National Labor Relations Board v. Viking Pump Co.

113 F.2d 759, 6 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 977, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3450
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedJuly 29, 1940
DocketNo. 470, Original
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 113 F.2d 759 (National Labor Relations Board v. Viking Pump Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth 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. Viking Pump Co., 113 F.2d 759, 6 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 977, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3450 (8th Cir. 1940).

Opinion

GARDNER, Circuit Judge.

This case comes before us upon petition of the National Labor Relations Board to enforce its cease and desist order issued against respondent, pursuant to Section 10 (c) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 160(c).

Charges and amended charges were filed on behalf of Lodge 1683, Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers of North America (referred to hereinafter as “Union”). The complaint alleged that respondent had engaged in unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8 (1) and (3) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C.A. § 158(1, 3). A hearing was held and the trial examiner filed an intermediate report finding violations as alleged. Respondent filed exceptions to this report. Amended charges were then filed, alleging further unfair labor practices, and a further hearing was held before another trial examiner. In an intermediate report he also found violations as alleged. The Board filed its decision finding that respondent had engaged in unfair labor practices affecting commerce within the meaning of the Act by (1) interfering with, restraining and coercing its employees in their right to self-organization; and (2) discriminatorily discharging two of its employees because of their Union activity, and discharging a third because he gave testimony under the Act. It ordered respondent to cease and desist from these unfair labor practices and as an affirmative action [760]*760to effectuate the policies of the Act, it ordered a reinstatement with back pay of the employees found to have been discriminated against, and it ordered appropriate notices to be posted.

Respondent has refused to comply with the order of the Board on the ground that it is not supported by, the evidence but “is opposed to aU the competent, credible and substantial. evidence in the record.”

Our review of the record is for the purpose of determining whether the findings of the Board are sustained by substantial evidence. We. need not concern ourselves with the question of the burden of proof, the credibility of the witnesses, nor the weight or preponderance of the evidence. Hamilton-Brown Shoe Co. v. National Labor Relations Board, 8 Cir., 104 F.2d 49; National Labor Relations Board v. Waterman Steamship Co., 309 U.S. 206, 60 S.Ct. 493, 84 L.Ed. 704; National Labor Relations Board v. Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines, Inc., 303 U.S. 261, 58 S.Ct. 571, 82 L.Ed. 831, 115 A.L.R. 307. We therefore note primarily the evidence which sustains or tends to sustain the findings.

The first question is as to the finding that respondent had interfered with, restrained and coerced its employees in their right of self-organization.

r, , , j- , , , , Respondent manufactures and markets . . .. , , , . , rotary pumps at its place of business at r' i A ii t <4, tt • u Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Union began its a , , . . , ,, , efforts to organize respondents employees , , a %o m-2-7 ax j , , ' about April 28, 1937. A few days later, , .i „ , >, May 4, there was a meeting of some twenty-eight of the employees held during working hours. Harry Petersen, foreman of the small pump department, addressed the meeting and, among other things, said: “This Union business has got to — has gone far enough. It is causing a lot of discord, * * * Mr. Wyth (president of respondent) has proxies enough to rule the Board of Directors, and * * * he is going to close the shop down if this Union business continues, f * * Mr. Wyth would-n’t recognize an outside labor organization in the plant. * * * Before Mr. Wyth would recognize any outside organization in the plant he would go home and sit on his front porch and lock the plant up.”

In this same address, he advised the employees “to drop out of the Union and to go down to Mr. Wyth’s office and talk it over with him.” He urged the employees to change the Viking Aid Society, an existing society, into a union, and thus they would have their own union; that there would be no dues to pay, other than the Viking Aid dues, 250 a month. He said that Mr. Wyth would recognize that and deal with them but not with an outside labor organization.

On the following day, during working hours, all of the employees assembled in the stock room, pursuant to instructions from their foremen and other supervisory officers. Three foremen were present. At the suggestion of Mr. Juhl, a “trouble shooter” of respondent, Mr. Gushard, was called in to speak. -He informed the meet-ing that Mr. Wyth would not have an out-side organization in the plant but would close the plant unless the men immediately elected a committee, which had been previously suggested as a proper method of agreement with the employer. The meeting then elected a committee, which held some conferences with Wyth. Mr. Wyth told the committee members that he had authority to close the shop if the men had not elected the committee, and on one occasion he said: ■ “This is the only body I will deal with. I will not deal with no C. I. O.” As a resub of these conferences, Mr. Wyth granted a wage increase, and Mr. Gushard told the men that the committee had ob-tained a good agreement. Foreman Peter-sen asked an employee if the raise in , , , v J ^ „ ,, wages had caused any of the men to sell j= ., . cn ■ ^ out, if the raise was sufficient to cause any-, ,’ ^ , ,, . body to drop their membership m the TT ' „ r ^ . í , Union. Foreman Eastman - advised some , ((il ^ ^ . , T T • employees, that we forget about the Union , ,, . , because we would never Set anywhere, We W0U , f • 6 le 0 cers our money and that it wouldn t amount an^

Following these incidents, certain employees who had been active in Union Work were discharged. Certain 'alleged acts 0f espionage are also cited by the Board as sustaining the finding of interference, re-straint and coercion. We put aside the testimony as to these acts as unnecessary for consideration because we are satisfied that ¿he evidence above detailed is abundantly sufficient to sustain the Board’s finding of interference, restraint and coercion. The president and superintendent availed them-selves of^ the efforts of the foremen to defeat any movement by the employees in the plant to join “an outside Union.” The evidence tends to show that supervisory em-ployees and officials were working to a [761]*761common purpose. We must assume, in view ol the decision of the Board, that this evidence was believed by the Board, and it is sufficient to support a finding of employer participation. Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board, 7 Cir., 107 F.2d 555.

The second question is concerned with the discharge of employees found to have been discriminatory. Harold Poulson, a machine operator, had worked for respondent for eight years. He was unceremoniously discharged August 25, 1937. While he was.at work at his lathe a foreman came to him and handed him a pay check. Poulson asked why he was getting his check, to which inquiry the foreman replied that he didn’t know — “that Mr.

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113 F.2d 759, 6 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 977, 1940 U.S. App. LEXIS 3450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-labor-relations-board-v-viking-pump-co-ca8-1940.