Samoff ex rel. National Labor Relations Board v. Keystone District Council of Carpenters

320 F. Supp. 327
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedDecember 2, 1970
DocketCiv. No. 70-540
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 320 F. Supp. 327 (Samoff ex rel. National Labor Relations Board v. Keystone District Council of Carpenters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Samoff ex rel. National Labor Relations Board v. Keystone District Council of Carpenters, 320 F. Supp. 327 (M.D. Pa. 1970).

Opinion

OPINION

MUIR, District Judge.

The Director of the Fourth Region of the National Labor Relations Board petitions under the National Labor Relations Act1 for a preliminary injunction against the two respondent unions to forbid picketing at a construction site. He contends that the two unions2 are engaged in an unfair labor practice directed towards the unionizing of the carpenter employees of the Fontana Construction Co., Inc., District 503 has a contract with Fontana covering most of its employees, including carpenters. Respondent unions claim that they are engaged only in informational picketing, although they admit that ultimately they hope to induce Fontana to recognize them as the bargaining representatives of its carpenter employees.

The question is whether the Regional Director has reasonable cause to believe that respondent unions are engaging in an unfair labor practice. If so, an injunction should issue. Schauffler for and on Behalf of NLRB v. Local 1291, 292 F.2d 182 (3d Cir. 1961). Shore for and on Behalf of NLRB v. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Union, 316 F.Supp. 426 (W.D.Pa.1970). The salient facts follow.

In May, 1970, Fontana entered into a three-year contract with District 50 whereby it became the bargaining representative of all Fontana’s employees within certain classifications, including carpenters. The contract could be modified or terminated on each of its anniversaries on the question of wages. At no time have respondent unions challenged through the NLRB the legality of the contract or the acceptance by Fontana of District 50 as the bargaining representative of its carpenter employees.

In September, 1970, pickets who were not employees of Fontana appeared at a site in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, where Fontana was erecting a bank building. These pickets were ordered to the site by respondent Keystone District Council. [329]*329They carried signs stating that the carpenter employees on the construction site were not members of either one of the respondent unions. As a result, the employees of one of Fontana’s suppliers refused to cross the picket line to deliver ready-mixed concrete. Fontana’s president asserts that other construction delays were attributable to the pickets. Fontana filed charges with the NLRB alleging that respondents have engaged in an unfair labor practice under the National Labor Relations Act.

Congress has seen fit to clothe the NLRB with the power in the first instance to resolve disputes such as this. Shore for and on Behalf of NLRB v. Carpenters and Joiners Union, 316 F.Supp. 426 (W.D.Pa.1970).

The Regional Director of the NLRB has, in my view, reasonable cause to believe that the respondent unions have engaged in an unfair labor practice under 29 U.S.C. Section 158(b) (7) (A) which prohibits picketing by a union where an object of the picketing is recognition, another union has been lawfully recognized and an existing contract with that union bars an election.4 Accordingly, petitioner is entitled to an injunction as prayed for pending the conclusion of the case at the NLRB level.

The findings of fact and conclusions of law filed herewith are incorporated herein by reference. An injunction will issue.

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The Court makes the following:

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Petitioner is Regional Director of the Fourth Region of the Board, an agency of the United States, and filed a petition in the above captioned matter for and on behalf of the Board.

2. On or about October 14, 1970, Fontana Construction Co., Inc. (Fontana), pursuant to the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act (Act), filed a charge with the Board alleging that Keystone District, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Local 1854, AFL-CIO, a labor organization, has engaged in, and is engaging in, unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8(b) (7), sub-paragraph (A), of the Act.

3. On or about November 2, 1970, Fontana filed a first amended charge alleging that Keystone District Council of Carpenters, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL-CIO; (Respondent Council) and Local 1854 United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL-CIO; (Respondent Local 1854), labor organizations, have engaged in, and are engaging in, unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8(b) (7), sub-paragraph (A) of the Act.

4. The aforesaid charge and amended charge were referred to the Regional Director of the Fourth Region of the Board.

5. There is and petitioner has reasonable cause to believe that:

5.01 Respondents each are unincorporated associations in which employees participate, and which exist for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work.
5.02 Respondent Council maintains its principal office at 522 S. 18th Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Respondent Local 1854 maintains its principal office at Wéllsboro, Pennsylvania, and at all times material herein respondents have been engaged within this judicial district in transacting business and in promoting and protecting the interests of employee-members.
[330]*3305.03 Fontana is a Pennsylvania corporation engaged in commercial construction work and currently is engaged in constructing a bank building at Mansfield, Pennsylvania. In the operation of its business, Fontana annually purchases building supplies and equipment valued in excess of $50,000 from sources outside Pennsylvania.
5.04 Neither respondent is currently certified as the collective bargaining representative for any of Fontana’s employees.
5.05 Since on or about May 15,1970, Fontana has recognized and has had a collective bargaining contract with International Union of District 50, Allied and Technical Workers of the United States and Canada (District 50), a labor organization within the meaning of Section 8(b) (7) of the Act, as the collective bargaining representative of its production employees which include carpenter employees. Said collective bargaining contract currently in effect between Fontana and District 50 was executed on May 15, 1970, and is effective until May 14, 1973, subject to modification on its anniversaries on the question of wages.
5.06 No charge has been filed with the Board under Section 8(a) (2) of the Act alleging that Fontana unlawfully recognized, or entered into the aforesaid contract with District 50, and at no time material herein could a question concerning representation of Fontana’s production employees appropriately be raised under Section 9(c) of the Act.
5.07 Notwithstanding the aforesaid, respondents, since on or about September 29, 1970, and at all times material herein have demanded that Fontana recognize and bargain with respondents as the representative of Fontana’s carpenter employees.

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Related

Samoff v. Building Trades Council
350 F. Supp. 129 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
320 F. Supp. 327, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/samoff-ex-rel-national-labor-relations-board-v-keystone-district-council-pamd-1970.