Bass & Bass Watchguard & Patrol

National Labor Relations Board - Board DecisionsOct 31, 2005

345 NLRB No. 102 (N.L.R.B. 2005)

NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the bound volumes of NLRB decisions. Readers are requested to notify the Ex- ecutive Secretary, National Labor Relations Board, Washington, D.C. 20570, of any typographical or other formal errors so that corrections can be included in the bound volumes. Bass & Bass Security, d/b/a Bass & Bass Watchguard and Patrol and Local 819, Security Workers of America. Case 29â€“CAâ€“25420 October 31, 2005 SUPPLEMENTAL DECISION AND ORDER BY CHAIRMAN BATTISTA AND MEMBERS LIEBMAN AND SCHAUMBER The Acting General Counsel seeks a default judgment in this case on the ground that the Respondent has failed to file an answer to the compliance specification. On October 31, 2003, the Board issued a Decision and Order1 that, among other things, ordered the Respondent to make whole unit employees for any loss of earnings and other benefits suffered as a result of its unlawful uni- lateral changes to wages and other benefits made since November 3, 2002; restore unit employeesâ€™ health bene- fits and make all required benefit fund payments or con- tributions that have not been made since November 3, 2002; and reimburse unit employees for any expenses resulting from its unlawful termination of their health benefits. On April 28, 2004, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit entered its judgment en- forcing in full the Boardâ€™s Order.2 A controversy having arisen over the amount of holi- day pay and medical expenses due the unit employees and the contributions due the United Health and Welfare Fund, on August 18, 2005, the Regional Director issued a compliance specification and notice of hearing alleging the amounts due under the Boardâ€™s Order. The compli- ance specification notified the Respondent that it should file a timely answer complying with the Boardâ€™s Rules and Regulations. Although properly served with a copy of the compliance specification, the Respondent failed to file an answer.3 On September 15, 2005, the Acting General Counsel filed with the Board a motion for default judgment, with exhibits attached. On September 19, 2005, the Board issued an order transferring the proceeding to the Board and a Notice to Show Cause why the motion should not be granted. The Respondent did not file a response. The 1 340 NLRB 962. 2 04-0738. 3 Copies of the compliance specification were sent to the Respondent by certified mail and by regular mail. The Respondent has not claimed the copy sent by certified mail. The copy sent by regular mail has not been returned as undelivered. It is well settled that a respondentâ€™s failure or refusal to accept certified mail or to provide for appropriate service cannot serve to defeat the purposes of the Act. See, e.g., I.C.E. Electric, Inc., 339 NLRB 247 fn. 2 (2003), and cases cited there. In any event, the failure of the Postal Service to return documents sent by regular mail indicates actual receipt. See, e.g., I.C.E. Electric, supra. allegations in the motion and in the compliance specifi- cation are therefore undisputed. Ruling on the Motion for Default Judgment Section 102.56(a) of the Boardâ€™s Rules and Regula- tions provides that a respondent shall file an answer within 21 days from service of a compliance specifica- tion. Section 102.56(c) provides that if the respondent fails to file an answer to the specification within the time prescribed by this section, the Board may, either with or without taking evidence in support of the allegations of the specification and without further notice to the re- spondent, find the specification to be true and enter such order as may be appropriate. According to the uncontroverted allegations of the Mo- tion for Default Judgment, the Respondent, despite hav- ing been advised of the filing requirements, has failed to file an answer to the compliance specification. In the absence of good cause for the Respondentâ€™s failure to file an answer, we deem the allegations in the compliance specification to be admitted as true, and grant the Acting General Counselâ€™s Motion for Default Judgment. Ac- cordingly, we conclude that the net backpay due the unit employees and the contributions due the Fund are as stated in the compliance specification, and we will order the Respondent to pay those amounts to the employees and the Fund, plus interest accrued on the backpay amounts to the date of payment, minus tax withholdings required by Federal, State, and local laws.4 ORDER The National Labor Relations Board orders that the Respondent, Bass & Bass Security, d/b/a Bass & Bass Watchguard and Patrol, St. Albans, New York, its offi- cers, agents, successors, and assigns, shall make whole the individuals named in the attached Appendices A and B, by paying them the amounts opposite their names, plus interest as set forth in New Horizons for the Re- tarded, 283 NLRB 1173 (1987), and minus tax withhold- ings required by Federal, State, and local laws. The Re- spondent also shall make whole those individuals for payments due the United Health and Welfare Fund by paying the Fund the amount set forth in the attached Ap- pendix C, plus any additional amounts accruing on the fund contributions, as prescribed in Merryweather Opti- cal Co., 240 NLRB 1213, 1216 (1979). In summary, the amounts owed by the Respondent are as follows: 4 The compliance specification states that the Respondent has failed to provide all its payroll records, as required by the Boardâ€™s Order and the Courtâ€™s Judgment, and an Order issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York requiring compliance with a subpoena duces tecum issued by the Board on November 9, 2004. The Regional Director reserved the right to amend the compliance specifi- cation to include other, unnamed unit employees, upon receipt of addi- tional payroll records. DECION OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD2 Holiday Pay due to unit employees: $19,910.56 Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses: $ 231.76 Health and Welfare Fund Contributions: $33,660.00 TOTAL: $53,802.32 Dated, Washington, D.C. October 31, 2005 Robert J. Battista, Chairman Wilma B. Liebman, Member Peter C. Schaumber, Member (SEAL) NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD APPENDIX A Holiday Pay HOURLY WAGE RATE HOLIDAYS LAST NAME FIRST NAME 4Q 2002 1Q 2003 2Q 2003 3Q 2003 4Q 2003 1Q 2004 2Q 2004 PRES 2003 MEM 2003 IND 2003 LAB 2003 PRES 2004 TOTAL Acheam- pong Alex - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Adesi Eric Oduro 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Ali Mohammed 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 80.80 Asiedu Isaac - - 10.10 - - - - - - Baidoo Lawrence - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Baxter Noel 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Boakyre Augustina - - 10.10 - - - - - 80.80 80.80 Brown Sr. Rene 11.69 - - - - - - - - Brown Scian 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 12.10 12.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 96.80 406.88 Burgos Eduardo 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Chaudhry Mohammad 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Cook James 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Crawley Gene 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 12.10 12.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 96.80 406.88 Delain oDIS - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Diaz Victor 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.00 Dibble Shateema 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Echandy Rosa 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Fogle Joseph 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Frazier Danielle - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Gonzalez Donna 9.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 - - 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 - 374.08 Gonzalez Natasha - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Green Ryan 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Halikias Themis - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Herring Claudette 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Huelgo Hugo 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Hughes George 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Jackson Napoleon 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 James Craig 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Johnson Carol 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Lopez Edwin 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Mack Lamont - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Maharaj Mohan 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Maraj Jelani 10.10 - - - - - 80.80 80.80 McColley, Jr. Walter 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 McDonald Carol 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Mendah John 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Merland Monel - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Mojica Lexter 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Murray Rah-King 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Myles Sonia 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Nieves Edgar Jovan 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Osmond Yvette 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Pacheco Augustine 9.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 10.10 10.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 80.80 454.88 Pierre Dudley 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 2 Quiros Ovalle 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Ralph James 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Rivera Michelle - - 12.10 12.10 - - - - 96.80 96.80 Robinson Gary - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Roman Audelis 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 3 APPENDIX A Holiday Payâ€”Continued HOURLY WAGE RATE HOLIDAYS LAST NAME FIRST NAME 4Q 2002 1Q 2003 2Q 2003 3Q 2003 4Q 2003 1Q 2004 2Q 2004 PRES 2003 MEM 2003 IND 2003 LAB 2003 PRES 2004 TOTAL Rossmango Michael 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Ruiz Robert 11.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 12.10 12.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 Sampson Clyde 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Santiago Albert 11.69 9.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Saunders Addie 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Scott Jacqueline - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Sealey Aubyn - 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 - - 96.00 96.00 96.00 96.00 - 384.00 Singh Dennis 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Skipper Stack 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Smith Anthony 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Stevens Patela - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Taylor LaToya - - 10.10 10.10 - - - - 80.80 80.80 Vailes Jodi 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 10.10 10.10 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 80.80 390.88 Weston Robert 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 Williams Kensley 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 11.69 12.10 12.10 93.52 93.52 93.52 93.52 96.80 470.88 Williams Lakisha 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 9.69 - - 77.52 77.52 77.52 77.52 - 310.08 TOTAL 3,899.44 3,899.44 3,899.44 3,899.44 4,312.80 19,910.56 APPENDIX B Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses LAST NAME FIRST NAME EXPENSE Huelgo Hugo 81.76 Singh Dennis 150.00 TOTAL 231.76 APPENDIX C Welfare Fund 4Q 2002 1Q 2003 2Q 2003 3Q 2003 4Q 2003 1Q 2004 LAST NAME FIRST NAME 2 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month TOTAL Ali Mohammed 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Baxter Noel 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Burgos Eduardo 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Chaudhry Mohammad 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Crawley Gene 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Diaz Victor 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Echandy Rosa 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Gonzalez Donna 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Green Ryan 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Huelgo Hugo 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Hughes George 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 James Craig 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Johnson Carol 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Lopez Edwin 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Maharaj Mohan 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 McColley Jr. Walter 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 McDonald Carol 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 4 APPENDIX C Welfare Fundâ€”Continued 4Q 2002 1Q 2003 2Q 2003 3Q 2003 4Q 2003 1Q 2004 LAST NAME FIRST NAME 2 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month 3 months @ $55.00 per month TOTAL Mojica Lexter 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Myles Sonia 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Nieves Edgar Jovan 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Pacheco Augustine 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Pierre Dudley 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Quiros Ovalle 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Ralph James 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Roman Audelis 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Rossmango Michael 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Ruiz Robert 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Sampson Clyde 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Santiago Albert 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Saunders Addie 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Singh Dennis 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Smith Anthony 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Vailes Jodi 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Weston Robert 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Williams Kensley 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 Williams Lakisha 110 165 165 165 165 165 935.00 TOTAL 3960 5940 5940 5940 5940 5940 33,660.00