Illinois Electric Porcelain Co.

National Labor Relations Board - Board Decisions

Apr 19, 1941

31 N.L.R.B. 101 (N.L.R.B. 1941)

In the- Matter of ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY and ILLI-
NOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN WORKERS OF MACOMB, FEDERAL LABOR
UNION No. 21787, AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOR
Cases Nos. C-1312 and R-1333.-Decided April 19, 1941
Jurisdiction : electric porcelain products manufacturing industry.
Unfair Labor Practices -
In General: employer responsible for acts of its foreman in questioning an
employee concerning the union, notwithstanding foreman's explanation that
no one had instructed him to engage in such activities, had not told anyone
about it, and had spoken to the employee as a friend.
Interference, Rest? anit, and Coercion: anti-union statements ; questioning em-
ployees, as to membership in the union; urging and warning employees not
to join or remain members of the union; attacking the union: disparaging
union's claims and questioning its purposes through the speech of its presi-
dent; discreditin; the leadership of the union; attempts of its supervisory
officials to secure the withdrawal of employees from the union : surveillance
of union meeting
Notices posted by employer to the effect that all grievances of employees
must be submitted to grievance committee of employer-dominated labor
organization which had been granted exclusive recognition by the em-
ployer, contravened the express terms of Section 9 (a) and also consti-
tuted support to the labor organization in violation of Section 8 (2) as
well as interference with and restraint upon the rights of employees in
violation of Section 8 (1)
Placing limitation upon representatives of the employees with whom the
employer will confer by requiring that such representatives must them-
selves be employees constitutes interference with the rights of employees
guaranteed in the Act.
Company-Dominated Liniori.: formation of, following appearance of outside or-
ganization and attempt of outside organization to bargain-approval of, sig-
nified in president's speech ; aiding and permitting active solicitation during
working hours and continuing such activity even atter inside union was
granted recognition and posting of notices prohibiting such activities-support
to : granting preference in work to members of-interference : anti-union state-
ments ; interrogation concerning union membership ; inducing employees to
forego outside union ; threatened shut-down should outside union be successful
in organizing plant-discrimination- discharging nearly all officers of outside
union and many of its members-indicia : hasty recognition of, notwithstanding
claim of outside union that it represented a majority and its request for an
election to be held- under the Board's supervision , consummation of agreement
without any negotiations preceding its execution
Diseriminatioi: lay-offs motivated by employees' union affiliation and in one
case because of close relationship to active and known members of union
31 N. L. R. B., No 20
101
102 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
likewise laid off, rather than alleged lack of work ; discharge of one employee
previously discriminatorily laid 'off because of his union affiliation rather than
the alleged infraction of a rule ; discharge because of employee's union affili-
ation and not because lie had deliberately wasted usable material , as alleged
by the employer ; alleged lay-off or discharge of six employees, dismissed.
Testifying Under the Act: lay-off because employee gave testimony under the
Act.
Remedial Orders : disestablishment of company-dominated union; abrogation
of contract ; reinstatement of employees discharged ; employees laid off who
were reinstated awarded back pay from date of discrimination to date of
reinstatement ; employee was discriminatorily laid off, reinstated, and subse-'
quently discriminatorily discharged, awarded back pay from date of lay-
off to date of reinstatement and from date of discharge to date of offer of
reinstatement, employee who was discriminatorily discharged awarded back
pay from date of discharge to date of offer of reinstatement.
Investigation and Certification of Representatives : existence of question: re-
fusal to accord union recognition ; election necessary, to be held at such time
as the Board shall in the future direct.
Existence of question concerning representation not precluded by reason
of the fact that the employer has declined to meet with the petitioning
union on the ground that the employer had entered into a contract with
another union found to be employer-dominated.
Unit Appropriate for Collective Bargaining : all employees, excluding officers,
office employees, clerical employees, superintendents, foremen, assistant fore-
men, watchmen, and salesmen ; no controversy as to.
Mr. Jack G. Evans, for the Board; '
Gumbart & Grigsby, by Mr. E. D. Grigsby of Macomb, Ill., and
Miller, Elliott cPe Westervelt, by Mr. Donald G. Beste of Peoria, III.-;
for the respondent.
Mr. Fred Olds, of East St. Louis, Ill., and Mr. Daniel D. Carmell, of
Chicago, Ill., for the Union.
Mr. Roswell O'Harra, of Macomb, Ill., for the Association.
Mr. Louis Cokin and Mr. David H. Karasick, of- counsel to the
Board.
DECISION
AND
ORDER
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
On Nprvepnber 12, 1938, Illinois Electric Porcelain Workers of
Macomb, Federal' Labor Union No. 21787, herein called the Union,
filed with the Regional Director for the Thirteenth Region (Chicago,
Tllinois) charges, and on December 6, 1938, January 27, 1939, and,
February 19, 1939, amended charges,' alleging that Illinois Electric
Porcelain Company, Macomb, Illinois, herein called the respondent,
I Further amended charges were filed after the commencement of the hearing as noted'
below.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 103
had engaged in and was engaging in unfair labor practices affecting
commerce within-the meaning of Section 8 (1), (2), and (3) and
Section 2 (6) and (7) of the National Labor Relations Act, 49 Stat.
449, herein called the Act.2
On November 12, 1938, the Union filed a petition alleging that a
question affecting commerce had arisen concerning the representa-
tion of employees of the respondent and requesting an investigation
and certification of representatives pursuant to Section 9 (c) of the
Act.
On February 1, 1939, the National Labor -Relations Board, herein
called%the Board, acting pursuant to Section 9 (c) of the Act and Ar-
ticle III, Section 3 and Section 10 (c) (2), and Article II, Section 37
(b), of National Labor Relations Board Rules and Regulations-Series
1, as amended, ordered an investigation and authorized the Regional
Director to conduct it and to provide for an appropriate hearing upon
due notice, and further ordered, for the purpose of hearing 'and all
other purposes, that the complaint case and the representation case be
consolidated and that one record of the hearing be made.
. Thereafter, upon the charges and amended charges filed, the Board,
by the Regional Director for the Thirteenth Region, issued its com-
plaint dated February 19, 1939, alleging that the respondent had en-
gaged in and was engaging in unfair labor practices affecting com-
merce, within the meaning of Section 8 (1), (2), and (3) and Section
2 (6) and (7) of the Act. Copies of the complaint and petition, ac-
companied by notices of hearing thereon, were duly served, upon the
respondent, the Union, and Electric Porcelain Workers Association of
Macomb, Illinois, herein called the Association.
With respect to the unfair labor practices, the complaint alleged in
substance that : (1) the respondent fostered, dominated, and interfered
with the formation and administration of the Association, and contrib-
uted financial and other support thereto; (2) the respondent discrimi-
natorily laid off or discharged 11 named employees 3 on various dates
between October 17, 1938, and January 4, 1939, and failed or refused
to reinstate 2 of the employees4 so laid off or discharged; and (3)
from on or about March 24, 1937, down to and including the date of
the issuance of the complaint, the respondent urged or warned its
employees to refrain from joining or retaining membership in the
Union, endeavored to discredit the Union and its leaders, spied upon
meetings of its employees, and by the foregoing and other acts inter-
2 The original charge and the second amended charge each contained allegations that the
respondent had also committed unfair labor practices within the meaning of Section 8 (5)
of the Act. However , the third amended charge and the complaint , which was based
thereon, omitted allegations of a violation of Section 8 (5).
3 Dalton Purdy, Wayne Morris, John Gates, Nell Olson, Herschel Jones, Kerman Kepler,
Mary Harding, Nida Purdy , Benny Bartlett , Sarah Aemmer , and Max Olson.
* Herschel Jones and John Gates.
104 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS'-BOARD
fered with, restrained, and coerced its employees in the exercise of the
rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
On February 24, 1939, the respondent filed an answer to -the com-
plaint which denied the allegations of unfair labor practices and con-
tained affirmative allegations with respect to the unfair labor practices
charged in the complaint.5 -
Pursuant, to notice, a hearing was held from March 9 to 29, 1939, at
Macomb, Illinois, before Madison Hill, the Trial Examiner duly desig-
nated by the Board. The Board, the respondent, the Union, and the
Association were represented, by counsel or by their representatives;
-all_ participated in the hearings Full opportunity to be heard, to
examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to introduce evidence bear-
ing on the issues-was afforded all parties.
On March 15 and on March 22, 1939, during the course of the. hear-
ing, the Union filed with the Regional Director a fourth amended
charge and a fifth amended charge, alleging, respectively, the dis-
charge of Fred Teel oli March 8, 1939, because he had joined and
assisted the Union, and the discharge of'Gaillard Pendell on March 20,
1939, for the same reason and for the additional reason that he had
given testimony under the Act. On March 22, 1939, the Board, by its
attorney in the case, issued an amended complaint against the respond-
ent alleging that it had engaged in unfair labor practices within the
meaning of Section 8 (1), (2), (3), and (4) and Section 2 (6) and (7)
of the Act. The amended complaint, in addition to the allegations
contained in the original complaint, incorporated the averments con-
tained in the fourth and fifth amended charges with respect to the dis-
charge of Fred Teel and of Gaillard Pendell. The respondent, by its
counsel, waived statutory notice, and on March 31, 1939, filed its
answer to the amended complaint which denied the. allegations of
unfair labor practices and incorporated by reference the affirmative
allegations set forth in its original answer.
Prior to, at the beginning, and at the close of the hearing, counsel
for the respondent moved to dismiss the complaint and the amended
complaint on various grounds.7 The motions were denied. Counsel
See footnote 8, infra.
s A representative of the Association was present during the hearing but did not take any
part therein or move to intervene . The Association appeared by counsel in the representa-
tion case and introduced evidence relative to its formation and recognition
T Prior to the bearing , the respondent filed a R ritten motion to dismiss, assigning as
grounds therefor , the following , (1) that the third amended charge , upon which the com-
plaint was based , was insufficient and incapable of supporting the complaint ; (2) that it did
not contain a clear and concise statement of all the facts constituting the alleged unfair
labor practices and failed to state the names of the individuals involved and the time and
place of events alleged to have occurred ; ( 3) that it failed to name the officers and agents
of the respondent who were alleged to have committed certain acts ; ( 4) that a fatal vari-
ance existed between the third amended charge and the complaint because the third
amended charged averred that the employees named therein had been discharged while 'the
complaint alleged that these employees had been laid off or discharged ; ( 5) that the third
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 105
for the Board moved to strike the affirmative pleadings in the respond-
ent's answer and amended answer, and at the close of the hearing also
moved to amend the pleadings to conform to the proof. Both motions
were granted.'
After the hearing, the respondent filed a brief with the Trial
Examiner. On June 14, 1939, the Trial Examiner issued his Inter-
amended charge failed clearly and concisely to state the facts constituting the alleged domi-
nation and interference , and support of the Association by the respondent ; ( 6) that the
third amended charge failed to name the individuals involved or the facts constituting an
alleged agreement whereby the respondent granted a prefernce to members of the Associa-
tion with respect to hours and working conditions ; ( 7) that the third amended charge
failed to state the names of the individuals involved , the time and place of occurrence, and
the facts constituting allegations that the respondent had spied upon meetings of employees
and had questioned and warned employees concerning their membership and activities in
the Union , ( 8) that the third amended charge was not properly subscribed and sworn to ;
(9) that by reasons of the foregoing objections , the third amended charge and the complaint
were fatally insufficient and defective ; ( 10) that the third amended charge and the com-
plaint were so vague , indefinite , insufficient , and unlawful that it was impossible for the
respondent adequately to investigate the charges and prepare its defense ; ( 11) that the
representation proceeding and the complaint proceeding ought not to be consolidated, that
the Board had no jurisdiction or authority either to conduct an investigation in the repre-
sentation proceeding or to certify the representatives designated by the employees as their
bargaining agent; and (12 ) that the petition for investigation and certification of repre-
sentatives was apparently executed in blank and before the date thereof , that it was not
properly subscribed and sworn to, and that it was otherwise insufficient , indefinite , irregular,
and unlawful.
In addition to its written motion, counsel for respondent at the commencement of the
hearing and before any witnesses had been called or evidence adduced, orally - moved to dis-
miss the complaint and, among other things , made the following statement in support
thereof :
. . . the Respondent has reason to believe and does believe that the individuals consti-
tuting the National Labor Relations Board are prejudiced against all employers and
against this Employer , and in favor of all labor unions and in favor of the labor union
filing the charge here ; that the feelings and prejudices of said members of the National
Labor Relations Board are such that a fair and impartial hearing cannot be had by
the Respondent in this proceeding.
We further show that Respondent has been informed and verily believes that per-
jured testimony is' to be offered against it and that it will offer substantial and direct
evidence as to the untruth of such perjured and untrue evidence , but that it has reason
to believe and does believe that the National Labor Relations Board will credit and
believe and base its findings on testimony adverse to this Respondent , and not other-
wise , and will discredit and disbelieve all evidence in favor of this Respondent where
a conflict exists, and that if findings are made by the Board on such perjured and
untrue evidence Respondent has no relief before any court under the provisions of the
law... -
We have carefully considered the foregoing matters alleged by the respondent and find
that they are without substance. We expressly affirm the rulings of the Trial Examiner
denying the respondent ' s motion to dismiss.
8 The Trial Examiner granted the motion of counsel for the Board to strike all but one of
the affirmative defenses set forth in the respondent ' s answer and later granted a similar
motion with respect to the amended answer. An allegation that the respondent "has many
other and varied defenses not specifically herein set forth the nature of which will be shown
at the trial of the cause herein " was permitted to remain on the theory that the respondent
thereby indicated its intention not to be limited by the specific defenses recited in its
answer , although the Trial Examiner stated that he did not believe the respondent -would be
so limited in any event . The allegations striken were as follows : ( 1) that in addition to the
persons named in the complaint the respondent laid off many other employees on or about
the same dates , that it did not know whether the employees laid off were members of the
Union but believed that many of them were not union members and some of them were or
became members of the Association ; ( 2) that the respondent did not know and had no
means of knowing who were members of the Union ; ( 3) that the investigation of the Board
with respect to the matters alleged in the charges was conducted in a manner which was
106 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
mediate Report, copies of which were duly served- upon all parties.
The Trial Examiner found that the respondent had engaged in and
was engaging in unfair labor practices affecting commerce within
the meaning of Section 8 (1), (2), (3), and (4) and Section 2 (6)
and (7) of the Act. He recommended that the respondent cease
and desist from such practices and that it withdraw recognition
from and completely disestablish the Association as a bargaining
representative of any of its employees, offer reinstatement with back
pay to Fred Teel and John Gates, make whole Dalton Purdy, Wayne
Morris, Kerman Kepler, and Nida Purdy for any losses of pay they
may have-suffered by reason of the respondent's discrimination
against them,9 and take certain other remedial action. He further
recommended that the complaint, as amended, be dismissed in so far
as it alleged that the respondent had discriminated against Nell
Olson, Mary Harding, Sarah Aemmer, Max Olson, Benny Bartlett,
and Herschel Jones.
On June 26, and July 12, 1939, the respondent and the Union,
respectively, filed exceptions to the Intermediate Report. - On June
26, 1939, the respondent requested oral argument before the Board.
Subsequently all parties waived their right to appear before the
Board for the purpose of oral argument. On July 24 and 25, the
respondent and the Union, respectively, filed briefs in support of
their exceptions.
During the course of the hearing, the Trial Examiner made nu-
merous rulings on motions and on objections to the admission of
evidence. The Board has reviewed all the rulings of the Trial Ex-
aminer and finds that no prejudicial errors were committed. The
rulings are hereby affirmed. In its exceptions, and in its brief filed in
support thereof, the respondent contends, -among other things, that
it was prejudiced by conduct of the Trial Examiner at the hearing,
unfair to the respondent and partial to the Union ; ( 4) that the respondent had offered and
was ready and willing to settle the charges in a manner it believed to be fair and proper ;
and (5 ) that, by virtue of the rules of the American Federation of Labor, the Union had no
jurisdiction to organize in plants of the type operated by the respondent.
The Trial Examiner granted the motion to strike the first'and second allegations on the
ground that, while relevant to the issues , both allegations were already included in the
answer and further statement of them was therefore superfluous . The motion to strike the
third, fourth , and fifth allegations was granted on the ground that they were not relevant
to the issues involved . The respondent was not prejudiced by the ruling of the Trial Exam-
iner in granting the'motion to strike .- Not only was the respondent assured sufficient lati-
tude in the presentation of its case by retention of the broad averment that it had "many
other and varied defenses ," but it introduced evidence bearing upon the first and second
allegations listed in its affirmative defense and specifically argued its position with respect
to these allegations both in its brief filed with the Trial Examiner and its brief filed with
the Board. 11
8 The Trial Examiner also found that the discharge of Gaillard Pendell on March 20,
1939, constituted a violation of Section 8 (3) and 8 (4). Pendell was offered reinstatement
-on March 23 , 1939, and returned to work on the following day.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 107
that the respondent was deprived of its right to give testimony, and,
in general, was denied due process of law and its right to a fair
and impartial hearing. We have examined and reviewed the record
in the light of the respondent's contention and have specifically
directed our attention to those instances at the hearing cited by the
respondent in support of its position. Our examination discloses
that on occasion during the hearing the Trial Examiner was un-
dignified in his manner, of response to counsel. Such conduct is
unbecoming, a hearing officer and would merit serious reprimand,
were the officer still in the Board's employ. After careful analysis
and consideration of the record, we are, however, convinced that
such conduct on the part of the Trial Examiner did not prejudice
the respondent nor deprive it of a_ fair hearing with opportunity to
present relevant evidence and properly to save its exceptions to all
adverse rulings.10
The Board has considered the respondent's and the Union's excep-
tions to the Intermediate"Report, and their briefs in support thereof,
and, in so far as the exceptions are inconsistent with the findings,
conclusions, and order set forth below, finds them to be without merit. -
Upon the entire record in the case, the Board makes the following:
FINDINGS OF FACT
1. THE BUSINESS OF THE RESPONDENT
The respondent, an Illinois corporation, owns and operates a plant
at Macomb, Illinois, where it is engaged in 'the business of designing,
manufacturing, selling, and distributing electric porcelain products.
The principal raw materials used by the respondent are clay, spar,
flint, and fuel. In 1938 the respondent expended approximately
$51,000 for the purchase of raw materials, 30 per cent of which was
shipped to it from points outside the State of Illinois. During the
same year, the respondent sold products valued at approximately
$362,000, of which amount approximately 70 per cent was derived
from sales requiring shipments to points outside the State of Illinois.
The respondent employs approximately 165 employees:
10 Moreover , we have also considered the fact that the Trial Examiner was harassed by
the respondent 's counsel whose conduct was clearly contumacious . Illustrative of the con-
duct to which we refer in this respect was the statement made by counsel for the respond-
ent at the commencement of the hearing , as set forth above (see footnote 7; supra ), which
In itself was contemptuous and would have justified the Trial Examiner in issuing an order
barring such counsel from further participation in the hearing. Article II , Section 31, of
National Labor Relations Board Rules and Regulations-Series I, as amended ; see Matter
of Weirton Steel Company and Steel Workers Organizing Committee, 8 N. L. R. B. 581.
The Trial Examiner , however, neither issued such an order nor reprimanded counsel for the
impropriety of his remarks. _
108 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
H. THE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED
Electric Porcelain Workers of Macomb, Federal, Labor Union No.
21787, is a labor organization affiliated with the American Federation
of Labor, admitting to membership employees of the respondent.
Electric Porcelain Workers' Association of Macomb, Illinois, is an
unaffiliated labor organization, admitting to membership employees
of the respondent.
III. THE UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES
A. Interference, restraint, and coercion
Prior to the year 1938 there had been no labor organization in the
respondent's plant. As hereafter noted, the Union began its organi-
zational drive early in October 1938 and later in the same month the
Association was formed During the prior year, the National Broth-
erhood of Operative Potters, herein called the Brotherhood, had at-
tempted unsuccessfully to organize the respondent's employees. The
Brotherhood held a meeting in the latter part of March 1937, and
invited a number of the employees to attend. Ivan Hughbanks, an
employee, testified that Frank Rigg, superintendent of the respondent,
requested him to attend the meeting and notified him that he would
be accompanied by Ernest Johnson, a foreman in the plant; and that
when Hughbanks told Rigg on the following morning that the meet-
'ing "didn't amount to nothing," Rigg I eplied, "Well, I think it
amounted to a whole lot." Hughbanks further testified that on
December 9, and again on December 10, 1938, Frank Rigg asked him
to sign an affidavit stating that Rigg did not send Hughbanks to the
meeting of the Brotherhood. Christ Aemmer, an employee who
worked in Foreman Johnson's department, testified that one of the
employees in the department had given his invitation to attend the
meeting of the Brotherhood to Johnson, and that during the after-
noon Johnson told Aemmer, "I got an invitation to go up to the
union meeting tonight, and I am going to get an earful." Aemmer
further stated, that on the day following the meeting Johnson said,
"You sure are a good one. That friend Quinn of yours was at the
union meeting. They ought to ride that son-of-a-bitch out of town
on a rail." Quinn was an organizer for the American Federation of
Labor. Kerman Kepler, an employee, testified that on the day fol-
lowing the meeting Foreman Johnson asked Kepler why lie had not
attended, and that Johnson stated, "I was there and got plenty on
the sons-of-bitches."
Frank Rigg denied that he asked Hughbanks to attend the meeting
of the Union ; he did not, however, deny that on the following morn-
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 109
ing he had made the statement attributed to him by Hughbanks, nor
did he deny the incident with respect to the affidavit. Foreman
Johnson admitted that he went to the meeting with Ivan Hughbanks,
but declared that he spoke to no one before going, and stated that he
did not recall telling Christ Aemmer that he was going to, "get an
earful." Johnson did not deny Aemmer's testimony with respect to-
Quinn,,nor did he deny that he had made the statement as testified
by Kepler.
In view of the inconclusive character of the denials of Rigg and
Johnson, the corroborative nature of the testimony of Hughbanks,
Aemmer, and Kepler, which is in substantial agreement, and the fact
that the record is replete with instances of similar statements and
conduct of Rigg and Johnson, some of which are noted hereafter,
we accept as true the testimony of Hughbanks, Aemmer, and Kepler
as above related.
Sarah Aemmer," an employee who first began to work for the re-
spondent in 1918, testified" that at about the time of the meeting
of the Brotherhood in March 1937, Superintendent Rigg came to her
and said he understood that an employee named Heaton had made a
remark about the A. F. of L. coming in the plant, and that Rigg
declared :
If you hear anyone talking about the union or agitating, you
come to me and let me know, and we will let them go right away.
We don't want anything like that in our plant.
Rigg denied having made this statement. We do not accept Rigg's
denial as credible. We find, as did the Trial Examiner who saw and
heard the witnesses, that Frank Rigg made the statement attributed
to him by Sarah Aemmer.
In August 1938, Kerman Kepler was reading a newspaper pub-'
lished by the Brotherhood when Johnson came over and stated, "If
old man Kettron gets hold of this, it will be too bad for you." John-
son did not expressly deny this testimony, but declared that he did
not recall having made such a statement. In view of other conduct
attributed to Johnson and undenied by him, we credit Kepler's testi-
mony, as did the Trial Examiner.
In December 1937 Dalton Purdy, an employee who at the time
was an assistant foreman but later, resigned that position and was
elected president-when the Union was organized, engaged in a discus-
sion with other employees concerning the poor condition of the re-
spondent's business, and suggested that a union label on the
respondent's products might be helpful. Albert Pendell, Purdy's
"Variously designated in the pleadings , exhibits , and Intermediate Report as Sara Kepler
Ammers, Sara Keppler Aemmers , Sara Ammers, and Sara Aemer.
110 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
foreman at the time, heard of this conversation which he reported to
Superintendent Rigg. Upon Rigg's instructions, Pendell told Purdy
that he should refrain from mentioning union stamps if he wanted
to work in the plant. Rigg testified that he'had instructed Pendell
to tell Purdy that "he should not be talking like that" inasmuch as
-Purdy was an assistant foreman. However, it is clear that neither
Rigg in giving these instructions nor Pendell in executing them,
assigned as a reason therefor the supervisory position of Purdy.
In October 1938, shortly after some of the employees joined the
Union, they were questioned about their union activities by various
members of the respondent's supervisory staff. On October 15, 1938,
_Rigg confronted Dalton Purdy, president of the Union, and said, "I
hear you boys are trying to organize." Purdy replied that he knew
nothing about it. Rigg stated, "I hear you,and Morris are the in-
stigators of this thing." Purdy declared that he had heard some talk
about trying to organize, but that he did not think it could be done at
the plant. Rigg said, "It wouldn't do you any good. You would
just be out a lot of dues. The Old Man has spent out $25,000.00 now
to try and keep things going." Rigg admitted that he had heard
rumors that the A. F. of L. was organizing in the plant and that
he asked Purdy about it because he had heard that Purdy was
one of the instigators of the Union. We find that this conversation
occurred as Purdy testified.
Harold Taylor joined the Union and was elected corresponding
secretary on October 10, 1938. Benny Bartlett also joined the Union
and was elected vice president on the same day. Taylor testified
that on October 15, while he was standing in the plant during work-
ing hours with Benny Bartlett, Superintendent Rigg approached
the two men and said, "I hear that you are up to your neck and ears
in this union business." Taylor's testimony was corroborated by
Bartlett and was not denied by Rigg.
.Taylor further testified that on November 3 Rigg came to him
and asked, "What is this I hear you telling about the A. F. of L.
being recognized?"; that Taylor replied he_ had not said anything,
but that he had heard it; and that Rigg "told-me to keep my mouth
shut or something would happen." Rigg testified that Taylor was
spreading word in the plant that Henry Kettron, vice president of
the respondent, had recognized the A. F. of L., and that'Rigg merely
told Taylor that if he was going to say anything around the plant
he ought to tell the truth. Rigg's version of this statement is not
convincing, particularly when viewed against the background of his
manifest hostility toward the Union as indicated in the record and
in part as related above. We accept as true the statement made
by Rigg as attributed to him by Taylor.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 111
Early in October 1938,' according to the undisputed testimony of
Carl Wickline, a kiln burner in the plant, Superintendent Rigg asked
him if the Union had asked to-sign him up. When Wickline replied
that ita had not, Rigg said, "Well it seemed to me like they had been
to everybody else."
Nor were Rigg and Johnson the only members of the respondent's
supervisory staff who evinced an interest in the formation of the
Union and the persons responsible for it. Three or four days after
Charles Croxton, an employee in the tube and casting department,
joined the Union on October 10, 1938, he was questioned by his
foreman, Francis Hollenback. Hollenback asked Croxton if he
knew anything about the Union, what had started it, and if he knew
any of the reasons; he also told Croxton that no one would be fired
because of it. Hollenback admitted this conversation, but explained
that no one had instructed him to question Croxton, that he told no
one about it, and that he had spoken to Croxton merely as a friend.
Accepting Hollenback's explanation as true, neither his friendliness
with Croxton nor his absence of specific authority to interrogate
an employee about union activities provides sufficient ground for
relieving the respondent of responsibility for his acts. Seemingly
innocuous in itself, Foreman Hollenback's interrogation of Croxton
becomes significant when considered in relation to the efforts of
Rigg and Johnson to discover the union affiliations of the employees
and the degree of their success in organizing.
On November 14, 1938, 5 days after the respondent granted ex-
clusive recognition to the Association which we hereafter find to
have been dominated by the respondent'12 Charles W. Kettron, Sr.,
president of the respondent, spoke to the employees in the plant.
The address was delivered at the request of Tom Ebey, president of
the ,Association. Kettron, Sr., held in his hand one of the circulars
which had been distributed by the Union to the employees. His
remarks were directed to the statements contained in this circular.
Among other things, he said the following :
Of course, you all know why we are here today, just to talk
over.our own problems, that is all there is to it. We have had
here in the city, for the last few months, a representative of
the American Federation of Labor, who is trying to organize the
people of this plant. I don't want to question your right for
a moment to join that union, if you want to, that is your privi-
lege. It is your privilege to join a union or not join one. You
don't have to do either one.
When this Company started business, one of the fundamental
rules laid down by the Board of Directors and stockholders
12 See Section Ill B, infra.
i
112
I
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
was that labor should have a square deal'. I will defy any man
to say you have not had it. I don't care who he is. We have
gone along here for 28 years together. There has not been a
time in that 28 years that you people have not had the privilege
of appointing a committee to come in the office and talk things
over. If you have not done so, it is your own fault. You have
that privilege today, organized or not organized.
First, I want to give my' attention pretty fully to this literature
they have left with you. The one thing I want to talk -about
is your rights as my employees. No one questions the rights
in here. You have always had them. I brought these rights
to them [sic] when I started to organize my company.
First, "have you not a right to a job?" I don't know. It is
pretty hard to get them these days. I don't know where to
set up a law to say a man had a right to a job. I want to say
this: any man who has a job in this Company has a right to
that job just as long as he treats his job right. Do you under-
stand me? I think I have got something there. You have a
right to your job just as long as you treat the job right.
"Have you not a right to know what profits your company is
making?" I don't know whether you have a legal right or not,
but I will say to' these people here you have a right to know what
this company is making any time you want to send a committee
to the office to find out. And "Who is getting them?". I don't
think you have a right to know who is getting them. I have
not the right to tell you because that is the private business of
the stockholders of this company. The dividends they receive
is their own business. The stockholders in this crowd can tell
you any time they want to what they receive. If you want to
send a committee to the office, I will tell you what dividends
were declared, but can't tell you who, they went to. I think I
would get fired if I did, and, believe me, they have got a right
to fire me, just as much as you.
"You have seen wages reduced until you cannot live on -them."
That was and is, a lie. Wages have not been reduced as a
general thing. There may be some instances where they, have
been reduced some, but they have not been reduced in this
company. Just a little more on that. 40 cents an hour is the
union scale in the Porcelain Industry and you are getting it.
Could they do more for you? Possibly they could. . I don't
know. I know one thing, they could come in here and raise
hell. `
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 113
"Collective Bargaining." Has there ever been a time that the
employees of this Company did not have collective bargaining?
Some of the later employees, maybe you who have gone to work
more recently, don't know, but any of them working here 12 or
15 years, they know you have always had the privilege. You are
welcome to send a committee to the office at any time to talk mat-
ters over.
"Cooperation between company and employees." I wish we
had more of it. I hope that your Association that has been organ-
ized and recognized will see that we do have more cooperation
among the employees. I will state a fact. The other day there
come a lot of bushings through the plant on this floor, as beau-
tiful ware as I ever saw in my life, but, on account of the work
done in one department of this factory, those bushings were
ruined. That could have been prevented. I used to work in a
pottery. I took pride in my work and the man that made those
bushings took pride in his work. If I had made my stoneware -
right and it had been spoiled on account of work in another de,
partment, I would have beat the superintendent to it in dealing
with the people who spoiled it. This is cooperation. When you
do your work right, see that somebody else don't-spoil it before
it gets to the warehouse. Help the superintendent. He is busy,
has all he can do.
My time is up, but if you want to listen, I will talk some more.
Now, the question of the union stamp. I understand these fel-
lows have come in and said that we should have the union
stamp on our products, that no doubt we might get more busi-
ness. First, I want to say to you that the places that are strongly
unionized in the United States are the larger cities, such as Chi-
cago, New York, St. Louis, Rock Island. Our standard porcelain
does not go to the larger cities. It is used in smaller towns like
Macomb and even on the farms. So far this year we have sold
2,500,000 knobs for electric fence to go on farms. That is enough
to put up 15,000 miles of fence. Do you think the farmer wants
to see a union label on the fence? Farmers hate and despise the
union label. We have sold some four million bull dog knobs to'
be used in small houses in the small towns and in the country.
Do you think a union label would help us? I know it would
hurt us.
We can come on down to ordinary line insulators.' They are
sold to Utilities for running lines through the country. I do
know they- are not interested in any proposition of that kind:
They are having a struggle for their life. They are not buying
114 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS- BOARD
much of anything, but what little they buy, the question of union
has never been raised that I know of.
There is another product we make, bushings. You know what
transformer bushings are. They are sold in the large cities,
but so far we have never had a question raised as to union label,
or any other kind. These are manufactured and sold to Utilities,
but the bushing business is not a large part of our business. Take
it as a whole, I think we would lose business by having a Union
Label. '
Now,_ in our meeting of a week ago when we met with the
representatives of our employees, there were 2 men from the
Federation Union, there were 2 from the Porcelain Workers
Association, Mr. O'Harra appeared as the attorney for the Porce-
lain Workers, Mr. Olds appeared as attorney for the American
Federation of Labor and there were 3 directors and my son
Henry (Vice-President) and Mr. Roark and Frank Rigg. We
talked the literature over there and one of the things I told
Olds, speaking of this bunch of literature, I said "There is
not one thing you promise our people that they have not had
ever since this company was organized." Nobody denied it and
you people know you have had it. What do you expect to ac-
complish if you went into the union? I don't think you would
be accomplishing anything except to raise hell. I can talk to
you now. A month ago I could not. If I had, I would have
been taken before the labor board.
If any of you want to ask any questions, I- will try to answer
them. I wish you would. Anything? My life's work is in
this plant men and I am here to defend it. I am here to fight
for it if necessary. I hope somebody has a question they want
to -ask. I have done the talking and now it is your turn. I
don't see anything else to talk about.
It requires but a casual examination of President Kettron's speech
to ohserve that it was composed of a series of attacks upon the claims
and purposes of the Union. The temper of this speech was charac-
terized by the statement that the Union could offer the employees no
advantages which they did not already enjoy and that nothing could
be accomplished by'joining the Union "except to raise hell." State-
ments contained in the Union's circular were separately discussed
and attacked; the statement that wages had been reduced was charac-
terized- as a "lie"; the suggestion that a union label on the respondent's
products might help business was countered with that statement that
farmers, to whom the respondent sold its products "hate and despise
the union label," and that such a, label "would hurt us." The right
of the employees to engage in collective bargaining was acknowledged
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 115
Lut interpreted as a right merely to present grievances or demands
through employee committees. It is to be noted that this speech
was delivered but 5 days after the Despondent had granted recognition
to the Association. And although the Union was attacked through-
out the speech, nowhere is there to be found the slightest expression
or implication of hostility to the Association. We find that the
speech of Kettron, Sr., delivered to the employees on November 14,
1938, which attacked the Union, disparaged its claims, and questioned
its purposes, was reasonably calculated to have, and did have, the
effect of discouraging union membership.13
Christ Aemmer testified that in the middle of November 1938 Fore-
man Johnson approached him in the plant and stated : "Let me sign
you up with the company. Get a release from the A. F.' of L:"
Johnson's version of the incident is that he stated to Aemmer, "Why,
don't you get a release from the A. F. of L.?" On cross-examination
by counsel for the Board, Johnson first explained that he was "just
kidding," but finally admitted that his reason for requesting Aemmer
to secure a release from the Union was:
Because I am loyal to the Company, that is why. From the
things I have heard and read in the past, I don't think it would
benefit our shop one bit. I think too much of Mr. Kettron, and
I am a loyal worker.
On November 21, 1938, Gaillard Pendell, an employee, received a
call from the Chief of Police of Macomb, Illinois, who told him he
had heard that Pendell had theartened, to "get" Kettron, Sr., and
advised him to see Kettron, Sr., and straighten the matter out 14
Pendell saw Kettron, Sr., the following day. During the course of
the conversation , Kettron, Sr., stated that he had belonged to two
unions years ago, that unions did not amount to anything and that
the "Union would not be quite the right thing to bring into the plant."-
Kettron, Sr., denied that he had spoken about union matters during
-this conversation. In view of the derogatory remarks concerning the
Union which Kettron, Sr. made to Albert- Pendall a short time after
this incident, as related below, we are of the opinion that Kettron's
denial is not credible. We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that
Kettron, Sr., made the statement concerning the Union as Gaillard
'Pendell testified.
"See National Labor-Relations Board v. Elkland Leather Company, Inc , et at, 114 F.
(2d) 221 (C C. A. 3), cert. denied 61 S Ct 170 , enf'g Matter of Elbldnd Leather Company,
Inc, and 'National Leather Workers ' Association, Local No 37 , 8 N L. R B 519; National
Labor Relations Board v Chicago Apparatus Company, 116 F ( 2d) 753 (C C A 7), enf'g
Matter of Chicago Apparatus Company and Federation of Architects , Engineers , Chemists
and Technicians, Local 107, 12 N L R B 1002; Matter of New Era Die Company and
International Association of Machvmsts, Lodge 2113 (A F of L ), 19 N L It. B 227
14 During the course of Kettron s speech on November 14, Gaillard Pendell was reported
to have said, "We will get the old son-of-a-bitch yet " Both at the hearing and at the time
be went to see Kettron , Pendell denied that he had ever made such a statement.
441843-42-vol 31--9 1
116 ' DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
On December 6, 1938, Albert Pendell, a foreman and brother of
Gaillard Pendell, was discharged. He called upon Kettron, Sr., the
following day and requested reinstatement. During the conversa-
tion, Kettron, Sr., said that he had done a lot of worrying, that "this
union business was nothing but a bunch of rats out of East St. Louis"
who were always starting trouble, and that he did not want to have
anything to do with them. Kettron, Sr.'s, version was that he "men-
tioned to Mr. Pendell that to these union members that ordinarily
the non-union members were known as `rats' and `scabs"' and "that
Fred Olds [the Union organizer] was from East St. Louis which, ih
my estimation, was the toughest spot in the United States." - We find,
as did the Trial Examiner, that the ' statements were made in the
manner related by Albert Pendell.15
On December 3, 1938, Albert Pendell, who was then still a foreman,
told 'Superintendent Rigg that one Allison, an employee in Pendell's
department, had stated that he did not want to do a particular job,
and that he had been assigned to other work since he was benefitting
neither himself nor the company. According to Pendell, Rigg in-
structed him to put Allison back on the original job "and if he
don't do it, we will show that A. F. of L. bastard if we can't can
him." Rlgg testified that Allison did not want to do the work in
question because it was a piece job on which he could not earn as much
money as at day work; that Rigg told Pendell that, "everybody else
has made money on it, he should be as good as anybody else. If he
refuses to do it, just let him go." The plausibility of Pendell's testi-
mony in this regard is strengthened by the fact that this incident
occurred a short time after a number of the employees who belonged
to the Union had been laid off 1c, and after the Union had filed charges
with the Board. We accept as true the testimony of Albert Pendell
in this respect, as did the Trial Examiner who had an opportunity
to both hear the witnesses and observe their demeanor.
On January 17, 1939, the Union held a meeting at a hall in down-
town Macomb. A number-of the employees who attended the meeting
testified that, at various times between 9 and 11: 30 p. in., they saw
Superintendent Frank Rigg sitting in his automobile which was
parked a short distance from the hall. Garnett Rigg, son of the
superintendent and chairman of the grievance committee of the
Association, together with the president and two of the committeemen
of the Association, also sat in an automobile parked directly opposite
the entrance to the hall. In explanation of his presence, Frank Rigg
testified that at about 8: 30 on the night in question he drove down-
10 Even if we were to accept Kettron, Sr.'s testimony as the correct interpretation of his
statements, it is obvious that his remarks were made for the purpose of discrediting the
leadership of the Union and, as such , in themselves constituted an unfan labor practice
10 See Section III C, infra
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 117
town with his wife to attend a theatre; that the theatre and the hall
are located in the same block; 17 that he parked his car a short distance
above the entrance to the hall; that at 10: 30 p. in. he and his wife
left the theatre and entered his automobile, but that due to the cold
weather he remained parked for approximately 15 minutes to warm
up the motor, that he saw several of the employees leaving the hall;
and that he had not known that the Union was holding a meeting
that night.
The fact that the six union members who testified as to this inci-
dent variously stated that they observed Frank Rigg as early as 3
hours before and as late as 45 minutes after the time Rigg himself
stated he was present convinces us that so great a discrepancy be-
tween their testimony and that of Frank Rigg cannot reasonably be
regarded as minor variants or differences of opinion which are
normally to be expected in an examination of several witnesses con-
cerning the same incident. The cumulative effect of the testimony
of the union employees in this instance, coupled with the' fact that
both before and after this period Frank Rigg was hostile to and
inquisitive concerning the membership of the Union, convinces us
that we cannot accept his explanation of his presence in the vicinity
of the union meeting place at the time in question. We find', as did
the Trial Examiner, that on the evening of January 17, 1939, Frank
Rigg engaged in surveillance of the union meeting.
We find that the respondent in March and December 1937, in
October, November, and December, 1938, and in January 1939, by
making the anti-union statements set forth above, by questioning its
employees as to membership in the,Union, by urging and warning its
employees not to join or remain members of the Union, by attacking
the Union, disparaging its claims and questioning its purposes through
the speech of the respondent's president, by discrediting the leader-
ship of the Union, by the attempts of its supervisory official to secure
the withdrawal of employees from the Union, by its surveillance of
the Union meeting, and by each of the foregoing and by other acts,
interfered with, restrained, and coerced its 'employees in the exercise
of the rights guaranteed them in Section 7 of the Act.
B. Interference with, domination of, and contribution of support to,
the Association
In the early part of October 1938, several of the respondent's em-
ployees became interested in forming a labor organization affiliated
with the American Federation of Labor, herein called the A. F. of L.
" Dalton Purdy testified that the hall is 50 or 60 feet off the street corner , and that the
theatre is in the next block. -
118 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
On October 7, 1933, these employees met at the home of Kerman
Kepler. Don Kroider, secretary-treasurer, of the Central Trades and
Labor Union of Macomb, was invited to attend this meeting for the
purpose of instructing the employees about-organizing a union. On
October 10, 1938, a group of employees composed of John Gates,
Benny Bartlett, Harold Taylor, Charles Croxton, and Wayne Morris
met at the latter's home. Kroider- was also present at this meeting,
as well as Fred Olds, a general representative of the A. F. of L.
Dalton Purdy, Benny Bartlett, John Gates, and Harold Taylor were,
elected temporary officers. An application committee was formed
composed of Wayne Morris and Charles Croxton. On the following
day, another meeting was held at the home of Meredith Huston, an
employee, and a number of the employees present signed application-
cards. Between October 10 and 20, the Union conducted an organisa-
tional campaign among the respondent's employees. On October 13,
1938, Dalton Purdy, Harold Taylor, John Gates, Mitchell Burkhardt,
Gaillard Pendell, Wayne Morris, and Benny Bartlett made applica-,
tion for a charter. The Union was granted a charter by the A. F.
of L. on October 20.
Between October 17 and 25, the respondent laid off 10 union members
including 3 union officers."' On October 25 Olds, accompanied by the
union officers, went to the respondent's plant where they spoke to
Charles Kettron, Jr., son of the president, and requested him to rein-
state the laid-off employees. Kettron, Jr., replied that he had no
authority in the matter and that his father was out of the city.
On October 28, Fred Olds and Don Kroider went to the plant and
spoke to Henry Kettron, vice president of the respondent. They de-
manded the reinstatement of the employees who had been laid 'off and
asked that the Union he recognized as exclusive bargaining agent of
the employees. Henry Kettron stated that a meeting of the Board of
Directors of the respondent would be necessary to discuss the recogni-
tion demand and such a meeting was tentatively scheduled for
November 8.
On the same day, October 28, Tom Ebey, Adolphus Hare and
two other employees approached E. D. Grigsby, attorney for the re-
spondent, and requested him to prepare a set of bylaws and a constitu-
tion for an unaffiliated union.20 Grigsby declined to represent them,
explaining that he was counsel for the respondent. These employees
testified that they were unaware of this fact when they approached
' These lay -offs are discussed more fully in Section III C, below
10 At the hearing there was a conflict of testimony as to whether or not Hare was a fore-
man. He had admittedly been with the Company some 25 years and had been a friend of
Charles W. Kettron , Sr., the respondent ' s president , for a longer period
, 20 Although Ebey testified that he had thought of forming an organization at an earlier
date and had discussed it with several employees , this , was the first affirmative constructive
act towards the formation of the Association,
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 119
Grigsby. However, he recommended several other attorneys, one of
whom, Roswell O'Harra, was retained as attorney for the Association
that day. -
The Association immediately conducted an intensive campaign to
enlist members. From October 28 to November 9, the day the respond-
ent granted exclusive recognition to the Association, and thereafter,
supervisors and employees actively solicited members for the Associa-
tion during working hours in the plant. Hare testified that he alone
signed up 50 or more employees, and although he stated that he had
not asked for or received permission to do so, he admitted that he had
never been reprimanded by the management or warned to cease such
activities. The extent of the Association's activities is shown by the
fact that 59 employees were enrolled as members on October 28 and
29 alone. Nearly all of this solicitation occurred in the plant during
working hours.
While Adolphus Hare, Tom Ebey, and Clifford Edwards were among
the most active employees working on behalf of the Association, mem-
bers of the respondent's supervisory staff also engaged in solicitation.
Meredith Huston, an employee, testified that Johnson asked him if he
had joined the Association and said, "Well, either you join or else."
Johnson testified that he did not recall this incident. In view of
Johnson's other activities, set forth in Section III A, above, we credit
Huston's testimony, as did the Trial Examiner. We have alluded
above to Christ Aemmer's testimony that Johnson requested him to
withdraw from the Union and "sign up with the company." Ivan
Hughban'ks, an employee, testified that Walter Lemmer, who occasion-
ally acted as assistant foreman in the kiln department, asked Hugh-
banks to withdraw from the A. F. of L. Garnett Rigg, son of the
superintendent, admitted that he had asked other employees to resign
from the Union. Charles Croxton, an employee, testified that Fore-
man Hollenback said that if the Union succeeded in organizing the
plant it would probably shut down and that the Association was being
formed for the sole purpose of keeping out the Union. Hollenback
admitted that he had talked to Croxton about the Union. We find
that Hollenback made the statements attributed to him by Croxton.
Harold Taylor, an employee, testified that Dyson Lovell left his work
for periods of a half-hour or an hour and solicited throughout the
plant. These activities on the part of Lovell occurred but 3 or 4 days
after he had 'been relieved of his position as foreman in the glaze
department.
The respondent argues that both the Union and the Association
solicited members on company time and property. The record shows,
however, that the instances of solicitation by the Union were insig-
nificant in number when compared with similar activities of the Asso-
120 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
ciation. The record further shows that the employees, whom the re-
spondent observed soliciting for the Union were warned to cease such
activities while employees who solicited for the Association received
no such warnings until after-the Association was ,granted recogni-
tion by the respondent. In this connection, it is significant to note
that the respondent did not post notices prohibiting solicitation in the
plant until November 9, the day exclusive recognition was granted to
the Association.
The notices, bearing the signatures of the respondent's president,
vice president, and superintendent, read as follows :
TO ALL EMPLOYEES
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT THE ELECTRIC PORCELAIN
WORKERS OF MACOMB, ILLINOIS HAS BEEN RECOG-
NIZED AS THE EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING AGENT FOR
ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THIS COMPANY.
ALL GRIEVANCES MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE GRIEV-
ANCE COMMITTEE OF THIS ASSOCIATION.
UNION ACTIVITIES OF ANY ORGANIZATION MUST NOT
BE CARRIED ON IN THE PLANT DURING WORKING
HOURS.
INTIMIDATION AND COERCION OF EMPLOYEES WILL NOT
I BE TOLERATED.
WE ASK FOR THE COOPERATION OF ALL EMPLOYEES IN
ORDER'THAT THE BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY MAY BE
HANDLED IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY AND IN THAT
WAY INCREASE EMPLOYMENT.
The-restriction in these notices requiring submission of all griev-
ances to the Association in itself contravened the express terms of
Section 9 (a) of the Act, and also constituted support to the Associa-
tion contrary to the prohibitions of Section 8 (2), as well as inter-
ference with and restraint upon the rights of the employees in viola-
tion of Section 8 (1).21
The Association held its first meeting on the night of November
1. A notice of this meeting appeared on the bulletin board in the
respondent's plant that day. Tom Ebey, Roy Snyder, and Adolphus
Hare were elected to serve temporary terms as president, vice presi-
dent, and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of the Association.22 A
General Committee was also elected, composed of Garnett- Rigg, son
of the'superintendent, as chairman, and Hartly Arnett, Dyson Lovell,
21 Cf. Elkland Leather Company v. National Labor Relations 'Board, 114 F. (2d) 221
(C. C. A. 3), cert. denied 61 S. Ct. 170 , enf'g Matter of Elkland Leather Company , Inc. and
National Leather Workers Association , Local No 37, 8 N. L. R. B. 519.
21 At a later meeting, the same officers were again elected for regular terms.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 121
Walter Lemmer, Clifford' Edwards, George Arnold, Francis Snyder,
and James Eddington, as members. Lemmer occasionally acted as
an assistant foreman, and Lovell had been a foreman until October
25, 1938; Clifford Edwards had also been a foreman from 1935 to
March 1937. O'Harra addressed the group, and 'bylaws and a con-
stitution were adopted. Among other things, the bylaws provided
that only employees could be officers of the Association, that collec-
tive bargaining was to be conducted only for and on behalf of its
members'23 that the Association should not be affiliated with any other
group or organization, and that the General Committee was empow-
ered, in its discretion, to enter into a contract with the employer
without securing approval of its terms from the membership at
large. The bylaws contained no provision barring foremen, or other
superivsory employees from joining the Association, although Hare
testified that foremen would not be eligible for membership.
Several witnesses, including the officers of the Association, testi-
fied that the Association was formed because "the employees were
satisfied with their jobs"; "if A. F. of L. got in, plant, would shut
down"; "if it got recognition Union could not"; and because "they
were trying to keep the A. F. of L. out." This testimony was
uncontradicted and we accept it as true.
On November 1 the respondent wrote to Olds stating that Novem-
ber 8 was Election Day in Macomb and that the tentatively sched-
uled meeting of the Board of Directors would be held on November
3 in the offices of the respondent.
On November 2, O'Harra called Mr. E. D. Grigsby, attorney for
the respondent, and notified him that the Association had been
formed the previous evening and that he was sending a letter to that
effect, as well as a demand for exclusive recognition signed by Tom
Ebey, to the respondent. The respondent received these communica-
tions on November 3.
On November 2, before the respondent had received any official
notice of the existence of the Association or of its demands, the
respondent's president wrote to O'Harra as follows :
We understand that you are the attorney for a group of our
employees for forming an organization which will be presented
to our Company for approval as bargaining agent for our
employees.
This is to advise that a meeting of our Directors will be held
at the office of this Company on Wednesday, November 9, 1938,
at 4 o'clock p. in. for the purpose of deciding on recognition
of an organization as the bargaining agent for our employees.
Hare testified that the Association would be expected to bargain for its own members
and not for anyone else.
122 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
You will be permitted to represent your organization and have
two of our employee members in attendance.
. You will be requested at this Director's meeting to submit
cards bearing signatures of our employees who have joined this
organization also bearing the date of their signature; or a, sub-
scription list bearing signatures and, dates of signing of our
employees; also, a statement by two officials of your,organiza-
tion certified before a notary public stating that this list is a
true list of our employees who have joined your organization
and that the dates of their signing as given are correct.
On November 3 the respondent sent Olds a letter identical with
that, set out above with the exception of the first paragraph.24
On November 9 a meeting of the Board of Directors was held
as scheduled. Fred Olds, Don Kroider, and Dalton Purdy appeared
as representatives of the Union. Kettron, Sr., in accordance with
the condition imposed in his letter of November 2, objected to
the presence of Kroider because he was not an employee of the
respondent. Kroider accordingly retired and John Gates, an em-
ployee, took his place. Kettron, Sr., called the meeting to order
and' announced that it had,-been called for the purpose of deciding
on recognition of an organization to be known as "The Bargaining
Agent" for the respondent's employees. The Association tendered
its membership cards according to the request of the respondent,
dated November 2. Although Olds claimed that the Union repre-
sented a majority he refused to submit the union membership appli-
cation cards on the ground that the respondent had already laid off
or discharged all but one of the union officers and that the Union
feared further reprisals. Olds requested that a consent election
under the auspices of the Board be held to determine the exclusive
bargaining representative. The Association and the respondent ob-
jected to this procedure, whereupon Olds offered to submit the
union membership application cards to a representative of the Board
for the purpose of checking them against the respondent's pay roll.
After several requests by the respondent for the union membership
application cards and Olds' insistence upon an election or a check
by a representative of the Board, the respondent stated that it would
accept the cards proffered by the Association and check them against
the pay roll. The union representatives thereupon -withdrew from
the meeting and after d check of the Association's cards against the
respondent's pay roll, the Board of Directors unanimously voted
to recognize the Association as the sole bargaining agent for the
employees of the respondent.
84 Olds denied having received this letter. The letter was sent to his address in East
St. Louis, Illinois. At the time, Olds was in Macomb.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 123
On November 12 a committee from the Association, including
Garnett Rigg, son of the superintendent, met with Kettron, Sr., and
requested that members of the Association be given preference in
the distribution of work in the plant. Garnett Rigg testified that
when the Association's committee retired ,from this meeting, it was
its understanding that the Association's members were to have such
preference. Shortly after this meeting Garnett Rigg mentioned this
concession to his father, Frank Rigg, who told him that the com-
mittee must have misunderstood Kettron, Sr. On November 19
the committee again met with the respondent and Henry Kettron,
who was present at this meeting, stated that it was impossible to
grant the preference "as it was against the law." Shortly after
the meeting of November 12, Frank Rigg, at the instruction of
Kettron, Sr.," distributed departmental seniority lists to the various
foremen in the plant. - John Broshear,, a foreman, testified that
Dyson Lovell, an employee, checked all the members of the Associa-
tion on the list given to him by Frank Rigg and informed Broshear
that if he did not follow the list he would probably be discharged.
Albert Pendell, then a foreman, testified that he asked Paul Wil-
liams, Pendell's co-foreman in the department, about the seniority
list and that Williams stated it was his understanding that the
men who belonged to the "shop union" were to be given preference
according to their seniority and if any work remained it was to
be. divided among the other employees. Williams did not deny
Pendell's testimony in this respect. Pendell further testified that
James Eddington, an employee, asked Pendell why an employee
who was not a member of the Association was working when mem-
bers of the Association were not, and stated "that was not the ar-
rangement that was made at the office, they were supposed to try
to discourage the men in some way and beat them out if they wanted
to beat them out." Eddington denied this testimony. While the
testimony of Pendell and Eddington is in direct conflict, the exist-
ence of the above evidence in regard to the meeting of November
12 and the undenied testimony of Pendell with respect to the
statement of Williams leads us to the conclusion that Eddington
made the statements attributed to him 'by Pendell. We find that
on November 12 the respondent agreed to give preference to mem-
bers of the Association in the distribution of work and that on,
November 19 the respondent revoked the agreement.
We have referred above to Kettron, Sr.'s speech to the employees
on November 14 in which the respondent made clear to the em-
ployees the kind of organization which it desired. The respondent,
it will be recalled, stated that the employees would accomplish
nothing "except to raise hell" by their membership in the Union,
124 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS- BOARD
proceeded to discuss individually the claims made in the literature
distributed to the employees by the Union, and attempted to dis-
credit these claims. It is to be noted that this speech did not express
or imply any hostility toward the Association.
On December 5 the Association requested the respondent to enter
into a closed-shop contract with it. Apparently no action was ever
taken on this demand. On December 28, the Association presented
a contract which provided that the Association was recognized
as the exclusive bargaining agency of the employees; that the same
schedule of wages and hours then existing should be maintained ;
that changes in working conditions might be made from time to
time with the consent of the president of the Association; that the
Company should have the right to fix rates of pay for new types of
work for an experimental period, subject to modification after'
conference with representatives of the Association ; that the Com-
pany agreed to obey all Federal and State minimum wage, and
maximum hour laws; that the Association agreed "not to do any-
thing to interfere with the orderly working of the plant and that
it will in no event interfere with the duties of watchman, [sic]
maintenance men or firemen but shall have the privilege of con-
tracting as to rates of pay and working conditions for such employ-
ees." The contract was to remain in effect until December 31, 1939.
No provision was made for its renewal. This contract was immedi-
ately signed by C. W. Kettron, Sr., president of the respondent.
Although it was the first and only contract presented by the Associ-
ation, no negotiations of any kind preceeded its execution.
On January 20, 1939, a meeting of the Board of Directors of
the respondent was held in the plant. The Association and the
Union were represented at this meeting. The Union reiterated its
offer to prove that it had a "clear cut majority" and stated that it
wished to present a contract. The respondent took the position that
the Association represented a majority on November 9, 1938, and that
its contract with the Association precluded any further discussion
of the matter. _
On . February 17, 1939, a meeting was held in the respondent's
plant. This meeting was called by Kettron, Sr., who stated that he
wanted to "get the t'rouble' settled." The Union, the respondent,
the Association, and the Brotherhood 25 were represented at this
meeting. Olds 26 testified that Kettron, Sr., stated at this meeting
15 It will be recalled that the Brotherhood, also affiliated with the A F. of L, had unsuc-
cessfully attempted to organize the employees of the respondent in March 1937. See Sec-
tion III A, supra.
.
20 The respondent has excepted to the ruling of the Trial Examiner striking from the
record an offer of proof which counsel for the respondent attempted to make with respect
to Olds. It is not necessary for us to pass upon this ruling of the Trial Examiner, how-
ever, since we have not relied upon the testimony of Olds in making any of our findings
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 125
that he was willing to sign an agreement with the Brotherhood
if the union officers would resign and that the respondent would
have the Association's officers resign, and that Tom Ebey, president
of the Association, assented to this proposal. Olds stated that he
had no authority to ask the officers of the union to resign. Olds
further testified that Kettron, Sr., stated that when the respondent
recognized the Brotherhood an election of officers would then be
held and added, "Of course, they would have to be acceptable to me."
Tom Ebey first testified that Kettron, Sr., had stated that the new
officers would have to be acceptable to him, but later changed his
testimony and declared that Kettron, Sr., did not say that 'but did
say that "they would have to recognize the new organization;"
Kettron, Sr. admitted that he had made such a proposal but denied
that he had said that the officers would have to be acceptable to him
and testified that he stated that "they would have to be .men I could
do business with." Accepting Kettron, Sr.'s testimony as the true
version of his statement, it is clear that his proposal and the state-
ment which he testified he made constituted interference with self
'organization of the employees in violation of - the Act.
From the foregoing facts, and upon the basis of the entire record,
it is clear that the respondent interfered with the formation and
administration of the Association and contributed support to it in
a manner and to an extent prohibited by the Act.
We have noted in Section III A, above, that at the time the Union
instituted its organizational campaign in October 1938, Superintend-
ent Rigg and Foremen Johnson and Hollenback variously questioned
and warned employees about their union affiliation and activities.
The respondent, through these supervisory employees, thus mani-
fested its desire to discourage the formation 6f an outside labor or-
ganization. In the words of Frank Rigg, the employees were given
to understand that efforts to organize freely and independently
"wouldn't do you any good." These expressions of the respondent's
hostility toward the Union were given added emphasis by the dis-
charge of nearly all of the Union's officers and a number, of its
members. That the respondent's attitude was not misunderstood by
the employees is shown by the explanations they offered for initiating
the Association. In substance, these explanations found uniform
expression in the statement that "they were trying to, keep the A. F.
of L. out;" and the reason these employees had for keeping the
Union "out" was that, if it succeeded in its efforts to organize, the
"plant would shut down."
No overt action was, taken by the group active in the formation
of the Association until after the respondent had attempted to defeat
with respect to the unfair labor practices alleged in the coniplaint , ' and the respondent could
not therefore be prejudiced by such ruling in any event.
126 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
the efforts of the Union to organize, had laid off a number of union
members and officers, and had received the Union's demands.
It is worthy of note that the employees did not hesitate to initiate
the Association, and that their fears of a shut-down or other retribu-
tory action on the part of the respondent extended only to the suc-
cessful appearance of the Union as an outside labor organization. 27
This attitude exactly coincided with that of the respondent, as Ket-
tron's speech on November 14, revealed. Throughout that speech,
Kettron attacked the purposes and claims of the Union. In sub-
stance, he drove home his point that the achievement of the Union
would be to "come in here and raise hell." At no point during the course
of this speech, however, did Kettron, Sr., express or imply disappro-
bation of the Association. Indeed, it will be recalled, he signified
his approval of having a committee of employees who could "come
in the office and talk things over."
But the respondent's efforts to defeat' and discourage membership
in the Union and to direct the desire of the employees for some form
of organization into channels more to the respondent's liking did not
stop with the foregoing activities, which resulted in the initiation of
the Association. Supervisory employees both aided and permitted
active solicitation on behalf of the Association during working hours,
and not until the day the Association was granted recognition was
any notice posted prohibiting such activities.28 But even after such
notices were posted, representatives of the management continued to
solicit members for the Association and continued to disparage the
Union and its leaders and discourage union membership. As we
have found in Section III A, above,,in the middle of November 1938
2'' See National Labor Relations Board v. Lank-Belt Company, et al , 311 U . S 584, enf'g
Hatter of Link -Belt Company and- Lodge 1604 of Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers of North America, through the Steel Workers Organizing Committee, affil-
sated with the Committee for Industrial organization , 12 N. L R. B. 854 , and rev'g Link-
Belt Company, et al. v . National Labor Relations Board, 110 F. ( 2d) 506 (C. C. A. 7),
where the Supreme Court of the United States, in upholding a finding of the Board that an
employer- had dominated a labor organization in violation of the Act, said :
The employer 's attitude towards an "outside" union coupled with the discharge of
Salmons and Novak for activities on behalf of the Amalgamated would tend to have
as potent effect as direct statements to the employees that they could not afford to risk
selection of the Amalgamated.
See also Matter of Crawford Manufacturing Company and Textile Workers Organizing
Committee, 8 N. L R. B. 1237 ; Matter of Texas Mining & Smelting Company and Inter-
national Union of Mine , Mill and Smelter Workers , Local No . 412, 13 N. L. R. B. 1163,
enf'd as modified in other respects , January 4 , 1941 (C. C. A. 5) ; Matter of Gutmann &
Company and National Leather Workers Association, Local 43, 18 N L R B 64
28 See National Labor Relations Board v. Belt -Link Company , et al., 311 U. S. 584, enf'g
Matter of Link-Belt Company and Lodge 1604 of Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers of North America , through the Steel Workers Organizing Committee , affil-
iated with the Committee for Industrial Organization , 12 N. L. R B 854, and rev'g Link-
Belt Company, at at. v. National Labor Relations Board, 110 F. (2d) 506 ( C. C. A. 7) ; '
Matter of McGoldrick Lumber Company, a corporation ; Industrial Employees' Union, Inc.,
a corporation ; and Industrial Employees' Union, Inc., Local No. 76, District 9, et al. and
Lumber and sawmill Workers Union, Local No., 2552, et al ., 19 , N. L . R. B. 887.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 127
Foreman Johnson solicited Christ Aemmer to withdraw from the
Union and join the Association; in the latter part of the same month,
Kettron, Sr., told Gaillard Pendell that unions did not amount to any-
thing and that the "Union would not be quite the right thing to bring
into the plant;" on December 6, during the course of a conversation
between Kettron, Sr., and Albert Pendell, Kettron, Sr., stated that
"this union business was nothing but a bunch of rats out of East St.
Louis"; on December 3, Superintendent Rigg instructed Albert Pendell
to reassign an employee to work the employee did not want to do and
accompanied this instruction with the statement, "and if he don't do it,
we will show that A. F. of L. bastard if we can't can him"; and on
January 17, 1939, Superintendent Rigg engaged in surveillance of a
meeting of the Union.
The respondent's position with respect to the Association is further
indicated by the circumstances of the meeting of November 9. Kett-
ron's letter of November 2 informing the Union and the Association
of this meeting limited the union representatives who would be per-
mitted to attend to Olds and two employees. When Olds-and Kroider,
neither of whom were employees, appeared, Kroider. was requested to
leave.2" Notwithstanding the claim of the Union that it represented
a majority, and despite its request that an election be held under the
Board's supervision, the respondent, over the protest of the Union,
conducted a check of the membership application cards of the Associa-
tion and promptly granted it exclusive recognition.
Further, the respondent, though it later reconsidered its decision,
granted preference in work to members of the Association, a potent
and effective means of support. And although llie respondent ap
parently refused to accede to the Association's demand for a closed-
shop contract, it did not hesitate to sign immediately the first written
contract, without such a clause, which the association presented. The
signing of this contract was neither preceded by any negotiations
between the respondent and the Association nor accompanied by any
discussion of its terms.
The impotence and subservience of the Association as a representa-
tive,of the employees is strikingly illustrated by the role it played
20 Placing a limitation upon representatives of the employees with whom the employer
gull confer by requiring that such representatives must themselves be employees in itself
constitutes interference with the rights of employees guaranteed in the Act. See,Matter of
Iansteel Metallurgical Corporation and Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin
Tl'oikers of North America, Local 66, 5 N. L R B 930 , enf'd as modified in other respects,
National Laboi Relations Board v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation, 306 U S 240, rei'g
in part and aff'g as modified Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation v National Labor Relations
L'oaid, 98 F (2d) 375 (C. C. A 7) ; Matter of National New York Pacl, ing'if Shipping
Company, Inc and Ladies Apparel Shipping Clerks Union, Local No. 19953, 1 N L R. B.
1009, enf'd National Labor Relations Board v National New Yovh Packing and Shipping
Company, Inc , 86 F (2d) 98 (C C. A 2) ; Matter of Crossett Lumber Company and United
Brotherhood of Caipenters and Joiners of America , Lumber and Sawmill TPoikers Union,
Local 2590, 8 N. L. R B. 440.
128 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
in the meeting of February 17. , When Kettron, Sr., at that meet-
ing, proposed that the officers of the Union and the Association resign
for the purpose of being superseded by the Brotherhood upon an
election of officers who would be "acceptable" to Kettron, Sr., Tom
Ebey, president of the Association, assented to the proposal without
protest, although the apparent effect of such an arrangement would
be a dismemberment and dissolution of the Association.
We find that the respondent dominated and interfered with the
formation and administration of the Association and contributed
support thereto and that by such acts, by the contract with the Asso-
ciation, and by the other statements and activities set forth above, in-
terfered with, restrained, and coerced its employees in the exercise of
rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
C. Discrimination with respect to hire and tenure of employment
The amended complaint alleged that the respondent discrimina-
torily laid off or discharged 12 employees because of their member-
ship in and activity on behalf of the Union and 1 employee for the
;.ame reason and for the additional reason that he gave. testimony
under the Act. Eleven employees were laid off between October
17 and November ', 1938,30 which coincided with the time the Union
had first commenced its organizational activities and the recogni-
tion of the Association by the respondent. It is to be noted, as
pointed out below, that practically all of these employees were rein-
stated shortly after the respondent had recognized the Association .31.
Subsequently, three employees, one of whom had previously been
laid-off and reinstated,32 were discharged.33 The respondent admit-
ted that it had laid off or discharged these employees, but contended
that it had done so for cause.34 .
30 Dalton Purdy, Wayne Morris, John Gates, Nell Olson, Herschel Jones, Reiman Kepler,
Mary Harding, Nida Purdy , Benny Bartlett , Sarah Aemmer , and Max Olson
31 Of the 11 employees laid off between October 17 and November 7, 1938 , 10 were rein-
stated on various dates from November 18, 1938 , to December 13, 1938 Herschel Jones
was the only employee in this group who was not reinstated.
32 John Gates.
33 The amended complaint alleged that John Gates , Fred Teel , and Gaillard Pendell were
discriminatorily discharged and refused reinstatement on January 4, 1939, March 8, 1939,
and March 20, 1939 , respectively . The amended complaint further alleged that Gaillard
Pendell had been discharged for the additional reason that he had testified at the hearing.
The record shows that Pendell was subsequently offered reinstatement on March 23, and
reinstated on March 24 , 1939.
34 The respondent contends that it is merely a coincidence that the employees were laid
off shortly after the Union held its first meetings , that other employees in addition to the
eteven as to whom complaint has been made in this case were laid off, and that all of the
lay-offs were necessitated by a decline in business The respondent points to the fact that
from October 1 to November 14, 1938, the employment of 22 persons, including the 11 em-
ployees alleged to have been discriminated against , was terminated for various reasons.
The employment of 5 of the 11 persons as to whom no complaint has been made, however, was
terminated either because they had died , had resigned , or were ill , 3 of the- 6 persons
remaining were laid off on or,before October 7 , the date of the first meeting of the Union;
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 129
(1) The lay-offs of October and November 1938
Dalton Purdy, John Gates, Kerman Kepler, and Wayne Morris
were employed by the respondent in September 1925, in June 1935,
in May 1935, and in July 1935, respectively. Purdy and Gates were
president and financial secretary, respectively, of the Union and
the first and second meetings of the Union were held at the homes
of Kepler and Morris. All four employees were members of the
Union, were active in soliciting members in its behalf, and were laid
off by the respondent on October 17, 1938. Purdy, Gates, and Morris
were among the employees who applied for the Union's charter on
October 13:
Dalton Purdy and his brother-in-law, Wayne Morris, were both
employed in the bushing and insulator department under Foreman
Albert Pendell. On October 12, 1938, Pendell was succeeded by Paul
Williams as foreman over the men in the department.3i Purdy had
and the last 3 persons in this group were laid off at various times from October 17 to Octo-
ber 29 . Thus, while only 3 non -union employees were laid off in the period following the
effort of the Union to organize , 11 employees who were members of the Union were laid off
during the same period
In further support of its contention that the lay-offs complained of were occasioned by a
'decline in business , the respondent points to the fact that the employees not only were laid
off at different tines but were also, reinstated at valymg dates from November 18 to De-
comber 13, 1938 From this the respondent argues that if it were laying off these employees
for union activities , varying dates of lay-off might occur , as the respondent learned from
time to time of the union affiliation of each employee, but that no such hypothesis can serve
to explain the fact that the employees were recalled at different tunes, and that in actuality
they were reinstated as business increased This aigument fails to convince us for several
reasons Fiist, the mere fact that the respondent had suffered a decline in business would
not in itself tend to disprove the allegation that 11 employees had been discriminatorily
laid off since the question would still remain whether these employees , rather than others,
had been selected because of their union affiliation and activities Secoiid, no necessary
correlation exists between the reasons the employees were laid off and the reasons they
were reinstated , the fact that they were reinstated pursuant to a legitimate business policy
does not necessarily show that the same policy was the operative factor which induced the
iespondent to lay them off. Third, the respondent admits in its brief that, although busi-
ness did not strictly warrant their recall at that time, some of the employees were rein-
stated on December 13, in an effort to settle the dispute with the Union Six of the ten
employees reinstated were recalled on December 13 This was after charges had been filed
with the Board and various attempts at settlement had been made In National Labor
Relations Board v: Vincennes Steel Corporation, January 3, 1941 (C C A 7), enf'g as mod
Matter of Vincennes Steel Corporation and International Association of Bridge , Structural
and Ornamental Iron Workers, Local No. 585, affiliated with A F. of L, 17 N L. R B 825,
the court , on a similar state of facts, said
All of these men were reinstated to their positions within from two or three weeks,
and the respondent argues that the rehiring of them, with knowledge of their union
affiliation, is inconsistent with the idea that they were laid off for such season At
first blush there appears to be merit in this contention , but it must be remembered that
in the meantime, charges had been filed with the Board against respondent, and some
of the men were not reinstated until after a conference between the respondent and a
representative of the Board. It is not unieasonable to conclude , therefore , that re-
spondent, after charges had been preferred, realized its mistake in laying off the men,
and ieuistated then for that reason.
Pendell remained foreman over the women, in the department until he was finally dis-
charged in December 1938. His discharge is not alleged as an unfair labor practice in this
case
130 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
been assistant foreman from January 1937 to August 1938, but was
relieved from that position at his own request.
As noted above,36 on October 15 Frank Rigg told Purdy that he
had heard that Purdy and Morris were the instigators of the Union
and warned them that they would merely lose their dues and gain no
benefit from their efforts to organize.3'
Five days after he became foreman, Williams laid off both Purdy
and Morris on the ground that there was a lack of work .311 Not-
withstanding this fact, Purdy's testimony that he was working on a
500-piece order at the time he was laid off, and that James Edding-
ton, an employee who had been working in another department, was
transferred to the bushing and insulator department on the follow-
ing day, was not denied. Purely and Morris were the only employees
laid off in Williams' department at 'this time. Williams declared
that he, and not Rigg, had made the selection. On October 18
Purdy and Morris returned to the plant and spoke to Williams'.
Purdy testified that when he asked Williams why he was being laid
off when men with less seniority were being retained, Williams
replied, "It is above my head; you know I wouldn't do you that
way.'' Morris testified that when he asked Williams if there waa
going to be any work, Williams answered -that he didn't know, that
it was all "over his head." Williams denied that he had made these
statements. In view of Rigg's statements to Purdy on October 15,
and the' substantial similarity of the testimony of Purdy and Morris,
we are of the opinion that Williams' denial is not entitled to
credence.
John Gates worked in the tube and casting department under
Foreman Hollenback at the time Gates was laid off on October 17,
1938. It will be recalled that on October 13 or 14 Hollenback ques-
tioned Charles Croxton about the Union and the reasons for its
inception.3a Prior to this occasion, Gates had attended the meeting
30 See Section III A, supra.
It is worth noting in this respect that Kettron , Sr , expressed the belief that the
"trouble" all began in Pendell ' s department , and that Pendell was subsequently rehe^ed of
his duties as foreman The respondent sought to show that the "trouble" referred to com-
plaints of the employees that Pendell was giving preference in employment to men from a
town nearby , rather than taking applicants who lived in Macomb However, on cioss-
examination by counsel for the Board , Kettron , Sr , admitted that the " trouble" of which
he had spoken was "the staiting of the dissatisfaction that led up to it [the Union] "
At the hearing , Williams testified that an additional reason for laying off Purdy and
Morris was because they were not as cooperative as the other ,employees retained Williams
laded to assign any specific examples of uncooperativeness on the part of either Morris or
Purdy, other than the fact that lie found it occasionally necessary to argue " to a certain
extent" with,Purdy about prices and the further fact that Purdy did not always remain at
his work In view of this circumstance , and the `further facts that this reason was not
assigned as a cause for the lay -offs at the time they occurred , and that Williams had been
m active charge of the department for so short a time , we are not convinced that a lack of
cooperation acted - as a motivating cause of the lay-offs of either Purdy or Morris.
39 See Section III A, supra.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 131
of the Brotherhood in March 1937 at which Foreman Johnson was
also present. On the following day, Superintendent Rigg• questioned
Gates about what had occurred at this meeting, and during the
course of the conversation Rigg declared that organizing a union
would only result in the payment of a lot of clues, and that any time
Gates was not satisfied he should come to Rigg and present his case
to him. - -
Gates testified that on the day of his lay. off Hollenback, his fore-
man, stated "Well, I'm going to have to lay you off for a few days"
and that when lie protested this action because 10 or 12 people in the
department with less seniority were being retained, Hollenback re-
plied that it was the only thing he could do because if he di'd not
lay him off "it would be my neck." Gates further testified that on
the following day' when he inquired as to the availability of work,
Hollenback stated "at least not until the trouble gets straightened
out:" Hollenback's version of this incident was. that when Gates
protested his lay-off on the following day Hollenback told him it
would be "Iny neck or yours," meaning that he had already reported
the lay-off to the office. Hollenback failed to explain why a re-
versal of his order would be regarded so seriously; nor did.he deny
the statement attributed to him by Gates, to the effect that no further
work would be available "until the trouble gets straightened out."
We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that Hollenback made these
statements as John Gates testified.
Kerman Kepler worked in the dry-press department under Dean'
McKee as foreman. As previously noted,40 Kepler's interest in union
affairs was known to Foreman Johnson at least as early as August
1938 when Johnson saw Kepler reading a newspaper published by
the Brotherhood and warned Kepler that it would be "too bad" for
him if Kettron, Sr., were to learn of it. Kepler was the only em-
ployee in his department to be laid off on October 17, 1938. The
reason assigned by the respondent for the lay-off of Kepler was lack
of work. Glen. Lowderman, an employee with less seniority than
Kepler who had previously been laid off, was recalled to work in
McKee's department between the time Kepler was laid off and'the
time he was ultimately reinstated. The respondent contended
throughout the hearing that it did not follow an established sen-
iority policy in the lay-off of employees, and that practice from de-
partment to department varied according to the inclinations. of the
,individual foremen. McKee testified that he followed seniority only
to the extent that he had to select between two people of equal ability,
and that he also considered the economic and marital status of the
employees. While employees with less seniority than Kepler were
40 See Section III A, supra
44 134 3-4 2-vol •31--10
132 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
retained in McKee's, department, no showing was made that any of
the general considerations testified to by McKee moved him to select
Kepler rather than some other employee, nor was any showing
made why, according to McKee's standards, Lowderman should have
been recalled prion to Kepler. Indeed, when explaining the subse-
quent lay-off of Sarah Aemmer, as noted below, McKee stated that
he chose her because she had the least seniority in his department.
Christ Aemmer testified that on October 18, the day after the
above lay-offs, Johnson stated to him, "There will be some more of
them get laid off mysteriously." Johnson denied this testimony.
In light of Johnson's testimony set out in Section III A, above,
we find that he made the statement attributed to him by Christ
Aemmer.
Gates 41 and Kepler were recalled on December 13; Purdy on
December 15; and Morris on November 28. All of-them were work-
ing at the time of the hearing.
The respondent contended that the four above-named employees
were laid off because of lack of work in their respective departments.
They all testified that at the time of their lay-offs they were work-
ing on orders that were only partially completed. All had high
seniority ratings in,their respective departments.
In the light of the foregoing, we believe that the respondent's
true motive in laying off Dalton Purdy, John Gates, Kerman Kepler,
and Wayne Morris was their union affiliation rather than the
alleged lack of work.
We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that the respondent has
discriminated in regard to the hire and tenure of employment of
Dalton Purdy, John Gates, Kerman Kepler, and Wayne Morris,
thereby discouraging membership in the Union and interfering with,
restraining, and coercing its employees in the exercise of the rights
guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
Nida Purdy, wife of Dalton Purdy and sister of Wayne Morris,
v^ as employed by the respondent in February 1935. She joined the
Lnion on October 12, 1938. On October 24, 1938, she was laid off
by Albert Pendell, her foreman, who told her at the time that "work
was scarce." She was recalled by Pendell, in compliance with in-
structions from Frank Rigg, on December 2, 1938, and resumed her
former work.
Pendell testified that he laid off Nida Purdy on specific orders
of Frank Rigg who told Pendell that the respondent was" "short of
business" but that it was not necessary to tell Purdy why she was
being laid off. , Rigg admitted that he so instructed Pendell, although
i
it Gates was subsequently discharged on January 4, 1939 The facts relating to that inci-
Oent ai e discussed below ' ° ""
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 133
he had stated several times during his testimony. that the foremen
themselves selected the employees to be laid off in their departments.
Pendell declared that he had no complaint about Nida Purdy's work '42
that she was the only woman in the department to be laid off at
that time, and that women with less seniority were retained. He
further testified that he had laid off Nida Purdy on a prior occasion
when work was slack; that in December 1938 Rigg asked him the
reason for that prior lay-off; that Pendell told Rigg that the reason
was because she was married and had a husband in the plant; that
Rigg asked, "Are you ,right sure that it was on account of that and
it wasn't on account of she was unsatisfactory"; that Pendell an-
swered it was not because she was unsatisfactory; and that Rigg
thereupon stated that he was going to report it as "unsatisfactory
labor.", Pendell stated that shortly after Dalton Purdy had been
laid off Rigg told Pendell, "We'll just let these guys stay off and
starve them out." Rigg denied having made this statement. In
view of the many instances shown in the record in which Rigg
expressed and displayed his animosity toward the efforts of the
,employees at self-organization, we find, as did the Trial Examiner,
that Rigg made the statement attributed to him by Pendell.
The respondent contends, and we find, that the job Nida Purdy
was working on was finished at the time she was laid off. In view
of the foregoing facts, however, we are of the opinion that the re-
spondent's true motive in laying her off washer union affiliation and
her close relationship to two active and known members of the union.
The respondent failed to explain why Rigg departed from the usual
procedure of permitting the foreman of the department to select
the employee to be laid off, and in this instance specifically named
the individual employee to be affected. Throughout the hearing, and
in its briefs, the respondent contended that in the lay-off of employees
seniority was qualified by other considerations, among them being
the ability of the employee and marital status. Yet no showing was
made that the women who were retained and had less seniority than
Nida Purdy at the time she was laid off were so retained because
they were more capable workers; on the contrary, Pendell testified
that he had no complaint about her work, and Rigg himself made no
mention of her ability as the reason for his selection. Further, with
respect to marital status, it has been noted above that Dalton Purdy,
Nida Purdy's husband, was laid off on October 17. Thus, according
43 The respondent introduced evidence that at the time Pendell was instructed to recall
Nida Purdy he stated that he "hated to work her' and that "she was the biggest crab
among all the women he had " The respondent failed to show, however, that Pendell had
communicated his feelings in this respect to Frank Rigg either before or at the time of the
lay-off. It is clear that Rigg, and not Pendell, ordered the lay-off and that the order was
neither occasioned nor influenced by Pendell's subsequently expressed opinions
134 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
to the respondent 's own standards , Nida Purdy would not normally
have been the employee whom it would choose to lay off.
We believe it is not without significance that Nida Purdy was
employed in the department where, according to Kettron , Sr., the
"trouble started."
We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that the respondent has dis-
criminated in regard to the hire and tenure of employment of Nida
Purdy, thereby discouraging membership in the Union and inter-
fering with , restraining , and coercing its employees in the exercise
of the rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act,
Sarah Ammer was first employed by the respondent in 1918. She
had worked in several departments in the plant , as well as in the office,
and had assisted in the instruction of other employees. In July
1938 she was transferred from the glaze department to the dry-press
department to work on a rush order . On October 25, 1938, she was laid
off by Dean McKee , foreman of the dry-press department , and was re-
called to work in the glaze department on December 13. She testified
that the order she was working on was completed on October 25. She
further testified that on the day she was laid off John Broshear,,
foreman of the glaze department , approached her and said, " Sally;
I want you to work for me"; that she asked, "In the morning?";
and that Broshear replied, "Yes." Broshear in his testimony ex-
plained that on October 25 he had been promoted to the position of
foreman, as successor to Dyson Lovell; that at noon on that day
he jokingly said to Sarah Aemmer, "Well , Sarah, you will have to
,come to work for me now ," meaning thereby that he had been made
foreman in ' the department in which she regularly worked. The next
morning, Sarah Aemmer reported to Broshear who told her that he
could not use her. '
While we are not altogether free of doubt , we are of the opinion
that the record , as the Trial Examiner found, does not sustain the
allegation that Sarah Aemmer was discriminatorily laid off or dis-
charged on October 25. Although Sarah Aemmer joined the Union on
October 15, according to her own statement she never solicited other
employees to join the Union, or talked to other persons about it. Her
husband, Christ Aemmer, was also a member of the Union but was
not laid off during this period despite the fact, as above related,
that Foreman Johnson knew of his interest in union matters when
he spoke to him about the Brotherhood meeting in March 1937,
and knew of his membership in the Union when he solicited Aemmer
to rescind his membership in November 1938.
We find that Sarah Aemmer was not laid off on October 15, 1938,
because of her membership in or activities on behalf of the Union.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 135
Benny Bartlett was employed by the respondent in January 1937
and at the time of his lay-off on October 25, 1938, was employed
in the glaze department. Bartlett was vice president of the Union
and active in soliciting members for it. Bartlett testified that on
October 15 Frank Rigg stated to him, "What is it I hear about this
Union? I understand you boys are into it up to your necks . . .
Well, as far as I am concerned, I don't care, but I don't think it will
ever do you a lot of good." Harold Taylor, treasurer of the Union,
was present on this occasion, and substantiated Bartlett's testimony.
Although Frank Rigg testified that he had had a conversation with
Bartlett and Taylor in October 1938, he did not deny the above
testimony, which we accept as true. Bartlett further testified that at
approximately 11: 30 a. in. on October 25, Broshear, his foreman,
approached him and stated, "I am put on the spot. Rigg told me
to lay off Bartlett for a few days." Rigg and Broshear did not
allude to this testimony, although they were called as witnesses
by the respondent. We find that Broshear made the statements
attributed to him by Bartlett. Bartlett was_ recalled to his former
position on December 13, 1938. On the following day, Glen Newell,
who was a brother-in-law of the superintendent and who had formerly
been employed by the respondent, was given employment in Foreman
Broshear's department. Newell was assigned to work which paid
more than the work which Bartlett himself was doing and to which
he felt he was entitled by reason of his longer employment. Upon
Bartlett's protest, he also was permitted to perform the type of work
which Newell was doing.
Only two other employees, Dyson Lovell and 'Harold Taylor,
were employed in the department at the time Bartlett was laid off.
Of the three, Bartlett was the only unmarried man and while Bartlett
testified that there was work to be done at the time he was laid off,
he admitted that the employees in the department were working
only 4 or 5 hours at that time and that he had no knowledge of the
business of the company or the number of orders it then had. We
find, as did the Trial Examiner, that there was a lack of work in
Broshear's department at the time Bartlett was laid off.
Broshear testified that prior to the time he became foreman, he
had worked with Lovell and Taylor,, and that he considered Lovell
to be a satisfactory worker but that Taylor did not always do his
share of work. Broshear made not comment as to Bartlett. While
this would seem to indicate that Broshear would have chosen Taylor
rather than Bartlett as the employee to be laid off, the choice, as
we have indicated above, was made by Rigg and not by Broshear.
That the selection was made by Rigg on this occasion is understand-
able in view of the fact that Broshear did not become a foreman until
136 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
the very day that Bartlett was laid off. Further, Rigg's statement
about the Union which was made on October 15 was directed not
only to Bartlett but to Taylor as well, yet Taylor was not laid- off.
From the foregoing facts, and upon the basis of the entire record,
we find, as did the Trial Examiner, that Benny Bartlett was not
laid off on October 25, 1938, because of his membership in or activi-
ties on behalf of the Union.
Nell Olson, Mary Harding, Max Olson-, and Herschel Jones were
employed by the respondent in July 1936, in May 1936, in July 1935,
and in January 1937, respectively. Each of. these employees had
worked intermittently prior to the dates upon which they were laid
off. Although they were members of the Union they were not active
on its behalf. Herschel Jones was laid off on October 17, 1938, Nell
Olson and Mary Harding on October 18, 1938, and Max Olson on
November 7, 1938. Each of them was employed in the tube depart-
ment during this period. The respondent contends that they were
the last employees hired to help out on a special order late in the
summer of 1938 and that they were laid off when the work was,
near completion or completed. - Nell Olson and Mary Harding testi-
fied that at the time they were laid off the job they were working on
was completed. Harding was recalled on November 19, 1938, Max
Olson on November 27, 1938, and Nell Olson on December 13, 1938,
and they were all working at the time of the hearing. Herschel
Jones applied for reinstatement on December 15, but was told by
the foreman of his department that instructions had been given to
use men from other departments and that there were no openings.
Jones was not reinstated up to the time of the hearing.
We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that there is insufficient evi-
dence to sustain the allegations of the complaint that Nell Olson, Mary
Harding, Max Olson, and Herschel Jones were laid off or discharged
in violation of Section 8 (3) of the Act.
(2) The discharges of John Gates and Fred Teel
John Gates -was employed by the respondent in June 1935. As we
have found above, he Was discriminatorily laid off on October 17,
1938, and recalled to his former position on December 13, 1938. On
January 4, 1939, he was discharged.
Shortly after Gates had been recalled on December 13, Bert Badger,
his foreman, told him that lie would have to quit talking to other
employees. That the "talking" referred to discussion of the Union
is apparent since Badger referred to a notice prohibiting such discus-
3sion, which had been posted in the plant.'
41 See Section III B, sups a
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 137
On January 2, 1939, Gates was transferred to the night shift. He
became suddenly ill and left the plant after requesting Ben Rigg, the
plant watchman, to notify Gates'_ foreman. No foreman or other su-
pervisory employee was in charge of the night shift. Although
Badger Was foreman of the department, he regularly left the plant
at the end of the 'day shift. The following day, Gates returned to
the plant and requested Fred Teel and Rile Harding, employees in
the plant, to inform Badger that Gates was ill and would return the
following evening if he felt better. Gates testified that on January 4,
he reported for work and was told by Badger that he could not use
Gates until work "picked up." Badger testified that he told Gates
at this time that he had put someone in Gates' place "because there
was a rush orde"r."
Ben Rigg admitted that Gates had said he was sick when he came
to work'and that he looked ill, but Rigg'denied that Gates had asked
him to- report his illness; Rigg testified that he did not report to
Badger, and Badger stated that he received no report. Rile Harding
testified that about noon on January 4, in the presence of Fred Teel,
he delivered Gates' message to Badger. Teel corroborated this testi-
mony. Badger -testified that he asked Harding about Gates, that
Harding said he "guessed Gates just had a bellyache," but that Harding
did not say that Gates was sick and would return to work that night
if he felt better. Badger could not recall whether Teel was present
'during this conversation. In view of the testimony of Gates, Harding,
and Teel and the fact that Badger admitted he had spoken to Harding
about Gates, it would not seem reasonable to believe that Harding had
not communicated Gates' message to Badger. We credit, in this
respect, as did the Trial Examiner, the testimony of Gates, Harding,
and Teel.
Frank Rigg testified that he spoke to Badger about Gates, absence
on January 4; that Badger said he did not know why Gates had failed
to appear for work; and that Rigg told Badger to put someone in Gates'
place. This conversation occurred during the morning, prior to the
time Badger was informed by Harding that Gates had been ill.
Although the respondent apparently required some form of notifi-
cation from employees who failed to appear for work because of ill-
ness, no established method of procedure in such cases was shown.
Gates testified that he had not personally notified- Badger because he
did not know where Badger might be reached, and Badger admitted
that he had never -notified the employees where he lived. Badger fur-
ther admitted, on cross-examination by counsel for the Board, that
there:was no rule requiring that -lie be notified in case an employee on
the night shift became ill.
138 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
While the respondent contends that Gates was discharged for
leaving his job without notifying his superior, it is apparent from the
foregoing that Gates was not so informed at the time his services
were terminated, non was he informed that the severance was to be
regarded as a discharge. The testimony of both 'Gates ,and Badger
indicates that his severance at the time was considered merely as a
lay-off. Further, the failure to inform Gates of the reason assigned
by the respondent for the termination of his employment deprived
Gates of an opportunity to explain that he had sought to inform the
respondent of his illness. Notwithstanding the fact that Badger
had been instructed by Frank Rigg to replace Gates on the morning
of January 4, Badger learned shortly afterwards, even if his own
testimony were accepted as true, that Gates had been ill; yet Badger
made no effort to investigate the truth of this subsequent information
or to learn whether Gates had attempted to communicate with the
respondent, but instead proceeded to carry out an order which was
manifestly unfair in its effect upon Gates if Badger' s assumptions
were, as we have found them to be, unjustified. Even assuming that
Harding did not notify the respondent of Gates' illness, there was no
testimony that an infraction of that rule was ever followed by so
serious a penalty as discharge.
At a conference between the Union and the respondent on January
20, 1930, and at the' hearing, the respondent contended that Gates
was discharged, not only for his failure to notify the respondent of
his absence from work, but for an "accumulation of things." The re-
spondent stated that he had threatened a fellow employee and had
been seen by another employee at some distance from the plant during
an evening in June 1938 at a time when Gates was supposed to be
working. Gates denied that he was employed on the night shift dur-
ing June 1938 and the respondent did not produce any evidence to
substantiate its contention. Gates also denied that he had ever
threatened a fellow employee, and the employee allegedly threatened
was inclined to make little of it. We find that, even if Gates did
engage in the conduct alleged, his action in so doing was not the
operative cause of his discharge but was utilized by the respondent
as an afterthought.
In light of the discriminatory lay off of Gates on October 17, 1938,
the statement of his foreman on January 4, 1939, indicating that he
was being laid off rather than-discharged, the failure of his foreman
at that time to notify him of the reason, later assigned , for his dis-
charge, the subsequent assignment of other reasons by the
respondent, the ' failure to give him an opportunity to explain the
alleged infraction of the rule, and the seriousness of the penalty in-
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 139
flitted, Nye believe that the `respondent's true motive in discharging
John Gates on January 4, 1940, was his union affiliation rather than
the alleged infraction of the rule.,
We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that the respondent has dis-
criminated in regard to the hire and tenure of employment of John
Gates, thereby discouraging membership in the Union and interfering
with, restraining, and coercing its employees in the exercise of the
rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
Fred Teel was first'employed by the respondent in May 1936. He
was one of the original organizers of the Union which he joined on
October 13, 1938. On November 1, 1938, both Clifford Edwards and
Dolph Hare solicited Teel to join the Association. Teel refused.
On March 7, 1939, Teel was working in the tube department on
the noon to 8 p. m. shift. He was heading special over-size tubes.
Two other men on the same shift, Harding and Brake, were also
heading tubes, but of a different size. One Miller was working an
earlier shift and Olson a later shift on the same special tubes which
Teel was heading.
On March 8, 1939, Teel was discharged by Bert Badger, his,fore-
man,,who had been in,tructed by Frank Rigg to have Teel's check
ready when he reported for work that day. Teel asked why he was
being discharged, and Badger replied. "Well, they found too many
tubes 'you threw away." Teel denied that he had discarded useable
tubes. He further stated, and Badger admitted at the hearing, that
if any such tubes were found it would not be possible to tell w_iose
they were. Badger also admitted that he did not try to learn
which of 'the three men on the different shifts who were working
on these special tubes were responsible for the waste.
Frank Rigg testified that on the morning of March 8, Fred Fur-
man, foreman of the clay department, notified Rigg that there had
been an undue amount of material discarded on the previous day,
and that he and Purman examined the material at that time. Later
in the, morning, Foreman Badger also examined the discarded tubes.
Although Teel had been dischaiged at noon, it was not until 3
o'clock in the afternoon that Rigg conducted a thorough examina-
tion by having the wagon in which the waste tubes had been placed
unloaded and the tubes tried on the die. - At that- time, Rigg de-
termined that approximately one-third of the tubes could have been
saved. Rigg called in several employees, all of whom were members
of the Association, to assist him in checking the load at that time.
As noted above, Badger admitted that it was impossible to deter-
mnirte whether Teel or one of the other of the two employees heading
these L,ubes on different shifts had been responsible for the waste;
140 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
and Rigg admitted that Teel was neither asked for an explanation
nor given an opportunity to explain prior to the time he was dis-
charged. The respondent contended that there was a great deal of
material spoiled in the first part of 1939, that it was attempting to
discover the cause, and that when a large quantity of useable tubes
was discovered in the wagon used by Teel to discard defective tubes,
it immediately discharged him as an example to the other employees.
The respondent failed to show, however, that any employee had ever
been warned or told of such spoilage. The respondent maintained
that Teel was deliberately discarding good tubes. No evidence was
introduced to show any motive for such action on T eel's part. On
the contrary, it was shown that Teel was a piece-worker and that if
he discarded good tubes it would result in a smaller salary for
himself. Teel was never apprised of any dissatisfaction with his
work and on a prior occasion had been given a letter of recom-
mendation by the respondent.
We find that the respondent discharged Fred Teel on March 8,,
1939, because of his union affiliation rather than because he had
deliberately wasted useable material, as alleged by the respondent.
We find, as did the Trial Examiner, that the respondent has dis-
criminated in regard to the hire and tenure of employment of Fred
Teel, thereby discouraging membership in the Union and interfering
with, restraining, and coercing its employees in the exercise of the
rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
(3) The lay-off of Gaillard Pendell
Gaillard Pendell was employed by the respondent in 1927 and was
working in the glaze department at the time of the hearing. He
was one of the original organizers, as well as one of the earliest
members, of the Union, which he joined on October 10, 1938. There-
after, he solicited other employees to join, and on November 9, 1938,
was elected to serve as a trustee of the Union.
During the hearing, Pendell was laid off after having testified as
a witness for the Board. On March 20. 1939, Pendell started to
work at 6: 30 a. m. and worked until 7: 30 a. m. when Broshear, his
foreman, laid him off, for an indefinite period of time. On March
21, 1939, Pendell requested a letter, of recommendation from Maurice
Roark, production manager of the respondent,' who referred him to
Henry Kettron, respondent's vice president. Henry Kettron testi-
fied that he refused Pendells' request because "of the character of
his testimony." The respondent contended that Pendell was laid
off because of lack of work. He was recalled to his former position
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 141
on March 23, 1939, but was unable to return on that day and reported
for'work on March 24.
It will be recalled, as set out above in Section III A , that Pendell
testified at the hearing as to certain statements made to hirer when
he called on Kettron , Sr., at the suggestion of the chief of police to
"square" himself.
In view of the respondent 's hostility to the Union and the reasons
given to Pendell by Henry Kettron for refusing the letter of recom-
mendation , we are convinced that the respondent laid off Pendell
because of its desire to punish him for his loyalty to the Union which
he had demonstrated by his testimony against the respondent.
We find, as did the Trial Examiner , that the respondent , by lay-
ing off Gaillard Pendell discriminated in regard to his hire and
tenure of employment, thereby discouraging membership in the
Union, and that the respondent laid off Gaillard Pendell because
he gave testimony under the Act. We further find that.by the lay-off
of Gaillard Pendell, the respondent interfered with, restrained, and
coerced its employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in
Section 7 of the Act.
IV. THE EFFECT OF THE UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES UPON COMMERCE
We find that the activities of the respondent set forth in Section
III above , occurring in connection with the operations of the re-
spondent described in Section I above, , have a close , intimate, and
substantial relation of trade, traffic , and commerce among the sev-
eral States and tend to lead to labor disputes burdening and ob-
structing commerce and the free flow of commerce.
V. THE REMEDY
Having found that the respondent has engaged in unfair labor
practices we will order it to cease and desist therefrom and to take
certain affirmative action designed to effectuate the policies of the
Act and to restore as nearly as possible the conditions which existed
prior to the commission of the unfair labor practices.
The respondent by varying methods has interfered with , restrained,-
and coerced its employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed
in Section 7. This course of conduct discloses a purpose to defeat
self-organization and its objectives . Because of the respondent's
unlawful conduct and its underlying purpose, we are convinced that
the unfair labor practices found are persuasively related to the othei
unfair labor practices proscribed and that danger of their commis-
sion in the future is to be anticipated from the course of the re-'
142 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
spondent's conduct in the past.44 The preventive purpose of the Act
will be thwarted unless our order is coextensive with the threat. In
order therefore to make effective the interdependent guarantees of
Section 7, to prevent a recurrence, of unfair labor practices, and
thereby to minimize industrial strife which burdens and obstructs
commerce, and thus effectuate the policies of the Act, we will order
the respondent to cease and desist from in any manner infringing the
rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
We have found that the respondent has dominated and interfered
with the formation and administration of the Association, and has
contributed support, to it. In order to effectuate the policies of the
Act and free the employees of the respondent from such domination
and interference, and the effects thereof, which constitute a continu-
ing obstacle to the exercise by, the employees, of rights guaranteed
them by the Act, we shall order the 'respondent not only to cease
and desist from such domination and interference, but also to cease
from giving effect, to its contract with the Association and to with-
draw all recognition from the Association and completely disestab-
lish it as the representative of any of the respondent's employees for
the purposes of collective bargaining.
We have found that the respondent has engaged in unfair labor
practices Eby laying off or discharging Dalton Purdy, John Gates,
Kerman Kepler, Fred Teel, Wayne Morris, Nida Purdy, and Gaillard
Pendell. Subsequently all of these employees, with the exception
of John Gates and Fred Teel were reinstated. We shall order the
respondent to make whole Dalton Purdy, Kerman Kepler, Wayne
Morris, Nida Purdy, and Gaillard Pendell for any losses of earnings
they may have suffered by reason of the discrimination in regard
to their hire or tenure of employment,. by payment to each of them
of a sum of money equal to the amount which each would have earned
as wages during the period from the date of such discrimination to
the date of reinstatement, less the net earnings 45 of each, respectively
during said period.
We have found that the respondent laid off John Gates on October
17, 1938, reinstated him on December 13, 1938, and subsequently dis-
n See National Labor Relatwdns Board v -Eapiess Publishing Company , 312 U S 426
45 By "net earnings" is meant earnings less expenses, such as for transportation, room,
and board, incurred by an employee in connection with obtaining work and working else-
where than for the respondent , which would not have been incurred but for his unlawful
discharge and the consequent necessity of his seeking employment elsewhere See Matter
of Crossett Lumber Company and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of Amer-
ica, Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union, Local 2590 , 8 N L. R B 440 Monies received
for work performed upon Federal , State , county , municipal , or other work-relief projects
shall be considered as earnings . See Republic Steel Corporation v. National Labor Rela-
tions Board, 311 U S, 7.
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 143
charged him on'January 4, 1939; we have also found that both the
lay-off of John Gates on October 17, 1938, and his discharge on
January 4 , 1939, were discriminatory . Accordingly, we shall order
the respondent to offer John Gates immediate and full reinstatement
to his former position without prejudice to his seniority and other
rights and privileges and make him whole for any loss of earnings
he may have suffered by reason of the respondent 's discrimination
against him , by payment to him of a sum of money equal to the
amount which he normally would have earned as wages during the
periods: (1) from the date he was laid off on October 17, 1938, to
the date he was reinstated on December 13, 1938; and ( 2) from the
date he was discharged on January 4, 1939, to the date of offer of
reinstatement, less his net earnings 's during each of such periods.
We have found that the respondent by discharging Fred Teel has
discriminated in regard to his hire and tenure of employment. We
shall therefore order the respondent to offer Fred Teel immediate
and full reinstatement to his former position without prejudice to his
seniority and other rights and privileges , and to make him whole for
any loss of earnings he may have suffered by reason of his discharge
by payment to him of a sum of money equal to the amount he nor-
mally would have earned as wages from the date of his discharge to
the date of the offer of reinstatement less his net earnings " during
such period.
We have further found that there is insufficient evidence to sustain
the allegations - of the complaint that Sarah Aemmer, Nell Olson,
Mary Harding, Max Olson , Herschel Jones, and Benny Bartlett were
discriminatorily laid off or discharged . Accordingly, we shall dis-
miss the complaint in so far as it alleges that these employees were
laid off or discharged in violation of the Act.
VI. THE QUESTION CONCERNING REPRESENTATION
On November 9, 1938, the Union, claiming to represent a majority
of the employees, requested the respondent to recognize it as the
exclusive representative of the employees. However, on that date,
over the protest- of the Union, which- was seeking an election, the
respondent recognized the Association. In January 1939 the Union
again requested the respondent to recognize it. The respondent re-
plied that it had entered into a contract with the Association ' and
that it assumed that its employees wished to continue, without change,
the contract entered into with the respondent.
ae See footnote 45, supra.
44 See footnote 45, supra.
I
144 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
We have found, in Section III B, above, that the Association is
a company-dominated organization. We have further found, in
Section IT, above, that in order to effectuate the purposes and policies
of the Act it is necessary that the respondent disestablish and with-
draw recognition from the Association and cease giving effect to its
contract with it. Consequently, the reasons assigned by the respond-
ent for declining to meet with the Union do not preclude the existence
,of a question concerning representation.
We find that a question has arisen concerning the representation of
employees of the respondent.
VII. THE EFFECT OF THE QUESTION CONCERNING REPRESENTATION
UPON COMMERCE
We find that the question concerning representation which has
arisen, occurring in connection with the operations of the respondent
described in Section I above, has a close, -intimate, and substantial
relationship to trade, traffic, and commerce among the ' several States
and tends to lead to labor disputes burdening and obstructing
commerce and the free flow of commerce.
VIII. THE APPROPRIATE UNIT
The Union urged that all employees of the respondent, excluding
officers, office employees, clerical employees, superintendents, foremen,
assistant foremen, watchmen, and salesmen, constitute a unit appro-
priate for the purposes of collective bargaining. The respondent
stated that it had no objection to this unit. We see no reason for
departing from the unit urged and upon which the parties have
agreed.
We find that all the employees of the respondent, excluding officers,
office employees, clerical employees, superintendents, foremen, as-
sistant foremen, watchmen, and salesmen, constitute a unit appropri-
ate for the purposes of collective bargaining and that said unit will
insure to employees of the respondent the full benefit of their right
to self-organization and to collective bargaining and otherwise
effectuate the policies of the Act.
IX. THE DETERMINATION OF REPRESENTATIVES
We find that the question concerning representation which has
arisen can best be resolved by means of an election by secret ballot.
We shall direct that the employees of the respondent eligible to
vote in the election shall be those employees within the appropriate
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 145
unit on the respondent's pay roll next preceding the date of an elec-
tion which we shall in the future direct, including those who did not
work during such pay-roll period because they were ill or on vaca-
tion or because they were temporarily laid off or absent because
called for/military service, but excluding those who quit or were
discharged for cause prior to the election.
Since, however, the respondent has, by engaging in various unfair
labor practices , interfered with the exercise by its employees of the
rights guaranteed them in 'the Act, we shall not now set the date for
the election. We shall direct the election, however, upon receipt of
information from the Regional Director that the circumstances per-
mit a free choice of representatives unaffected by the respondent's
unlawful acts.
Upon the basis of the foregoing findings of fact and upon the entire
.record in the case, the Board makes the following :
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
1. Illinois Electric Porcelain Workers of Macomb, Federal Labor
Union No. 21787, and Electric Porcelain Workers' Association of
Macomb, Illionis, are labor organizations, within the meaning of Sec-
tion 2 (5) of the Act.
2. By dominating and interfering with the administration of Elec-
tric Porcelain 'Workers' Association of Macomb, Illinois, and by
contributing support to said Association, the respondent has engaged
in and is engaging in unfair labor practices, within the meaning of
Section 8 (2) of the Act.
3. By discriminating in regard to the hire and tenure of employ-
ment of Dalton Purdy, John Gates, Kerman Kepler, Wayne Morris,
Fred Teel, Nida Purdy, and Gaillard Pendell, thereby discouraging
membership in the Union , the respondent has engaged in and is en-
gaging in unfair labor practices , within the meaning of Section 8 (3)
of the Act.
4. By discriminating against Gaillard Pendell because he gave tes-
timony under the Act , the respondent has engaged in and is engaging
in unfair labor practices , within the meaning of Section 8 (4) of the
Act.
5. By interfering with, restraining, and coercing its employees in
the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act, the re-
spondent has engaged in and is engaging in unfair labor practices
within the meaning of Section 8 (1) of the Act.
6. The aforesaid unfair labor practices are unfair labor practices
affecting commerce, within the meaning of Section 2 (6) and (7) of
the Act.
146 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
7. The respondent has not discriminated in regard to the hire or
tenure of employment-of Sarah Aemmer, Max Olson, Nell Olson,
Mary Harding, Herschel Jones, and Benny Bartlett within the mean-
ing of Section 8'(3) of the Act.
8. A question affecting commerce has arisen concerning the repre-
sentation of employees of the respondent, within the meaning of
Section 9 (c) and Section 2 (6) and (7) of the Act.
9. All employees of the respondent, excluding officers, office em-
ployees, clerical employees, superintendents, foremen, assistant fore-
men, watchmen, and salesmen, constitute a unit appropriate for the
purposes of collective bargaining, within the meaning of Section 9 (b)
of the National Labor Relations Act.
ORDER
Upon the basis of the above findings of fact and conclusions of law,
and pursuant to Section 10 (c) of the National Labor Relations Act,
the National Labor Relations Board hereby orders that the respondent,
Illinois Electric Porcelain Company, Macomb, Illinois, its officers,
agents, successors, and assigns, shall :
1. Cease and desist from :
(a) Discouraging membership in Illinois Electric Porcelain Work-
ers of Macomb, Federal Labor Union No. 21787, or any other labor
organization of its employees, by laying off, discharging, or refusing
to reinstate'any of its employees, or by in any other manner discriminat-
ing in regard to their hire-or tenure ' of employment or any term or
condition of their employment;
(b) Dominating or interfering with the administration of Electric
Porcelain Workers' Association of Macomb, Illinois, or with the for-
mation or administration of any other labor organization of its em-
ployees and from contributing support to Electric Porcelain Workers'
Association of Macomb, Illinois, or any other labor organization of its
employees;
(c) Recognizing Electric Porcelain Workers' Association of Ma-
comb, Illinois, as the representative of any of its employees for the
purpose of dealing with the respondent concerning grievances, labor
disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or other condi-
tions of work;
(d) Giving effect to any agreement which it may have with said
Electric Porcelain Workers' Association of Macomb, Illinois;
(e) In any other manner interfering with, restraining, or coercing
its employees in the exercise of their rights to self-organization, to
form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through
representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in concerted
ILLINOIS ELECTRIC PORCELAIN COMPANY 147
activities for the purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual
aid or protection, as guaranteed in Section 7 of the Act.
2. Take the following affirmative action which the Board finds will
effectuate the policies of the Act :
(a) Withdraw all recognition from Electric Porcelain Workers' As-
sociation of Macomb, Illinois, as the representative of its employees for
the purpose of dealing with the respondent concerning grievances,
labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or other
conditions of work, and completely disestablish said Electric Porcelain
Workers' Association of Macomb, Illinois, as such representative;
(b) Offer Fred Teel and John Gates immediate and full reinstate-
ment to their former or substantially equivalent positions, without
prejudice to their seniority and other rights and privileges;
(c) Make whole Dalton Purdy, Nida Purdy, Wayne Morris,
Gaillard Pendell, and Kerman Kepler, for any loss of earnings they
may have suffered by reason of the respondent's discrimination
against them, by payment to each of them of a sum of money equal
to that which each would normally have earned as wages from the
date of the lay-off of each to the date of reinstatement, less the net
earnings 48 of each during said period :
(d) Make whole John Gates for any loss of earnings he may have
suffered by reason of the respondent's discrimination against him,
by payment to him of a sum of money equal to that which he nor-
mally would have earned as wages during the periods (1) from
the date he was laid off on October 17, 1938, to the date he was
reinstated on December 13, 1938, and (2) from the date he was dis-
charged on January 4, 1939, to the date of offer of reinstatement,
less his net earnings 49 during each of such periods ;
(e) Make whole Fred Teel for any loss of earnings he may have
suffered by reason of the respondent's discrimination against him
by payment to him of a sum of money equal to that which he nor-
mally would have earned as wages from the date he was discharged
on March 8, 1939, to the date of offer of reinstatement less his net
earnings 5° during said period;
(f) Immediately post notices in conspicuous places throughout
its plant, and maintain such notices for a period of at least sixty
(60) consecutive days, stating:' (1) that the respondent "will not
engage in the conduct from which it is ordered to cease and desist
in paragraphs 1 (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this Order; (2) that
the respondent will take the affirmative action set forth in para-
graphs 2 (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this Order; and (3) that
4E See footnote 45, supra.
F9 Idem.
so Idem.
k 441543-42-vo1..31-11
148 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
the respondent's employees are free to become or to remain members
of Illinois Electric -Porcelain Workers of- Macomb, Federal Labor
Union No. 21787, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor
and that the respondent will not discriminate against any employee
because of membership or activity in that organization;
(g) Notify the Regional Director for the Thirteenth Region in
writing within ten '(10) days from the date of this Order, what'steps
the respondent has taken to comply herewith.
AND' IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the allegations of the amended
complaint, 'charging the respondent with engaging in' unfair labor
practices, within the meaning of Section 8 ' (3) of the in'-unfairby laying
off or discharging Sarah''Aemnier, Nell Olson, Mary Harding, Max
Olson, Herschel 'Jones, and Benny Bartlett be, and` they hereby are,
dismissed:
CHAIRMAN HARRY A. MILLIS took no part in the consideration of
the above Decision and Order.