R. H. Macy & Co. v. New York State Labor Relations Board

192 Misc. 697, 79 N.Y.S.2d 842, 22 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2215, 1948 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2472
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 16, 1948
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 192 Misc. 697 (R. H. Macy & Co. v. New York State Labor Relations Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
R. H. Macy & Co. v. New York State Labor Relations Board, 192 Misc. 697, 79 N.Y.S.2d 842, 22 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2215, 1948 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2472 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1948).

Opinion

Hoestadter, J.

The petitioner, R. H. Macy & Go., Inc., moves for an order setting aside a decision and order of the respondent New York State Labor Relations Board, finding the petitioner guilty of an unfair labor practice within the meaning of subdivision 10 of section 701 of the State Labor Relations Act (the Labor Law) (referred to as the Act) and ordering it to cease and desist. The respondent by cross motion applies for enforcement of its decision and order. For convenience the petitioner will be referred to as Macy and the respondent as the board.

[701]*701An understanding of the issues before the court requires a somewhat detailed statement of the facts out of which the controversy arises. Macy operates a large department store in the heart of New York City. Until the latter part of June, 1946, Macy maintained its own delivery service. The delivery employees, about 1,000 in number, were members of United Department Store Delivery and Interior Employees of Greater New York, Local 1, C. I. 0., which will be referred to as Local 1. Since 1937, Macy had a collective bargaining agreement with Local 1, and negotiations for the renewal of this agreement had been completed about a week before June 22,1946.

On June 22,1946, Macy sold its delivery service and equipment to United Parcel Service, an organization which conducted delivery service for many of the city’s well-known department stores. This step was taken in the interest of efficiency and economy and Macy’s right to take it is not questioned. On June 24, 1946, Macy by letter informed its delivery service employees of the sale and that their employment with Macy would end on June 26,1946, but that their future employment by United Parcel Service, with conditions as favorable as those they had enjoyed at Macy’s, and protection of their seniority rights had been assured. This was the first notice to Local 1 or the delivery service employees of the sale.

On June 27, 1946, Macy’s former delivery employees entered the employ of United Parcel Service. United Parcel Service had a collective bargaining agreement with an A. P. of L. union, Local 804, which provided for a closed shop. The former Macy employees refused to join Local 804, but joined another A. P. of L. teamsters’ local. Local 804 objected to this move and as the result of the ensuing jurisdictional dispute the former Macy employees on July 10, 1946, left the employ of United Parcel Service and on July 11, 1946, began to picket Macy. In this picketing they were joined by persons employed by other stores and represented by other unions. The establishment of this picket line precipitated the happenings on which the present controversy hinges.

Besides its agreement with Local 1, already mentioned, Macy also had an agreement with Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Employees, Local 1-S, C. I. O., which was the collective bargaining representative of various categories of employees in the selling and'nonselling departments. This Local 1-S, which will hereafter he designated as the union, is affiliated with the same international union as Local 1. On May 10,1945, Macy and [702]*702the union had entered into a written collective bargaining agreement for a term of three years, beginning retroactively on February 1, 1945. This agreement was in effect in July, 1946, at the time of the focal occurrences in this case, except insofar as affected by these occurrences themselves. The agreement of February 1, 1945, contained the following no-strike clause: “During the term of this agreement, the Union andvthe members of the Union will not cause, sanction or take part in any strike (whether sit-down, stay-in, sympathetic, general or of any other kind), walkout, picketing, stoppage of work, retarding of work or boycott, whether of a primary or secondary nature, or any other interference with the operation and conduct of the Employer’s business. The Employer agrees that there shall be no lockouts during the term of this agreement. ’ ’

For several days after the commencement of the picketing on July 11,1946, the attitude of the union toward the situation was somewhat equivocal. It is clear on the record that the union was fully aware that the no-strike clause in its agreement prohibited its participation in the picketing. Though the union took no formal action during this period of indecision, the membership was not forbidden by those in authority to engage in the picketing., The union’s policy was expressed in the answer given by its president to the question whether to cross the picket line; “ Let your conscience be your guide.”

After the picket line was set up, the union’s officials met from day to day with the officials of the international and discussed whether the union should join in the picketing. Finally, on July 17,1946, after the international had given approval to this course and had also pledged its financial support, the union at a general membership meeting unanimously adopted a resolution by which it allied its members with the picketers.

The resolution recited'the international’s full support of “ the strike of Local 1 against Macy’s ”, the setting up of a joint strategy and negotiating committee, consisting, among others, of representatives of the union, and the pledge of this committee ‘ ‘ that there will be no settlement of the strike until the demands of Locals 1, 1-A and 1-S are agreed upon.” The resolution announced four demands of the union, among them, “ that we be paid for all the time lost during the strike ”. It was then resolved that:

“ (2) all members of Local 1-S will refuse to cross Local 1 picket line till all the demands of Local 1,1-A and 1-S are agreed upon,
[703]*7034 4 and finally, all members of Local 1-S will actively participate in picketing and in such other activities as may be required.”

By this resolution and the action taken in effectuation of its purpose the union became a full and active participant in the 4 4 strike of Local 1 ’ ’. The legal implications of these steps will be discussed later.

It is appropriate also to note that the union’s constitution provides for discipline, through fine, suspension or expulsion of any member found guilty of the following offenses:

44 (b) Willful violation of any provisions of collective bargaining agreements between the Union and employers. ’ ’
44 (g) Acting in a manner harmful to the interests and welfare of the Union and/or its members.”
44 (k) Eefnsing to obey a strike call of the Union or its authorized officers.”

After the adoption by the union of the resolution of July 17, 1946, its president warned the members that the union would take action against any violating the resolution. On learning of the union’s resolution, Macy the same day distributed the following notice to its employees: 44 We assure you that no Macy employee will lose his or her job by reason of Union action for working at this time while there is a picket line at the store.”

Macy likewise on July 17, 1946, announced through the public press that 44 extra compensation was being provided for those Avho had stayed at work on the theory that they had to work harder because of the absence of so many of their fellow employees.”

Between July 11 and July 17, 1946, a substantial number of union members did not report for work because of their unwillingness to cross the picket line.

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Related

R. H. Macy & Co. v. New York State Labor Relations Board
275 A.D.2d 665 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1949)

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Bluebook (online)
192 Misc. 697, 79 N.Y.S.2d 842, 22 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2215, 1948 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2472, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/r-h-macy-co-v-new-york-state-labor-relations-board-nysupct-1948.