Walter E. Flack, Pro Se v. National Labor Relations Board

327 F.2d 396, 54 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2526, 1963 U.S. App. LEXIS 3784
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedNovember 7, 1963
Docket14186
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 327 F.2d 396 (Walter E. Flack, Pro Se v. National Labor Relations Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walter E. Flack, Pro Se v. National Labor Relations Board, 327 F.2d 396, 54 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2526, 1963 U.S. App. LEXIS 3784 (7th Cir. 1963).

Opinions

DUFFY, Circuit Judge.

Petitioner, Walter E. Flack, who appeared before us pro se, asks this Court to review and set aside an order of the National Labor Relations Board issued on March 6, 1963,1 dismissing his unfair labor practice complaint against Cush-man Motor Delivery Company (Company) and Local 710, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America (Lpeal 710). The Intermediate Report of the Trial Examiner was favorable to the claims of the petitioner Flack.

The Regional office of the Board issued a complaint alleging that Local 710 caused the Company to discharge Flack because of his activities on behalf of Rebel Teamsters Union, an organization composed of dissident members of Local 710 and other labor organizations.

The Company employs both City Drivers and Over-the-road Drivers. City drivers are represented by Truck Drivers Independent Union (Independent). The dock hands are represented by Local 710.

Petitioner was employed by the Company as a City Driver and is a member of Independent. He had worked for the Company since 1953, and had been discharged in December 1960 for alleged refusal to make out daily reports.2 He was reinstated in June 1961 with the assistance of Independent.

In July 1961, Flack became active on behalf of Rebel Teamsters Union in Chicago. Flack distributed Rebel Union literature among both members of the Teamsters and Independent Locals. The purpose of the Rebel movement, according to Flack, was to secure honest administration of existing Teamsters and Independent Unions and to improve grievance procedures.

On September 11, 1961, shortly after Flack had reported for work, Peter Janopoulos, business representative for Local 710, approached him in front of about thirty other company drivers. He swore at Flack, used obscene language, and threatened to break Flack in half. He told Flack that the latter could not pass out literature or talk against Local 710, and threatened him with great personal violence and stated he would run Flack off of any 710 dock that Flack was on.

[398]*398After the incident, Flack, received his load and attempted to deliver it. Because the day was a high Jewish Holy Day, the employee who would normally receive the load, was absent from work so Flack had to return the load to the Company. Upon his return, about 10 a. m., Flack asked to be relieved because he was ill. His dispatcher permitted him to take off the balance of the day. Flack testified he was upset by the threats of Janopoulos.

Flack drove his auto to a police station and filed a complaint against Janop-oulos. He then visited Burns, President of the Rebel Teamsters Union, and informed him of the events hereinbefore described. Burns contacted several TV stations, and newsreel cameramen were sent to Burns’ office where Flack gave a statement before the cameras describing how Janopoulos had threatened him because of his Rebel Teamsters Union activities. Further newsreel shots were taken later in the afternoon. The Company was aware that the newsreels were telecast on Chicago stations that evening.

Clairmont Work Stoppage.

On October 11, 1961, about 1 p. m., Flack arrived at the Clairmont Transfer Company’s dock. He proceeded to that part of Clairmont premises where bills of lading are posted. He did so in order to deliver the bill for the consignment he carried and thereby to have his truck unloaded in turn. While going to and from the bill rack, Flack distributed literature of the Rebel Teamsters Union to various employees of Clairmont. He also distributed such literature to various truck drivers as they arrived at the Clairmont dock. Some of the literature referred to James Hoffa as “Little Caesar” and that on an occasion mentioned, Hoffa had told the free press to “Get the Hell out of Here.”

The Trial Examiner pointed out that under his Union contract, Flack was entitled to take one hour for lunch at any time between 11 a. m. and 2 p. m., and that Flack arrived at the Clairmont dock at 1 p. m. It does not appear whether Flack actually ate his lunch there, but while he was sitting in his trailer and shortly after 2 p. m., he was summoned to answer a telephone call from Barney Cushman, President of the Company. Cushman told Flack of complaints he had received, that Flack was interfering with the drivers’ work at the dock. Cush-man said to Flack that he didn’t care about his (Flack’s) Union activity, but he was not to distribute literature on company time. Flack retorted that his activities were during his lunch hour and not on company time. Cushman stated he would give Flack a “warning notice.”

Flack returned to his truck which had not been unloaded. A few minutes later, three Local 710 organizers arrived. One of them, Bonarigo, told Flack he could not pass out pamphlets. Then Daniel White, Clairmont’s manager, told Flack he would not accept his freight. Flack was instructed by his dispatcher to take the freight to another terminal which he did. In talking to Cushman by phone, White asked why the Company permitted its drivers to pass out literature and disturb personnel working on other employers’ docks.

The Scherer Incident.

On October 13, 1961, Flack arrived with a loaded trailer at the dock of the Scherer Freight Company. One of Scherer’s employees helped Flack unload. Flack attempted to convert this employee to the cause of the Rebel Teamsters. William Smith, a steward for Local 710, overheard the solicitation and objected. There was a sharp conflict in the evidence as to what followed. However, the Trial Examiner who had the witnesses before him, believed the Flack version. He stated that Flack impressed him as a man of unusual integrity. According to Flack, Smith entered the trailer and in obscene language, directed him to desist from his “Rebel talk”, invited Flack to step outside and threatened to beat him up. Smith struck Flack, knocking him against the [399]*399meathook that was hanging on the side of the trailer. Then Smith ordered everybody on the dock to stop work and not to move any freight as long as Flack was there.

Flack went across the street to call the police. Then a sound truck arrived and someone therein through the loud speaker, instructed those on the dock to stop work. Janopoulos and three or four others emerged from the sound truck. Janopoulos approached Flack saying, “You are a dead son-of-a-bitch.” and attempted to attack Flack but was held back by others.

After a visit to the police station, Flack called his dispatcher and notified him he could not effect delivery. Whereupon another driver was assigned to and did complete the delivery.

On October 13, President Cushman was drafting a warning notice to Flack based on the Clairmont incident which had occurred two days previously. Before completing the draft, he was told that Flack was concerned in another incident at the Scherer dock. He then decided to convert the warning letter into a discharge letter. This letter set out, among other things, that on one morning Flack reported sick but in the same afternoon was interviewed for a television program. The letter stated that Flack circulated Rebel Teamster literature and application blanks at the Clair-mont dock on Company time, and that this created a disturbance. There was also a reference to the incident on October 13 at the Scherer dock.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
327 F.2d 396, 54 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2526, 1963 U.S. App. LEXIS 3784, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walter-e-flack-pro-se-v-national-labor-relations-board-ca7-1963.