Southern Industries Co.

National Labor Relations Board - Board Decisions

Dec 27, 1950

92 N.L.R.B. 998 (N.L.R.B. 1950)

In the Matter of SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY, EMPLOYER and
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF PULP, SULPHITE, AND PAPER MILL
WORKERS, I. FL, PETITIONER
In the Matter of CALCASIEU PAPER COMPANY, EMPLOYER and INTER-
NATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF PAPER MAKERS, AFL, AND INTERNATIONAL
BROTHERHOOD OF PULP, SULPHITE, AND PAPER MILL WORKERS, AFL,
PETITIONERS
Cases Nos. 15-RC-400 and 15-RC-401.-Decided December 27, 1950
DECISION AND DIRECTION OF ELECTION
Upon separate petitions duly filed under Section 9 (c) of the Na-
tional Labor Relations Act, a consolidated hearing was held before
Richard C. Keenan, hearing officer. The hearing officer's rulings made
at the hearing are free from prejudicial error and are hereby affirmed.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 (b) of the Act, the Board has
delegated its powers in connection with this case to a three-member
panel [Chairman Herzog and Members Murdock and Styles].
Upon the entire record in this case, the Board finds :
1. The Employers are each engaged in commerce within the mean-
ing of the Act.
2. The labor organizations involved, herein collectively called the
Petitioner, claim,to represent employees of the Employers.
3. A question affecting commerce exists concerning the representa-
tion of employees of the Employers within the meaning of Section 9
(c) (1) and Section 2 (6) and (7) of the Act.
4. The Employers and the Petitioner agree that all production and
maintenance employees of both Companies involved in this proceeding
appropriately belong in a single unit.? They further agree that the
following individuals are supervisors and should be excluded from the
unit : The Southern Industries Company general superintendent, as-
sistant superintendent, and the finishing room foreman and head ship-
ping clerk; the Calcasieu Paper Company general manager, the gen-
' These cases were formally consolidated by order of the Board dated August 22, 1950.
2 Both Companies are commonly owned and controlled. There is some interchange of
employees between them and both are serviced by a single office staff . Their manufacturing
operations are complementary. Paper produced by Calcasieu Paper Company is processed
by Southern Industries Company.
92 NLRB No. 141.
998
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 999
eral superintendent, the plant engineer, the mechanical superintendent,
the assistant mechanical superintendent, the paper mill superintend-
ent, the assistant paper -mill superintendent,' the finishing room super-
intendent, the steam superintendent, the power plant superintendent,
the chief electrician, the pulp mill general superintendent, the pulp
mill tour foremen, and the town maintenance department
superintendent.
The parties disagree, however, as to the supervisory status of numer-
ous job classifications in both plants below the level of the afore-men-
tioned supervisors. The Employers contelid that the incumbents of
the disputed classifications are supervisors because some of them have
authority to hire and discharge employees; or to assign, transfer, or
effectively to recommend changes in the status of employees, and that
all of them responsibly direct the work of employees. The Petitioner
categorically opposes these contentions.
The following personnel practices are in effect at the Employers'
plants. Applicants for employment are referred to the heads of
departments and foremen whose supervisory status is stipulated, who
interview these applicants and give their approval before they are
hired. The alleged supervisors may also refer and recommend per-
sons for hiring, but these persons also are interviwed by and must
receive the approval of the department heads and foremen before
they are hired. The Employers admit that consideration would also
be given to similar referrals and recommendations coming from rank-
and-file employees. Final decision as to discharges of employees are
likewise made only by the department heads and foremen. All rec-
ommendations for discharge by the alleged supervisors are acted
upon only after investigation and review by higher authority. While
the Employers assert that under certain circumstances these in-
dividuals may discharge employees, these circumstances appear to
involve cases of aggravated misconduct in which the employees com-
mit such flagrant violations of common -working standards as being
drunk or sleeping on the job, fighting, or rank insubordination.4 The
authority of the alleged supervisors to assign and transfer employees
These individuals are also referred to as tour foremen.
4 Thus, the Calcasieu steam superintendent testified that the boiler room engineer may
discharge anyone caught sleeping or drunk on the job , and the paper mill superintendent
testified that machine tenders and back tenders could send employees home who get into a
fight . A cook foreman discharged an employee who "flatly " refused to carry out an
order . A finishing department shift foreman sent a man home whom he caught sleep-
ing-on the job and this employee was later informed by the superintendent that he was
discharged . The only other instances involving the discharges of employees recalled by
the Employers ' witnesses were the discharge of a helper by the mechanical superintendent
after he had been "sent home" by a lead millwright at a time when the superintendent was
not present ( the circumstances surrounding this action are not explained in the record),
and the discharge of an employee by the paper mill superintendent for absenteeism.
1000 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
is limited to the interchange of employees within a gang or crew
and involves only the assignment of these employees to routine duties.
We find from all the evidence that, with the exceptions hereinafter
noted, the alleged supervisors do not possess the authority to hire or
.discharge employees, or to effectively recommend such action, and
that any authority they possess with respect to the assignment or
transfer of employees is routine in nature and does not involve the
exercise of independent judgment .5 There remains for considera-
•tion only the Employers' contention that all the individuals in the
-disputed classifications "responsibly direct" employees under them.
-The duties of these individuals are discussed below.
The Alleged Supervisors at Southern Industries Company
The Production Department
This department operates on three shifts. The plant general
:superintendent and his assistant are respectively in charge of the
first and second shifts. The third shift is composed of a limited
complement of employees and is under an. adjuster. The parties
.disagree as to the supervisory status of adjusters in this department,
including the adjuster in charge of the third shift.
There are 35 machines in the production department which by
.automatic processes convert rolls of paper into paper bags. Each
machine is tended by a machine operator whose main function is
-to tie the bags as they are produced and to stack them on a truck.
'There are machine tenders who supply each 2 or 3 machines with
paper and paste, clean the floors, oil the machines, remove the loaded
trucks, and furnish empty trucks. The operators and tenders per-
form simple duties which require no guidance or instruction unless
-the machines function inefficiently or the quality of paper is ques-
tionable. For every 6 or 8 machines there is an adjuster who is
responsible for the efficient operation of these machines and the
quality of the bags produced.. He adjusts the machines and gives
initial instructions to the operators and tenders as to their duties.
If he is not satisfied with the quality of bags he may order a machine
turned offs He may then temporarily assign the tender to another
machine and the operator to the salvage table until the machine
5 United States Gypsum Company , 92 NLRB 18 ; The Ironside8 Company, 87 NLRB
1564.
, There are several inspectors who make rounds of the department and check the quality
of bags being produced by the machines . They also have authority to order that machines
be shut down and to reject bags which they consider to be of insufficient quality. Their
:authority in these respects is superior to that of the adjusters . The Employer does not
- contend that inspectors are supervisors.
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 1001
is put back into operation. He also decides whether a tender shall
work with 2 or 3 machines and may shift a tender from one set of
machines to another. In addition the adjusters make change-overs
on the machines when different sizes and types of bags are to be
produced. These operations involve gear changes and other adjust-
ments which take from 30 minutes to 4 hours for each machine. The
Employer's general superintendent could not estimate the time spent
by adjusters on change-overs but testified that they may spend from
1 hour daily to a full day at these activities. Major change-overs
requiring several hours for each machine occur only 4 or 5 times yearly.
The duties of the adjuster on the third shift are the same as those
of the other adjusters, except that he alone is in charge of approxi-
mately 5 to 10 employees.
The adjusters essentially are skilled mechanics who are primarily
concerned with the adjustment and efficient mechanical operation of
the machines in their care. Such directions as they give to the oper-
ators and tenders who work at these machines are routine in nature
and do not involve the exercise of independent judgment or discretion.
Accordingly, we find that the adjusters on the first and second shifts
are not supervisors and shall include them in the unit. As the ad-
juster on- the third shift is solely responsible for the production of the
employees under him at a time when no other supervisors are present,
we find that he is a supervisor 7 and shall exclude him from the unit .s
The Finishing Room and Shipping Department
These departments are directly under one individual designated as
the foreman and head shipping'clerk, herein called the foreman. The
parties disagree as to the supervisory status of the head bundlers and
the assistant shipping clerk in these departments.
The head bundlers.-The finishing room operates on 2 shifts.
There are 14 bundlers and pressers on the first shift and 8 of these
employees on the second shift who compress, wrap, and tie bundles
of paper bags. One of these employees on each shift is called the head
bundler. The head bundlers see that the other employees are supplied
with twine and wrappers and act as relief men for these employees
during their rest periods. Approximately 25 percent of their time
is spent at such relief duties. They spend the rest of their time check-
ing the tightness of the bundles and seeing that the other employees
are kept busy. In the event trouble were to arise, the head bundlers
4 California Spray Chemical Corp., 86 NLRB 453.
8 Because he does not believe that the fact that an individual is responsible for the
production of employees under him at a time when no other supervisors are present, is,
in itself , sufficient to render that individual a supervisor within the meaning of the Act,
Member Styles dissents from this holding.
929979-51-vol. 92-65
1002 DECISIONS . OF NATIONAL. LABOR, RELATIONS BOARD
would call the foreman on the day shift or the assistant superintend-
ent on the night shift.
The assistant shipping clerk.-This employee prepares . shipping
manifests and directs loading operations by crews aggregating 7 or
8 employees . There is no indication as to the manner in which such
direction is exercised except that the assistant shipping clerk may
change the positions of the loaders. Both the foreman and the as-
sistant shipping clerk are on duty together . In the absence of the
foreman the assistant shipping clerk is in charge of shipping opera-
tions. The record does not show the frequency or duration of such
absences or the responsibility thus exercised by the assistant shipping
clerk.
. We believe that neither the head bundlers nor the assistant shipping
clerk exercise a sufficient degree of independent judgment or discre-
tion in directing the work of employees under them to warrant a
conclusion that they are supervisors . We shall include them in the
unit.
The Maintenance Shop Head Machinist
There is a fully equipped maintenance shop at Southern Industries
which is directly under a head machinist who reports to the general
superintendent . In addition to the head machinist there are in the
maintenance shop two journeymen machinists , two helpers, and a
millwright. One of the machinists works alone at night. All the
other employees work during the day time . The head machinist re-
ceives work orders and apportions the work among himself and the
other machinists, including the. night machinist. All the machinists
are sufficiently skilled so that they require no guidance or advice from
the head machinist in the performance of their duties . The head
machinist spends approximately 50 percent of his time at physical
duties. A substantial part of his time is spent outside the shop in other
parts of the plant. There is nothing in the record which indicates
that he exercises any supervision over the millwright. As the author-
ity of the head machinist appears to be limited to making routine
work assignments to the other machinists , we find that he is not a
supervisor and shall include him in the unit.
The Alleged Supervisors at Calcasieu, Paper Company
The Departments and Operating Units Under the
Mechanical Superintendent
The Woodyard labor foreman and shift foremen.-The woodyard is
directly under the labor foreman who in turn is over three 'shift fore-
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 1003
men. At the time of the hearing, the labor foreman was temporarily
acting as the day shift foreman to fill a vacancy in that position. Apart
from his temporary duties as shift foreman, the main function of
the labor foreman is to transmit general work orders from the me-
chanical superintendent to the shift foremen. He also interviews
job applicants referred to the woodyard and he, together with the
mechanical superintendent, investigates discharges of employees by
the shift foremen. In addition, the labor foreman is jointly, with the
assistant mechanical superintendent, in charge of,the labor pool from
which laborers are drawn by the various plant departments.
Each shift foreman is directly in charge of a crew of approximately
11 employees who. unload wood from cars onto a moving chain which.
conveys the . wood to a chipper where it is cut and stored in bins.
Other than making occasional minor repairs to the conveyer chain,
the shift foremen perform no manual duties. They are on duty during
periods when the mechanical superintendent, his assistant, and the:
labor foreman are absent from the plant and are solely responsible!
for production during their shifts.
From the above circumstances, particularly the fact that he inter-
views job applicants and investigates discharges of employees, we
find that the labor foreman is a supervisor. We find also that the
shift foremen, because they are in charge of their respective shifts at
times when no supervisors are present and are solely responsible for
the production of employees under them, are supervisors.,, We .shall
therefore exclude the labor foreman and the shift foremen from the:
unit * 10
Lead millwrights.-The Calcasieu force of 11 millwrights includes:
3 lead millwrights. The lead millwrights work during the day time
whereas the other millwrights work on shifts, 2 being assigned to each
of 4 shifts. The mechanical superintendent who is in charge of all
the millwrights ' also works during the day time and directly super-
vises 6 or 7 millwrights.. The identity of these. millwrights is not
clear , but they appear to be the 3 lead millwrights and the day shift
millwrights. The mechanical superintendent testified 'that in his
absence the lead millwrights supervise the other millwrights. The
record, however, does not indicate the frequency or duration of
these absences or the manner in which such supervision is exercised..
Usually each lead millwright works on a job without another mill-
wright but with a crew of 2 helpers and as many as 6 laborers drawn.
from the labor pool. The lead millwrights themselves decide how
many additional laborers are required. Lead millwrights spend a.
California Spray-Chemical Corp ., supra.
10 For the reasons stated in footnote 8, supra, Member Styles dissents from the holding:
that the shift foremen are supervisors.
1004 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
substantial part of their time working with tools and performing
manual duties. At times they merely direct the work of their helpers
and laborers. There is no, indication as to the precise duties of these
employees other than the fact that they help the lead millwrights.
;Shift millwrights do not have regular helpers assigned to them, but
they also receive assistance from helpers and laborers when it is re-
quired. The Employers do not contend that the shift millwrights are
supervisors.
We are satisfied from the foregoing that the lead millwrights do
not supervise the shift millwrights. Nor do we believe that their
relationship with the helpers and laborers with whom they some-
times work warrants the conclusion that they are supervisors. In
the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we perceive no reason
for concluding that the direction given by the lead millwrights to
these employees consists of more than the routine instructions usually
given by a skilled craftsman to less experienced employees. Under
all the circumstances, we find that the lead millwrights are not super-
visors and shall include them in the unit 11
The lead welder.-The Calcasieu welding force consists of four
welders, of whom the lead welder is one, and four helpers. The
mechanical superintendent testified that he holds the lead welder
responsible for all the welding work, but conceded that all the
'welders are sufficiently skilled so that they perform all their duties
without any instructions or guidance from the lead welder. The
lead welder is authorized to inspect the work of other welders, but
there are times when he is tied down to his own welding work and
unable to leave it. Occasionally several welders work together on
.a single job, but usually each welder works only with a helper in
a separate part of the plant. Routine welding assignments are made
by the lead welder, but the priority of work on emergency jobs is
determined by the mechanical superintendent and the departmental
foremen. The lead welder may shift a welder. from a job on which
he is working to another more urgent job, and may also decide
whether additional laborers are required and requisition them from
the labor pool. .
We find that essentially the extent of the lead welder's authority
over the other ' welding employees is to make routine work assign-
ments and that he does not responsibly direct the work of these
employees. Accordingly, we find that he is not a supervisor and
shall include him in the unit.
The head machinist.-There are in the Calcasieu machine shop, in
addition to the head machinist, a journeyman machinist, an appren-
11 Strong Company, 86 NLRB 687.
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 1005
tice machinist who is about to qualify as a journeyman, and a clean-up
man. The head machinist is the most highly skilled of these em-
ployees. Routine work orders are delivered to the' shop and the head
machinist assigns the work to the other employees. The order in
which emergency jobs are to be performed is decided by the mechan-
ical superintendent. The head machinist spends 4 to 5 out of each
8 hours daily operating machines in the shop, and spends the rest
of his time inspecting work done in the shop and consulting with
the mechanical superintendent. He also instructs the apprentice.
We find that the head machinist does not responsibly direct the work
of the machine shop employees, and that his authority over them is
limited to making routine work assignments. Accordingly, we find
that he is not a supervisor and shall include him in the unit.
The day locomotive engineer.-There are two locomotive crews,
each consisting of an engineer and brakeman. One crew works
during the day, the other at night. The day engineer is responsible
for the operation of the train, the repair of the engine, and the
maintenance of the track. He does not, however, appear to super-
vise any employees who repair the engine or maintain the track.
The day engineer receives routing orders from the mechanical su-
perintendent on the morning of each day, plans his switching opera-
tions, and proceeds to carry them out. At the end of the day, he
leaves written • instructions for the night engineer indicating switch-
ing operations to be completed. The night engineer is responsible
only for the completion of the work. We find that the preparation
and transmittal of such instructions by the day engineer to the night
engineer does not constitute responsible direction over the latter's
work and that the day engineer accordingly is not a supervisor.
We shall include him in the unit.
The car builder.-Three employees, including a mechanic classi-
fied as a car builder and two helpers, work in a separate shop
where they repair and rebuild railroad cars. The 'record does not
disclose the precise duties of any of these employees except that they
appear to involve carpentry and welding and are of a routine nature.
The record does indicate that the relationship between the car builder
and the helpers is merely that .of a skilled mechanic to less skilled
helpers. We find that the car builder is not a supervisor and shall
include him in the unit.
The Pulp Mill
The pulp mill consists of three departments, the cook room, re-
covery room, and the caustic room. These departments are headed
by a general superintendent and two tour foremen. The superin-
tendent works during the day shifts, while the tour foremen cover
1006 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
the night shifts. The parties disagree as to the, supervisory status
of cook room foremen, recovery room foremen, and caustic room
operators.
The cook room foremen.-The function of the cook room is to.
convert wood chips into-pulp by boiling the chips under pressure
with. certain chemicals added. The boiling process takes place in
six huge vats called 'digestors located in the cook room. Separate
crews work on each of four shifts tending these vats. Included in
each crew is a cook foreman, a first helper, a second helper, a blow
man, a diffuser operator and his helper.
The cook foreman, assisted by the first and second helpers, per-
forms his operations on a level at the top of the digestors. The
helpers manipulate valves and load the digestors with chips and the
liquid ingredients while the cook foreman watches to see that these
elements are added in the proper proportions. The time for cook-
ing the chips is set by the superintendent and the tour foremen on
their respective shifts. Cooking periods generally run for the same
time. During the cooking process the cook foreman watches the
digestors, sees that the helpers test samples at fixed intervals, and
decides when the pulp has been sufficiently cooked. He also keeps
time records of the cooking processes as well as the time of the crew
members. When the pulp has been cooked for the desired period
the cook foreman signals the blow man who is stationed at the bot-
tom of the digestors 40 or 50 feet below. Thereupon the blow man
proceeds to "blow" the digestors. The functions of the blow man
are performed entirely without instruction or direction from the
cook foreman, their only contact occurring at the moment when the
signal is given to blow the digestors. This signal is mainly for
reasons of safety. The diffuser operator and his helper wash "stock."
This operation is also performed without direction from the cook
foreman whose advice is sought only when stock is encountered which
the diffuser operator cannot clean. Contact between the diffuser
operator and the cook foreman is thus infrequent. All operations
in the cook room are routine and do not vary.
Cook room employees start at the lowest rated job and progress
to the position of cook foreman which represents the highest skill
in that progression. In the absence of the tour foreman,. the cook
foreman is in complete pharge of the cook room. The record does
not indicate the frequency or duration of such absences. If, during
such absence, the crew is short a man, the cook foreman obtains a re-
placement subject to the tour foreman's approval should the replace-
ment be for a substantial period. When the tour foreman is present
the cook foreman reports replacement needs to him.
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 1007
The recovery room foremen.-Liquor used in the pulp cooking
operation is salvaged in the recovery room by a distillation process.
This process is conducted by separate crews of employees who work on
each of four shifts. Included in these crews are a recovery room
foreman, cascade disc man, furnace man, salt cake man, spray nozzle
man, tube lancer, and a switchboard man. The foreman has no fixed
station but moves about the various parts of the recovery room watch-
ing the controls and meters on the boiler. Occasionally he checks the
fires in the boiler and may instruct the salt cake man to add more salt
cake or the spray nozzle man to add more liquor. He keeps records of
the amount of liquor handled and the time of the crew. Members of
the crew below the foreman have specific, routine duties which they
perform without constant guidance or advice from the foreman.
Employees in the recovery room start at the lowest rated job and
progress to the position of foreman which represents the highest skill
in that progression. In the absence of the tour foreman the recovery
room foreman is in complete charge of the recovery room. The record
does not indicate the frequency or duration of such absences.
The caustic room operators.-Liquor salvaged in the recovery room
is pumped to the caustic room where lime is added. • This operation is
performed by separate crews who work on each of four shifts. Each
crew consists of an operator and two helpers. The work of the helpers
consists essentially of starting and stopping pumps and watching the
operation of the pumps and the lime sludge filter. The operator runs
tests of the liquor and regulates the addition of lime. The various
mechanical operations in the recovery room are controlled by pulling
switches on a board. Either the operator or the helpers at his instruc-
tion pull these switches. A lime kiln is presently under construction
which when completed in about 6 months will entail the employment
of two additional employees in the caustic room. No testimony was
available as to the duties which these employees will perform. As
in the case of the cook room foremen and recovery room foremen, the
caustic operators are in charge of the caustic room in the absence of
the tour foremen.
We do not believe that the cook room foremen, the recovery room
foremen, or the caustic room operators responsibly direct the work
of the employees in their respective crews. Although they give some
directions to these employees as to the performance of their duties, we
find that such directions are essentially routine in nature and do not
involve the exercise of a sufficient degree of independent judgment or
discretion to warrant the conclusion that they are supervisors.12
12 Southern Paperboard Corporation, 84 NLRB 822.
1008 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR. RELATIONS BOARD
Moreover, such authority as they exercise is carried out under the
guidance of a superior. While in an earlier proceeding 13 involving
these employees the Petitioner conceded that the cook room foremen
and the recovery room foremen were supervisors, we find from an
examination of the record therein that the position of tour foreman
did not then exist, and that the cook room foremen and recovery room
foremen were solely in charge of their departments and reported
directly to the pulp mill general superintendent. The record in that
proceeding also indicates that these individuals could effectively rec-
ommend the hiring and discharge of employees and that the current
practice of an independent investigation of such recommendations
by higher authority did not then prevail.
The Paper Mill
This department is headed by a superintendent who is assisted by
three assistant superintendents who are also referred to as tour fore-
men. The superintendent and his assistants are each directly .in charge
of a separate shift. The parties disagree as to the supervisory status
of the machine tenders, back tenders, and winder men in the paper
mill.
There are two elaborate machines approximately 200 feet long in
operation on each shift which convert pulp into paper and wind the
finished paper into rolls. Each of these machines is manned by a crew
of eight employees who work at fixed stations and perform related
operations during the processing stages. The machine tender, assisted
by the wet end boy, works at the wet end or beginning point of the
machine. The primary function of the machine tender is to regulate
the flow of pulp into the machine through several devices which form
the pulp into a paper sheet. The superintendent and the tour foremen
instruct the machine tenders regarding the weight of, paper to be
produced and the machines are accordingly adjusted. Together with
the wet end boy the machine tender fills the pit with water, builds up
a head, turns on the. showers, and starts the pumps and motors which
put the machine into motion. The paper sheet thus formed is con-
veyed on a wire mesh to the drying presses. The back tender is respon-
sible for the drying of the paper. Using an air gun he directs the
paper sheet into presses whence it emerges and is wound onto a reel
which he continuously watches as the paper is wound. As a final step
the winder crew, which includes the winder man and four other em-
ployees, rewinds the paper and cuts it to desired proportions using
slicers which are placed in position by the crew. The winder man
works at the dry end or terminus of the machine.
13'Calcasieu Paper Company , Inc., 73 NLRB 344.
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 1009
The Employers assert that the machine tenders are responsible for
the entire operation of their machines and that a line of authority
over the employees manning the machines runs from the machine
tenders down through the back tenders and the winder men. How-
ever, as noted above, each of these individuals is primarily concerned
with a special operation which generally requires him to work in a
fixed area apart from the others. It appears, moreover, that during
the normal operation of the machines there is no need for instruction
or guidance by these individuals of the other employees as they per-
form routine duties which do not vary. We find that the relationship
between the machine tender, back tender, and winder men and the
other employees who work with them is that of highly skilled work-
men to helpers, and that under all the circumstances they are not
supervisors within the meaning of the Act. - We shall therefore include
them in the unit.-
The Finishing Room
A superintendent and an assistant superintendent head this depart-
ment. Under them are four shift foremen. The parties disagree as
to the supervisory status of the shift foremen and cutter operators of
this department.
The shift foremen.-Each of the shift foremen is in charge of a shift
of 21 employees. The main function of these foremen is to coordinate
the activities of the employees under them who are engaged in the .
operation of sheet cutting machines and in the storing and loading of
paper for shipment. The foremen lay out the work of these employees
and assign them to specific duties. They perform physical duties in-
frequently and then only to expedite the work of the department. The
superintendent. and his assistant appear to be on duty only during the
day time and are on call at other times. We believe-under the circum-
stances that the shift foremen are supervisors and shall exclude them
from the unit.'-'
Cutter operators.-There are in the finishing department paper cut-
ting machines manned by crews consisting of a cutter operator and two
helpers. Rolls of paper are mounted on these machines which cut the
paper into sheets. The operator and his helpers perform coordinate
duties in mounting the paper and operating the machine. The opera-
tor manipulates the cutting apparatus, one of the helpers handles the
sheet stackers, and the other helper picks up the paper trim from the
floor and hauls it away. Such directions as the operator gives to the
" See United Staten Gypsum Company, 91 NLRB 404.
" Member Styles dissents from this holding and would find that the shift foremen are not
supervisors.
1010 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR. RELATIONS BOARD
helpers are concerned with the timing of their operations and do not
involve instructions as to how their duties shall be performed. His
relationship to the helpers is that of a skilled employee to less experi-
enced helpers. We find that the cutter operators are not supervisors
and shall include them in the unit.
The Boiler Room and the Power Plant
I
The steam superintendent is directly over the boiler room and has
ultimate authority over the power plant which is directly headed by
the power plant superintendent. The parties disagree as to the super-
visory status of the engineers and firemen in the boiler room and the
No. 1 turbine operators in the power plant.
The engineers.-The boiler room operates on four shifts. On each
shift there is an engineer, a fireman, and two helpers. This depart-
ment consists of an engine room which contains an engine and two
turbines, and a boiler room which contains five steam generating
boilers. The engineers are concerned with the operation of all the
equipment. They alone operate the engine room equipment perform-
ing such duties as reading gauges, turning valves, and shutting down
and starting the engine and turbines. Approximately 20 percent of
their time is spent on repair and maintenance work in both the engine
and boiler rooms. When emergencies arise in the boiler room they
help the firemen. Otherwise they. operate no equipment in the boiler
room.
The firemen.-These employees perform the usual duties associated
with their classification. Most of the physical duties such as fueling
and cleaning the boilers, and making water tests are. performed by the
helpers. The firemen essentially watch gauges and charts and tell
the helpers when to perform their duties.
The No. 1 turbine operators:The power plant also operates on four
shifts. On each shift there are two turbine operators designated as
the No. 1 and No. 2 turbine operators, a fireman, a fireman helper, and
a water line boy. This department contains five turbines. The No. 1
turbine operator is in charge of three turbines in one room. The No. 2
operator is in charge of the remaining two turbines which are located
in another room. Except that the No. 1 turbine operator handles
more equipment and is responsible for the operation of all the turbines,
the duties of both turbine operators are identical. Moreover, it ap-
pears that the No. 2 turbine operator requires no instruction or guid-
ance in the performance of his duties. The fireman and his helper
operate the boiler which powers the turbines. The water line boy
checks the wells and pumps, mixes the chemicals for the boiler, and
occasionally relieves the turbine operators. While the Employers
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIES COMPANY 101.1
assert that the No. 1 turbine operator has the authority to tell the other
power plant employees what to do, it appears that such direction
would be given only in the event that serious trouble were to occur.
We find that for the most part all employees in both the boiler
room and the power plant perform standard, routine. operations
which are carried out almost entirely without guidance or direction.
Under these circumstances we find that the engineers, firemen, and
No. 1 turbine operators do not responsibly direct the work of the
other employees and. are not supervisors 16 We shall include them in
the unit.
The Electrical Department Lead Electrician
There are 11 electricians, including the lead electrician, and 2
helpers who work directly under the chief electrician. The parties
disagree as to the supervisory status of the lead electrician. This em-
ployee works with a crew of 2 helpers which is frequently augmented
by as many as 8 laborers drawn from the labor pool. The lead
electrician himself decides how much extra help to requisition. His
assignments consist of both electrical construction and repair jobs.
Specific instructions are given by the chief electrician as to the per-
formance of construction jobs. The manner of performing repair
jobs is left to the discretion of the lead electrician. The helpers and
laborers perform such duties as pulling wires, making connections,
breaking holes through' concrete, digging holes, as well as other
manual duties. The lead electrician himself works with tools and
performs physical duties. The chief electrician testified that in his
absence the lead electrician is in charge of 8 electricians who work
on shifts, but there is no evidence as to the frequency or duration of
such absences or any indication as to the manner in which the lead
electrician may supervise these employees on such occasions. The
directions the lead electrician gives to the helpers and the laborers
who sometimes work with him are routine in nature and are given
in his capacity as a craftsman to less experienced employees. We
find under all the circumstances that the lead electrician is not a
.supervisor within the meaning of the Act and shall include him in
the unit.
We find that all production and maintenance employees at the
Southern Industries Company and Calcasieu Paper Company plants
at Elizabeth, Louisiana, including the adjusters on the first and sec-
ond shift of the bag production department,. the head bundlers, the
assistant shipping clerk of.the finishing room and shipping depart-
ment, and the head machinist at the Southern Industries Company,
16 Cf. Pacific Gab and Electric Company, 87 NLRB 257.
1012 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
.and the lead millwrights, lead welder, the head machinist, the day
locomotive engineer, the car builder, the pulp mill cook room foremen,
recovery room foremen, and caustic room operators, the paper mill
machine tenders, back tenders, and winder men, the finishing room
cutter operators, the boiler room engineers and firemen, the No. 1
turbine operators; and the lead electrician at the Calcasieu Paper
-Company, but excluding the Southern Industries Company general
superintendent, assistant superintendent, the finishing room foreman
and head shipping clerk, and the adjuster on the third shift in the
bag production department, the Calcasieu Paper Company general
manager, the general superintendent, the plant engineer, the me-
,chanical superintendent, the assistant mechanical superintendent, the
paper mill superintendent, the assistant paper mill superintendents,
the finishing room superintendent, the steam superintendent, the
power plant superintendent, the chief electrician, the pulp mill general
:superintendent, the pulp mill tour foremen, the town maintenance
,department superintendent, the labor foreman and shift foremen in
the woodyard, and the shift foremen in the finishing room, office and
clerical employees, guards, professional employees, and all other
:supervisors as defined in the Act, constitute a unit appropriate for
the purposes of collective bargaining within the meaning of Section
-9. (b) of the Act.
[Text of Direction of Election omitted from publication in this
volume.]