Reynolds Metal Co.

National Labor Relations Board - Board Decisions

Jun 3, 1960

127 N.L.R.B. 986 (N.L.R.B. 1960)

986 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
effective as well as the more efficient way is for the Board to consider
the total picture, rather than piecemeal, and from a comprehensive
analysis of all the facts and the issues, make the determinations
required in these cases.
Reynolds Metal Company and Local No. 18 International
Brotherhood of Bookbinders , AFL-CIO, Petitioner. Case
No. 14-RC-1546. June 3, 1960
ORDER DENYING MOTION
Pursuant to a Board-conducted consent election, the Petitioner,
herein called the Bookbinders, was certified in October 1951 for a unit
of "all papercutters, diecutters and apprentices" of the Employer at
its St. Louis, Missouri, plant, excluding all other employees. On
December 21, 1959, the Bookbinders filed the instant motion for
clarification of representation asserting that a certain classification of
employees performing a new operation, as described below, should be
found to be an accretion to the unit presently represented by it, and
that its certification be amended accordingly. On February 1, 1960,
the Intervenor, Aluminum Workers International Union, Local No.
160, herein called the Aluminum Workers, filed objections to the mo-
tion, alleging that the employees in question are properly a part of the
production unit which it represents, and that the granting of the
motion would result in an infringement upon the recognized jurisdic-
tion of the Aluminum Workers. On February 8, 1960, the Employer
filed a response to the motion, taking no position with respect thereto,
but requesting a settlement of the controversy by the Board.
On February 17,1960, the Board remanded the case to the Regional
Director, directing that a hearing be held on the issues raised by the
Bookbinders' motion. The Employer, the Bookbinders, and the Alu-
minum Workers appeared and participated at the hearing. The
rulings of the hearing officer, made at the hearing, are free from
prejudicial error and are hereby affirmed.
Upon the entire record in the case, the Board 1 makes the following
findings.
In the spring of 1959, the Employer purchased a Climax Challenger
Hole Driller and about 3 months later placed it in operation in the
production process. The machine's function was to cut round holes
in paper labels, the Employer's product, to be wrapped around bottles
'Pursuant to the provisions of Section 8(b) of the Act, the Board has delegated its
powers in connection with this case to a three-member panel [Members Rodgers , Jenkins,
and Fanning].
127 NLRB No. 126.
REYNOLDS METAL COMPANY 987
for the purpose of affording the consumer an opportunity to see the
quantity of liquid left in the bottle after partial use. In view of the
dispute between the Bookbinders and the Aluminum Workers a com-
promise plan was worked out by the parties whereby members of each
union would alternate in the operation of the machine until the dispute
is resolved.
The machine, powered by electricity and operated by a foot pedal,
has a hollow rotating drill 2 which punches a hole in and perforates a
stack of labels. The hole must be within plus or minus one thirty-
second of an inch on both sides of the label.' The labels when printed
are in sheets measuring 32 by 28 inches. The sheets are given to a
straight-knife cutter, represented by the Bookbinders, who cuts them
by special machine called a "guillotine cutter" so that initially five
labels appear on a sheet. The sheets are then put through the hole-
punching operation in question, following which they are taken back
to the straight-knift cutter who trims them down to individual labels.
A conveyor delivers the labels to the inspectors and the wrappers.
The finishing department is a large room and houses members of
the Bookbinders, e.g., straight-knife cutters and diecutters, and of the
Aluminum Workers, e.g., jobbers, wrappers, packers, and other mis-
cellaneous employees. The department is supervised by two bindery
foreman who have direct supervision over all the equipment therein.
The evidence shows that the hole-punching machine in question
as well as the guillotine cutter, and a "printing diecutter" operated by
a diecutter, all require a setup operation. However, the setup opera-
tion is more complicated on the latter two machines than on the hole-
punching machine. The straight-knife cutters and the diecutters must
serve a 2- to 4-year apprenticeship. Production workers have been
taught to operate the hole-punching machine in a very short time,
although they would not be able to operate the guillotine cutter or the
printing diecutter without having undergone the required apprentice-
ship.
We find that the operation of the hole-punching machine does
not require the exercise of any craft skills. And it is clear that the
certified unit is based on craft considerations. In view of the record,
we conclude that no grounds exist on a craft or departmental basis for
holding that the new hole-punching operation is an accretion to the
Bookbinders' certified unit. Accordingly, we shall deny the instant
motion in effect to amend the certification to include this operation.
[The Board denied the motion.]
2 This drill was also referred to in the record as a die, mortiser, or guillotine.
8 The same tolerance of one thirty-second of an inch is required in diecutting.