Lily Transportation Corp.

National Labor Relations Board - Board DecisionsOct 31, 2008

353 N.L.R.B. 42 (N.L.R.B. 2008)

353 NLRB No. 42 Lily Transportation Corp. and International Broth- erhood of Teamsters, Local 863. Case 4–CA– 36301 October 31, 2008 DECISION AND ORDER BY CHAIRMAN SCHAUMBER AND MEMBER LIEBMAN This is a refusal-to-bargain case in which the Respon- dent is contesting the Union’s certification as bargaining representative in the underlying representation proceed- ing. Pursuant to a charge filed on August 22, 2008, the General Counsel issued the complaint on August 26, 2008, alleging that the Respondent has violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the Act by refusing the Union’s request to bargain following the Union’s certification in Case 4– RC–21314. (Official notice is taken of the “record” in the representation proceeding as defined in the Board’s Rules and Regulations, Secs. 102.68 and 102.69(g); Frontier Hotel, 265 NLRB 343 (1982).) The Respondent filed an answer, admitting in part and denying in part the allegations in the complaint. On September 16, 2008, the General Counsel filed a Motion for Summary Judgment and Memorandum in Support. On September 18, 2008, the Board issued an order transferring the proceeding to the Board and a No- tice to Show Cause why the motion should not be granted. The Respondent filed a response. Ruling on Motion for Summary Judgment1 The Respondent admits its refusal to bargain, but con- tests the validity of the Union’s certification on the basis of its objections to the election in the representation pro- ceeding. All representation issues raised by the Respondent were or could have been litigated in the prior representa- tion proceeding. The Respondent does not offer to ad- duce at a hearing any newly discovered and previously unavailable evidence, nor does it allege any special cir- cumstances that would require the Board to reexamine the decision made in the representation proceeding. We therefore find that the Respondent has not raised any representation issue that is properly litigable in this un- fair labor practice proceeding. See Pittsburgh Plate 1 Effective midnight December 28, 2007, Members Liebman, Schaumber, Kirsanow, and Walsh delegated to Members Liebman, Schaumber, and Kirsanow, as a three-member group, all of the Board’s powers in anticipation of the expiration of the terms of Members Kir- sanow and Walsh on December 31, 2007. Pursuant to this delegation, Chairman Schaumber and Member Liebman constitute a quorum of the three-member group. As a quorum, they have the authority to issue decisions and orders in unfair labor practice and representation cases. See Sec. 3(b) of the Act. Glass Co. v. NLRB, 313 U.S. 146, 162 (1941). Accord- ingly, we grant the Motion for Summary Judgment. On the entire record, the Board makes the following FINDINGS OF FACT I. JURISDICTION At all material times, the Respondent, a Massachusetts corporation, with a facility in Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, has been engaged, inter alia, in the interstate transporta- tion of freight. During the 12-month period preceding issuance of the complaint, the Respondent, in conducting its business operations described above, received gross revenues in excess of $50,000 for the performance of its interstate transportation services. We find that the Respondent is an employer engaged in commerce within the meaning of Section 2(2), (6), and (7) of the Act, and that the Union is a labor organization within the meaning of Section 2(5) of the Act. II. ALLEGED UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES A. The Certification Following a second representation election held on December 7, 2007, the Union was certified on July 31, 2008, as the exclusive collective-bargaining representa- tive of the employees in the following appropriate unit: All full-time tractor-trailer drivers (“truck drivers”) employed by Respondent at its Gouldsboro, Pennsyl- vania location excluding all part-time tractor-trailer drivers, office and clerical employees, guards and su- pervisors as defined by the Act. The Union continues to be the exclusive collective- bargaining representative of the unit employees under Sec- tion 9(a) of the Act. B. Refusal to Bargain About August 6, 2008, the Union, by letter, requested that the Respondent bargain collectively with it as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the unit. Since about August 6, 2008, the Respondent has failed and refused to recognize and bargain with the Union as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the unit. We find that this failure and refusal constitutes an unlawful failure and refusal to bargain in violation of Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the Act. CONCLUSION OF LAW By failing and refusing since about August 6, 2008, to recognize and bargain with the Union as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the unit employ- ees, the Respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices DECISIONS OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD2 affecting commerce within the meaning of Section 8(a)(5) and (1) and Section 2(6) and (7) of the Act. REMEDY Having found that the Respondent has violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the Act, we shall order it to cease and desist, to bargain on request with the Union, and, if an understanding is reached, to embody the understanding in a signed agreement. To ensure that the employees are accorded the services of their selected bargaining agent for the period provided by law, we shall construe the initial period of the certifi- cation as beginning the date the Respondent begins to bargain in good faith with the Union. Mar-Jac Poultry Co., 136 NLRB 785 (1962); Lamar Hotel, 140 NLRB 226, 229 (1962), enfd. 328 F.2d 600 (5th Cir. 1964), cert. denied 379 U.S. 817 (1964); and Burnett Construction Co., 149 NLRB 1419, 1421 (1964), enfd. 350 F.2d 57 (10th Cir. 1965). ORDER The National Labor Relations Board orders that the Respondent, Lily Transportation Corp., Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, its officers, agents, successors, and as- signs, shall 1. Cease and desist from (a) Failing and refusing to recognize and bargain with International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 863, as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the employees in the bargaining unit. (b) In any like or related manner interfering with, re- straining, or coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed them by Section 7 of the Act. 2. Take the following affirmative action necessary to effectuate the policies of the Act. (a) On request, recognize and bargain with the Union as the exclusive representative of the employees in the following appropriate unit on terms and conditions of employment and, if an understanding is reached, embody the understanding in a signed agreement: All full-time tractor-trailer drivers (“truck drivers”) employed by Respondent at its Gouldsboro, Pennsyl- vania location excluding all part-time tractor-trailer drivers, office and clerical employees, guards and su- pervisors as defined by the Act. (b) Within 14 days after service by the Region, post at its facility in Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, copies of the attached notice marked “Appendix.”2 Copies of the no- 2 If this Order is enforced by a judgment of a United States court of appeals, the words in the notice reading “Posted by Order of the Na- tional Labor Relations Board” shall read “Posted Pursuant to a Judg- tice, on forms provided by the Regional Director for Re- gion 4, after being signed by the Respondent's authorized representative, shall be posted by the Respondent and maintained for 60 consecutive days in conspicuous places including all places where notices to employees are customarily posted. Reasonable steps shall be taken by the Respondent to ensure that the notices are not al- tered, defaced, or covered by any other material. In the event that, during the pendency of these proceedings, the Respondent has gone out of business or closed the facil- ity involved in these proceedings, the Respondent shall duplicate and mail, at its own expense, a copy of the no- tice to all current employees and former employees em- ployed by the Respondent at any time since August 6, 2008. (c) Within 21 days after service by the Region, file with the Regional Director a sworn certification of a re- sponsible official on a form provided by the Region at- testing to the steps that the Respondent has taken to comply. APPENDIX NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES POSTED BY ORDER OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD An Agency of the United States Government The National Labor Relations Board has found that we vio- lated Federal labor law and has ordered us to post and obey this notice. FEDERAL LAW GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO Form, join, or assist a union Choose representatives to bargain with us on your behalf Act together with other employees for your bene- fit and protection Choose not to engage in any of these protected activities. WE WILL NOT fail and refuse to recognize and bargain with International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 863, as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the employees in the bargaining unit. WE WILL NOT in any like or related manner interfere with, restrain, or coerce you in the exercise of the rights guaranteed you by Section 7 of the Act. WE WILL, on request, recognize and bargain with the Union and put in writing and sign any agreement reached ment of the United States Court of Appeals Enforcing an Order of the National Labor Relations Board.” LILY TRANSPORTATION CORP. 3 on terms and conditions of employment for our employ- ees in the following bargaining unit: All full-time tractor-trailer drivers (“truck drivers”) employed by us at our Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania loca- tion excluding all part-time tractor-trailer drivers, office and clerical employees, guards and supervisors as de- fined by the Act. LILY TRANSPORTATION CORP.