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NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Petitioner, v. GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORPORATION, Respondent

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit1973-01-31No. No. 72-1150
473 F.2d 206

Summary

Holding. The Board did not err in declining to hold a hearing on Georgia-Pacific's election objections or in certifying the union, and substantial evidence supports the Board's finding that the union's campaign materials were not sufficiently misleading to warrant setting aside the election. The Board's order requiring Georgia-Pacific to bargain is enforced.

The National Labor Relations Board sought enforcement of an order requiring Georgia-Pacific to bargain with a union that had won a consent election by a narrow two-vote margin. Georgia-Pacific objected to the election results, claiming the union distributed misleading materials about wages and benefits from other locations within twenty-four hours of voting. The Regional Director investigated and found the objections without merit, recommending certification of the union. Georgia-Pacific requested a hearing before the Board, which declined and certified the union anyway. When Georgia-Pacific subsequently refused to bargain, the Board found an unfair labor practice and granted summary judgment, concluding the election objections had already been fully litigated.

Georgia-Pacific appealed, arguing the Board should have held a hearing on its election objections and that the Board's findings lacked substantial factual support. The court rejected both arguments, finding that Georgia-Pacific raised only disputed inferences from largely undisputed facts, not substantial factual questions requiring a hearing. The court also determined the union's handbill was not misleading in any material respect—it accurately reported wage rates from similar positions at other facilities, did not falsely claim those rates were local, and did not suggest voting alone would secure those wages.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether the Board was required to hold a hearing on post-election objections based on union campaign materials
  • Whether union campaign materials containing wage information from other facilities constituted misrepresentation sufficient to set aside an election
  • Whether an employer may refuse to bargain based on alleged misrepresentations already determined in the election certification process

Procedural posture

The NLRB petitioned the court to enforce its order requiring Georgia-Pacific to bargain with the certified union after Georgia-Pacific refused to bargain and challenged the union's certification based on alleged campaign misrepresentations.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

HEANEY, Circuit Judge.

The National Labor Relations Board petitions this Court for enforcement of its order requiring the Georgia-Pacific Corporation to bargain with the Southern Council of Lumber and Plywood Workers United Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL-CIO. The Board’s decision and order are reported at 193 N.L.R.B. No. 133; 78 L.R.R.M. 1403 (1971).

On December 10, 1970, the Union won a Board-conducted consent election by a seventy-seven to seventy-five vote. Thereafter, Georgia-Pacific filed objections to conduct, which it contended affected the results of the election. It claimed that within twenty-four hours of the election, the Union circulated a handbill containing material misrepresentations and omissions concerning job classifications, wage rates and other benefits which the Union had obtained for employees represented by it at other locations.

The Regional Director of the Board conducted an administrative investigation of Georgia-Pacific’s objections and afforded the parties an opportunity to submit evidence.

On January 20, 1971, the Director found the objections to be without merit. He recommended that the Board overrule them and certify the Union as the bargaining agent of the employees.

On February 5, 1971, Georgia-Pacific filed exceptions to the Director’s report asking that the election be set aside or that a hearing be held. On May 4, the Board found that the objections raised no substantial questions of fact necessitating a hearing. It certified the Union as the bargaining agent.

Thereafter, the Union requested Georgia-Pacific to bargain. It refused. The Union then filed unfair labor practice charges. The Board issued a complaint alleging a refusal to bargain in violation of §§ 8(a)(1) and (5) of the National Labor Relations Act. 29 U.S.C. §§ 151 et seq. Georgia-Pacific admitted its refusal to bargain, but contended that it was justified in its refusal because of the Union’s pre-election representations. The General Counsel moved for summary judgment on the grounds that the issues raised by Georgia-Pacific had been fully litigated and determined adversely to it in the representation case. The Board granted the motion for summary judgment and found a refusal to bargain. This proceeding followed.

Georgia-Pacific argues on appeal: (1) that the Board erred in failing to grant a hearing on Georgia-Pacific’s objection to the election, and (2) that the Board’s findings were not based on facts supported by substantial evidence and on the application of correct legal standards. We reject both contentions.

In our view, Georgia-Pacific did not raise substantial and material factual issues necessitating a hearing. See, N. L. R. B. v. Griffith Oldsmobile, Inc., 455 F.2d 867 (8th Cir. 1972); N. L. R. B. v. DIT-MCO Incorporated, 428 F.2d 775 (8th Cir. 1970). It merely questioned the inferences drawn from known facts which were largely undisputed.

We also believe that there is substantial evidence on the record as a whole to support the Board’s finding that the Union’s distribution of the handbill on the day preceding the election was not sufficient grounds for setting aside the election. Setting aside an election because of misleading campaign propaganda is appropriate:

“ * * * only where there has been a misrepresentation or other similar campaign trickery, which involves a substantial departure from the truth, at a time which prevents the other party * * * from making an effective reply, so that the misrepresentation, whether deliberate or not, may reasonably be expected to have a significant impact on an election. * * *” (Footnote omitted.)

Hollywood Ceramics Co., 140 N.L.R.B. No. 36, 51 L.R.R.M. 1600, 1601 (1962). See, Bok, The Regulation of Campaign Tactics in Representation Elections Under the National Labor Relations Act, 78 Harv.L.Rev. 38, 86-89 (1964). Here, the handbill was distributed at a time when the employer did not have a reasonable chance to reply, but it accurately reported wage rates being paid to members of the carpenters’ union doing work similar to that being done by Georgia-Pacific employees. Moreover, it did not represent that the wage rates were local ones or that the plants in which the rates were paid were identical to the Georgia-Pacific plant. See, N. L. R. B. v. Red Bird Foods, Inc., 399 F.2d 600 (7th Cir. 1968). Finally, the handbill did not create the impression that the list of wage rates could be obtained simply by voting for the Union.

We agree with the Board that this was a case in which the evaluation of campaign material is to be left to the good sense of the voters. The Board’s order will be enforced.

. “TO ALL EMPLOYEES OF GEORGIA PACIFIC CORPORATION

EL DORADO, ARKANSAS

GREETINGS:

IMPORTANT

THE FOLLOWING IS WAGE RATES, JOB CLASSIFICATIONS, AND OTHER BENEFITS OUR ORGANIZATION HAS NEGOTIATED FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FOR GEORGIA PACIFIC AND PAUL B. HULT LUMBER COMPANY. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT PAYS TO BELONG TO THE CARPENTERS UNION, IT DOESN’T COST. [Emphasis included.]

YOUR ORGANIZING COMMITTEE SOUTHERN COUNCIL OF LUMBER & PLYWOOD WORKERS UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS & JOINTERS OF AMERICA AFL-CIO

GEORGIA PACIFIC CORPORATION

Scragg Mill Sawmill

JOB CLASSIFICATION 6-1-69 6-1-70 6-1-71

Scragg Operator 3.71 3.93 4.17

Edgerman 3.71 3.93 4.17

* $ $ $ $

PAUL B. HULT LUMBER COMPANY Sawmill

JOB CLASSIFICATION 6-1-69 6-1-70 6-1-71

SAWYER $5,133/. $5,441/2 $5.77

PLANERMAN 4.243/, 4.50 4.77”