson testified that he was president of the Utah State Federation of Labor and an organizer for the American Federation of Labor; that he presented a contract to Stover at his plant in November, and that Stover stated he would have nothing to do with the union and could lay off enough employees so the union would not have a majority. Junior Fox testified that Stover stated that if his employees joined the union and went out on strike he would shut down his plant because he would not be able to pay the union scale. J. R. Jacobs testified that Stover said he did not think the union should come in and tell him how to run his factory.

There was much evidence from other employees, many of whom were members of the union, that Stover had reiterated on many occasions that he believed in organized labor; that he had no objection to his employees joining a union and that they were free to join if they were so inclined; and that Stover treated his employees with fairness and consideration. But it is not our province to weigh conflicting testimony.4 We are of the opinion that the finding of the Board that Stover interfered with, restrained, and coerced his employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed by § 7 of the Act is supported by substantial evidence.5

Ralph Barlow joined Local No. SOI early in October, 1937.

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Related

National Labor Relations Board v. Union Mfg. Co.
124 F.2d 332 (Fifth Circuit, 1941)

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Bluebook (online)
114 F.2d 513, 7 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 609, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-labor-relations-board-v-stover-ca10-1940.