United Artists Corp.

National Labor Relations Board - Board Decisions

May 27, 1942

41 N.L.R.B. 385 (N.L.R.B. 1942)

In the Matter of UNITED ARTISTS CORPORATION and AMERICAN
FEDERATION OF LABOR
Case No. R-3747.Decided May 27,1942
Jurisdiction : motion picture distributing industry.
Investigation and Certification of Representatives : existence of question: failure
to prove majority ; election necessary.
Unit Appropriate for Collective Bargaining : all office employees at the Company's
St. Louis film exchange, excluding the branch manager, outside salesmen,
janitor, back room employees ; no dispute as to ; office manager, cashier-
bookkeeper, and the confidential secretary excluded over objection of union;
assistant cashier included over objection of Company.
Mr. Henry J. Kaltenbach, Jr., of St. Louis, Mo., for the Company.
Mr. E. P. Theiss, of St. Louis, Mo., for the Union.
Mr. Louis Cokin, of counsel to the Board.
DECISION
AND
DIRECTION OF ELECTION
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Upon petition duly filed by American Federation of Labor, herein
called the Union, alleging that a question affecting commerce had
arisen concerning the representation of employees of United Artists
Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri, herein called the company, the
National Labor Relations Board provided for an appropriate hearing
upon due notice 1 before Jack G. Evans, Trial Examiner. Said hear-
ing was held at St. Louis, Missouri, on April 17, 1942. The Com-
pany and the Union appeared, participated, and were afforded full
opportunity to be heard, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and
to introduce evidence bearing on the issues. At the close of the
hearing counsel for the Company moved to dismiss the petition. The
Trial Examiner reserved his ruling. The motion is hereby denied.
The Trial Examiner's rulings made at the hearing are free from
prejudicial error and are hereby affirmed.
1 At the same time the Board consolidated this proceeding with seven other cases. On
April 7, 1942, the Board issued an order severing this case from the others.
41 N. L. R. B., No. 81.
385
463892-42-vol. 41-25
386 , DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
On May 11, 1942, the Company filed a brief which the Board has
considered.
Upon the entire record in the case, the Board makes the following :
FINDINGS OF FACT
1. THE BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY
United Artists Corporation is a Delaware corporation with its
principal office at New York City. We are here concerned with the
St. Louis film exchange of the Company where it is engaged in, the
distribution of motion pictures. During its fiscal year ending Decem-
ber. 27, 1941, the St. Louis exchange of the Company handled ap-
proximately 109' prints of feature pictures and 3 prints of short
subjects. All the prints distributed at the St. Louis film exchange
are shipped to it from outside Missouri.' During the same period,
the St. Louis film exchange received approximately $289,000, in fees,
about 45 percent of which was received from exhibitors outside
Missouri.
II. THE ORGANIZATION INVOLVED
American Federation of Labor is a labor organization admitting
to membership employees of the Company.
III. THE QUESTION CONCERNING REPRESENTATION
During December 1941, the Union presented a proposed contract
to the Company. The Company replied stating that it had no knowl-
edge of the Union's claim to a majority. , •
A statement of the Trial Examilier,' read'into evidence during the
hearing, indicates that the Union represents a substantial number of
employees in the unit hereinafter found to be appropriate 2
We find that a question affecting commerce has arisen concerning
the representation of employees of the Company, within the meaning
of Section 9 (c) and Section 2 (6) and (7) of the National Labor
Relations Act.
IV. THE APPROPRIATE UNIT
The Union urges that all office employees at the St. Louis film
exchange of the Company, including the cashier-bookkeeper, assistant
cashier, confidential secretary to the branch manager, and office man-
ager, but excluding the branch- manager, outside salesmen, 'janitor,
2 The Trial Examiner reported that the Union presented four authoiization cards bearing
apparently genuine signatures of persons whose names appear on the Company's pay
roll of March 31 , 1942 . There are eight employees on that pay roll.
UlfrTED ART 'IST'S CORPORATION 387
and back room employees,' constitute an appropriate unit. The only
controversy with respect to the unit concerns the cashier-bookkeeper,
assistant cashier, office manager, and confidential secretary to the
branch manager. The Union urges that such employees be included
in the unit and the Company that they be excluded.
The office manager is' in complete charge of the office and has;
the authority to hire and discharge office employees. We shall exclude
the office manager from the unit.
The cashier-bookkeeper makes up the pay roll for the, St.. Louis
exchange and prepares and signs checks. She also supervises • the
work of at least one assistant. The Company stated that it considers
its pay-roll records to be confidential. Under all the circumstances,
we shall exclude the cashier-bookkeeper from the unit.
The, assistant cashier merely assists the cashier-bookkeeper. , She
has' no supervisory duties. We shall include the assistant cashier in
the unit.
The branch manager has a confidential secretary who the Company
contends should be excluded from the unit because of the confidential
nature of her duties. This employee, among other duties, takes dic-
tation and, files correspondence dealing with personnel matters. 'We
shall exclude the confidential secretary from the unit.
We find that all office employees at the St. Louis film exchange
of the Company, including the assistant cashier, but excluding the
office manager, branch manager, outside salesmen, janitor, back room
employees, cashier-bookkeeper, and the confidential secretary, con-
stitute a unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining,
within the meaning of Section 9 (b) of the Act:
V. THE DETERMINATION OF REPRESENTATIVES
We shall direct that the question concerning representation which
has arisen be resolved by an election by secret ballot among the em-
ployees in the appropriate unit who were employed during the pay-
roll period, immediately preceding the date of the Direction of
Election herein, subject to the limitations and additions set forth in
the Direction. I
DIRECTION OF ELECTION
By virtue of and pursuant to the power vested in the National'
Labor Relations Board by Section 9 (c) of the National Labor Rela-
tions Act, and pursuant to Article III, Section 8, of National Labor
1 The back room employees are presently covered by a contract between the Company
and another labor organization affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
388 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
Relations Board Rules and Regulations 'Series 2, as amended, it is
hereby
DIRECTED that, as part of the investigation to ascertain representa-
tives for the purposes of 'collective bargaining with United Artists
Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri, an election by secret ballot shall be
conducted as early as possible, but not later than thirty (30) days
from the date of this Direction, under the direction and supervision
of the Regional Director for the Fourteenth Region, acting in this
matter as agent-for the National Labor Relations Board and subject
to Article III, Section 9, of said. Rules.and Regulations, among the
employees in the unit found appropriate in Section IV, above, who
were employed during the pay-roll period immediately preceding
the date of this Direction, including any such employees who did
not, work during said pay-roll period because they were ill or on
vacation or in the active military service or training of the United
States, or temporarily laid off, but excluding any who have since
quit or been discharged for cause, to determine whether or not they
desire to be represented by American Federation of Labor for the
purposes of collective bargaining.
I