Author | Charles J. Morris |
---|---|
Subject | Labor relations in the United States |
Published | 2005 (Cornell University Press) |
ISBN | 0-8014-4317-2 |
The Blue Eagle at Work: Reclaiming Democratic Rights in the American Workplace is a legal treatise written by Charles J. Morris which analyzes collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the federal statute governing most private sector labor relations in the United States. Published in 2005 by Cornell University Press, the text claims that the NLRA guarantees that employees under that Act have the right to bargain collectively through minority unions—but only on a members-only basis—in workplaces where there is not an established majority union, notwithstanding that the present practice and general understanding of the law is that only majority-union employees are entitled to engage in collective bargaining on an exclusivity basis. Contracts resulting from such minority-union bargaining would apply to union members only, not to other employees.
The Blue Eagle At Work contains three parts: 1) An overview of collective bargaining law in the U.S.; 2) The legal framework in which members-only collective bargaining could occur; and 3) How unions could implement and strengthen members-only collective bargaining and use it as a strategic organizing tool.
Part I of the book addresses collective bargaining law in the United States. It is broken down into four chapters.
Chapter One provides a historical overview of the rise of membership-based collective bargaining in the period prior to federal recognition of the right to bargain collectively, the provisions of the Norris-LaGuardia Act, and the enactment and legal meaning of Section 7(a) of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). Attention is paid to The Conference Board survey of labor relations conducted in November 1933. [1] Morris points out that the survey results indicate that members-only recognition and bargaining were common when the NLRA was enacted.
Chapter Two provides an in-depth and exceedingly detailed history of legislative attempts to enact improvements in federal labor law. The chapter provides an extensive analysis of the nine legislative drafts of Senator Robert F. Wagner (D-NY) for his 1934 bill. The chapter also discusses the implementation of the NIRA under first the National Recovery Administration (NRA) and then the National Labor Board and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Morris documents how the concepts of representational exclusivity and majoritarianism were developed in cases such as Denver Tramway Corporation, 1 NLB 63 (1934) [2] and Houde Engineering Corp., 1 NLRB (old) 35 (1934) [3] and cites cases showing that employers refusing to bargain with a minority union violated the NIRA. [4]
Chapter Three is an extensive consideration of the legislative history of Wagner Act. The three drafts of the Act, committee hearings, floor debates, and committee reports are closely examined to tease out the meanings of the changes made. Morris uncovered one feature that required no teasing, a "smoking gun" that shows that congress clearly intended that collective bargaining would not be confined to majority unions only, to wit, the deliberate rejection of a version of the duty-to-bargain contained in Section 8(a)(5) that would have so confined the bargaining process. Instead, the present wording, which does not so limit the bargaining obligation, was selected. [5] Morris notes that the Senate committee and debate statements disparaging minority or plurality bargaining all referred to bargaining after a majority representative had been chosen. None referred to bargaining before majority selection, which was not a controversial issue.
Chapter Four contains the history of members-only minority-union organizing and bargaining during the decade following passage of the NLRA and what followed. Morris notes:
Morris points to the organizing history of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee and United Auto Workers as prime examples of members-only organizing and collective bargaining, and cites statistics from Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) and Twentieth Century Fund reports which document the widespread use and acceptance of members-only contracts.
Morris concludes that several factors led unions to become dependent on representational elections. The NLRB itself favored representational elections, "for they provided a relatively simple pattern for bargaining-unit determinations, conduct of elections, and certification of majorities for exclusive union representation." [7] The conflict between the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations refocused attention away from organizing. The rapid expansion of unions during World War II and the massive waves of strikes which came after the war continued to divert attention away from organizing. Morris also argues that the Taft-Hartley Act led to "the phenomenon of unions becoming busily engaged in a multitude of legal defensive actions generated by the numerous union restrictions that the new law had created." [8]
"As a consequence," Morris concludes, "only a few years after Taft-Hartley, the NLRB and its union and employer constituents were routinely viewing majority-union bargaining—which was certainly the ultimate goal intended by the Act—as the only bargaining contemplated by the Act. Although unions had originally favored NLRB elections out of sheer convenience, their reliance on the election process had now become routine, with attendant misunderstanding of the true scope of bargaining offered by the statute. ... Thus was born the latter-day conventional wisdom that assumes that majority-union representation is the sine qua non of collective bargaining." [9]
Part II of The Blue Eagle At Work examines the legal interpretation of Sections 1, 7, 8(a)(1), 8(a)(3), 8(a)(5), and 9(a) of the NLRA, and concludes that Morris' construction of the law is consistent with the statutory requirements and also with existing legal rulings and treaty obligations. Part II consists of five chapters.
Chapter Five engages in a Plain-Meaning-Rule construction of the language of Section 7(a) and the NLRA. Morris examines Section 7, Section 8(a)(1), Section 9(a), and Section 8(a)(5) of the NLRB for their plain meaning, and concludes they guarantee the right of all employees to bargain collectively, whether before or after majority-union designation. Bargaining before such selection must be for members-only through a union of the employees' choice; bargaining after majority selection must be for all employees in the bargaining unit through the selected union only. This chapter provides the heart of Morris' thesis, for although it is supported by legislative history (and constitutional and international law), its primary basis is contained in the unambiguous text of the statute. The critical language is short, simple, and of clear meaning. Fourteen words in Section 7, borrowed verbatim from Section 7(a) of the NIRA, provide that "Employees shall have the right...to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing...." This is guaranteed and enforced by Section 8(a)(1) and reinforced by Section 8(a)(5) (which by its clear wording and its "smoking gun" legislative history requires bargaining both before and after majority selection). The only limitation on this bargaining right is a conditional limitation on the choice of representatives, but not on the duty to bargain. This limitation is contained in Section 9(a) which does not operate unless there is a majority representative, in which event the selected majority union becomes the exclusive representative. Morris points out that both the Supreme Court and the NLRB have approved minority and members only bargaining and resulting members-only contracts [10] where they exist voluntarily, and that the time is now ripe for a decision confirming that such bargaining is enforceable where there is not yet a majority representative. This universal concept of collective bargaining conforms to the "policy of the United States" expressed in Section 1 of the Act, which policy was expressly reconfirmed in the Taft-Hartley Act. [11]
Chapter Six examines several rulings by the Supreme Court which are often cited as supportive of majority-only collective bargaining. Morris reviews the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of association, and how the concepts of indirect state action (as elucidated in NAACP v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 (1958), and Bates v. City of Little Rock, 361 U.S. 516 (1960), and the test of indirect state action as outlined in Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co., 457 U.S. 922 (1982)), direct state action and compelling government interest protect and affirm members-only minority-union collective bargaining. Morris also discusses three key Supreme Court rulings— NLRB v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, 440 U.S. 490 (1979), Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. v. Florida Gulf Coast Building & Constr. Trades Council, 485 U.S. 568 (1988) and Communications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 (1988)—and concludes that they conform to the concept of members-only bargaining as well.
In Chapter Seven, Morris discusses how the Supreme Court's doctrine of "administrative deference" (outlined in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984)) could provide another avenue for judicial articulation of his thesis. Although it is a basic premise of his book that the defined duty to bargain is mandatory under the Act, if the NLRB were to find the applicable language ambiguous it could and should exercise its discretionary authority and require bargaining in accordance with the thesis—which under step two of the Chevron doctrine would be confirmed by a reviewing federal court even if the court were in disagreement, for the determination would not be "arbitrary, capricious, or manifestly contrary to the statute."
In Chapter Eight, Morris outlines U.S. obligations under international law. He points out that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Labour Organization's 1998 Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work both compel a construction of the NLRA which protects members-only collective bargaining. [12]
Chapter Nine discusses the current state of NLRB and court rulings which might appear to exclude members-only minority-union collective bargaining. Morris identifies eight "false majority" [13] cases in which the NLRB or a court appears to rule out bargaining with a minority union, but in each of those cases the union was either directly or indirectly seeking to represent the entire bargaining unit as a Section 9(a) majority representative, hence the designation of "false-majority" cases; in none of them did the union actually engage in members-only representation and bargaining. Morris also dismisses four "group-dealing" [14] cases, in which the question was whether an employer has a duty to meet and bargain with groups of nonunion employees under the "mutual aid or protection" language of Section 7. But once more, Morris distinguishes the cases by noting that in none of the cases did the union engage in members-only representation or bargaining as defined by the "collective bargaining" language of Section 7, which is the text that provides minority unions with the right to bargain.
The three chapters of Part III discuss how unions might go about reaffirming the right to engage in members-only minority-union collective bargaining.
Chapter Ten discusses using the NLRB and the courts to reaffirm the minority-union concept. Morris outlines how unions might use NLRB representational procedures or direct court rulings to revitalize the concept of members-only unions. Morris also discusses novel approaches, such as direct legal action against the NLRB's General Counsel and picketing for members-only recognition. [15] Other approaches he suggests include amending a Section 8(a)(3) complaint (made to the NLRB when an employee is discharged for engaging in protected union activity, a fairly common occurrence in NLRB representation elections [16] ) to establish the fact of members-only unionization and to force the employer to bargain. [17] He also advocates petitioning the NLRB to engage in administrative rulemaking on the subject, which is the process now pending before the Board in two rulemaking petitions.
Chapter Eleven discussed how unions should establish members-only minority unions. Morris discussed the role of the union steward, Weingarten rights, employer notification, and how to force employers to engage in collective bargaining.
Chapter Twelve concludes the work with a vision of industrial democracy. Morris argues that members-only unions represent the best way to revitalize the American labor movement. He outlines how workplace democracy is stunted without collective bargaining, argues that productivity is greatly enhanced when unions exist, and that strong unions strengthen social capital inside and outside the workplace.
The book contains two substantive appendices. The first is an appendix to Chapter Two. It contains all the relevant provisions of the proposed 1934 "Labor Disputes" bill and the proposed 1934 "National Adjustment Bill" substitute for S. 2926. Both proposed bills are crucial to understanding the evolving concept of collective bargaining which led to the Wagner Act.
The second appendix is meant to accompany Chapter Three. This appendix contains all relevant portions of the 1935 drafts of the National Labor Relations Act (S. 1958). The drafts provide the critical textual evidence for Morris' legislative history and plain-meaning interpretive arguments.
The scholarly pedigree of The Blue Eagle At Work is somewhat lengthy. Although many in the labor movement saw the treatise as novel, the concept, as Morris noted, was recognized in a law review article as early as 1936 [18] and was discussed generally as early as 1975. [19] Morris himself published an early version of his thesis in 1994. [20] But the most prominent and complete statement of the legal theory came from Professor Clyde Summers in 1990 (which Morris acknowledges in his book). [21]
The "Blue Eagle" concept of members-only unions has received additional attention since the early 1990s. Legal scholars addressed the merits of the theory, and discussed its application to a variety of other "pre-union" organizations such as worker centers. [22]
The Blue Eagle At Work was highly anticipated by many labor scholars, labor attorneys and activists in the labor movement. After its publication, the work was widely reviewed in the scholarly and labor press, including Labor Studies Journal, [23] the Journal of Industrial Relations, [24] WorkingUSA, [25] Labor History, [26] Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, [27] Employee Rights and Employment Policy Journal, [28] LRA Online, Labor Research Association, [29] British Journal of Industrial Relations, [30] Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, [31] Hawaii Laborer, [32] ILCA Online, [33] Portside, [34] The Progressive Populist, [35] Workday Minnesota, [36] Religious Socialism, [37] All Aboard, NLRB, [38] Labour/Le Travail, [39] Noteworthy Books in Industrial Relations and Labor Economics, Princeton University, [40] Benson's Union Democracy Blog, [41] University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business and Employment Law, [42] and the Annual Review of Law and Social Science. [43] Some of the reviews expressed greater or lesser degrees of skepticism about the likelihood of Morris' thesis being adopted but praised the work highly.
One reviewer wrote:
The book was widely praised for its scholarship. "[It] is a remarkably compelling, innovative stroke, one which should be taken very seriously by those who wish to see any kind of renaissance for workers' collective power," wrote one reviewer, whose assessment was typical. [45]
Almost all of the labor law professors who have publicly commented on the members-only minority-union bargaining thesis have agreed that the Morris thesis is legally correct. Twenty-five of those professors joined in a letter to the NLRB on August 14, 2007, endorsing the rulemaking petition that was proposing adoption of such a rule. They stated to the Board that
Nevertheless, Morris' theory has been challenged. Although a few of the reviewers disagreed with some of Morris' secondary conclusions, none disagreed with his critical reading of the statutory language on which he relies. One supportive reviewer, Judge John True, wrote: "Nothing in the actual language of the NLRA, in its legislative history, in NLRB or court cases, in the constitution, in international law, or indeed in common sense or sound policy suggests that unions could not still use this 'members-only' bargaining approach." He reads the language of Section 7 as "all inclusive," explaining that
Morris never denied, indeed emphasized, that the ultimate objective of the Act was majority-based collective bargaining. [48] Nevertheless, minority-union bargaining was always protected as a stepping-stone stage of bargaining that could be expected to lead to majority bargaining, which is exactly what happened during the decade following passage of the Act. None of the facts reported by historian Tomlins, [49] on whom one historical criticism was erroneously based [50] indicated the contrary; indeed The Blue Eagle at Work cited Tomlins. [51]
Morris' interpretation of the NLRA's legislative history and statutory text has come under fire from one scholar in a brief review in a Canadian journal. He presented his opposing opinion, but without any explanatory analysis or cited authority, as follows:
One need only read the statute, however, with or without this history, to conclude that because of the lack of ambiguity in the language, step one of the Chevron doctrine mandates that "[i]f the intent of Congress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the court, as well as the agency, must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress." [53] The pending rulemaking petition by the Steelworkers Union, et al., now awaiting the NLRB's decision, also notes the following regarding the clear statutory language on which the Morris thesis is based:
Additional evidence indicates that the Congress did intend the NLRA to protect members-only unions, particularly the historical "smoking gun" of Congress having rejected specific language that would have limited bargaining to Section 9(a) majority unions only.
Morris' discussion of the "false majority" cases has also been criticized. In a somewhat laudatory piece, Judge John True concluded that Morris read too much into otherwise ambiguous decisions:
However, in a response article, Morris pointed out the errors in Judge True's reading of the Moorsville Cotton Mills case. [56]
Although Morris bases his thesis on the text of the NLRA, which is supported by legislative history, he also contends that constitutional and international law provide additional support. Some have argued that Morris' constitutional arguments based on freedom of association are not valid under current case law. One commentator takes issue with Morris' claim that collective bargaining under the NLRA constitutes direct or indirect state action, [57] and also points out that Morris' reliance on international law is a weak reed. As Morris himself admits, "it is widely known and fully documented that the United States does not comply with ILO standards regarding the right of workers to engage in collective bargaining." [58] Morris also admits that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights does not permit private citizens to sue in U.S. courts, [59] but he explains, however, that the language of the Covenant and the features of its ratification permit raising the issue in NLRB cases. [60] Despite his criticism of Morris' constitutional and international law analyses, this reviewer agreed with Morris' primary analysis based on the wording of the NLRA, stating that "Section 7 protects concerted activities in various contexts by employees where there is no exclusive representative, and the language of section 7 itself does seem to provide for MUB [i.e., minority union bargaining]." [61]
Several reviewers have pointed out that Morris' prescriptions for reaffirming members-only minority-union collective bargaining contain problems of their own. They applaud Morris for crafting some inventive and aggressive strategies and tactics.
One problem some commentators have noted is that members-only collective bargaining creates problems of competition within the workplace. Employers may not respond favorably when a proposed solution will force them to alter work rules and personnel policies across the entire workforce. As one reviewer argued: "Bargaining over wages for members only or a grievance procedure for members only may be possible. Many subjects will have an effect upon non-members and potentially all other non-represented employees. Such issues may adversely impact non-members who do not want representation." [62] On the other hand, the same problems—if they are problems—could also exist where voluntary recognition and bargaining occurs with a members-only minority union, which is unquestionably legal under the Act. That was conceded by the General Counsel in the Dick's case Advice Memorandum. [63]
The NLRB has not yet considered or acted upon Morris' thesis. In 2006, the United Steelworkers organized a members-only minority union at Dick's Sporting Goods, a sporting-goods retailer located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Director of the NLRB's Region 6 asked the NLRB General Counsel's Division of Advice for guidance and received an "Advice Memorandum", [64] on the legal merits of the case. In the Advice Memorandum, Associate General Counsel Barry J. Kearney of the Division of Advice rejected the argument that the NLRA contained an affirmative duty to bargain with members-only minority unions. [65] That Memorandum has been challenged by the two rulemaking petitions now pending before the NLRB.
In his quarterly review of the activities of the Office of the General Counsel, Ronald Meisburg reiterated his conclusion that the NLRA does not require employers to bargain with members-only minority unions.
That assertion was challenged by the rulemaking petition of the Steelworkers Union, et al., now pending before the NLRB, [67] which noted that "not one sentence in either the Advice Memorandum or the Regional Director's Dismissal Letter" in the Dick's case presented any discussion of statutory language other than to reiterate the Morris reading without presenting any disagreement with that reading. It noted further that the Memorandum never addressed the relevant legislative history, particularly the "smoking gun" revelation. Regarding the alleged Board and Supreme Court cases, it pointed out that they are non-existent, for there are no cases holding that minority-bargaining for members only where there is not yet a majority representative is either legal or illegal, and the General Counsel was unable to cite any.
Unions appear determined to bring their case to the NLRB. Because the General Counsel's refusal to issue a complaint is not deemed subject to review, in order to bring the issue before the Board the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO (Steelworkers Union), joined by six other unions, on August 14, 2007, petitioned the NLRB in a substantive rulemaking case for issuance of the following rule:
The six unions that joined with the Steelworkers Union were the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Communication Workers of America, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, California Nurses Association, and United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. [68] Following the filing of that petition, on August 14, 2007, 25 university professors of labor law submitted a letter to the NLRB indicating their agreement with the legal premise of the Steelworkers' petition and urged the Board to issue the rule proposed in that petition. [68] On January 4, 2008, the Change to Win union federation, on behalf of its seven affiliated unions, to wit, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Laborers' International Union of North America, Service Employees International Union, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, United Farm Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and UNITE HERE, [68] filed another rulemaking petition requesting the NLRB to issue the above proposed rule. The proposed rule is thus now backed by several major AFL-CIO unions, one independent union, and all of the CTW unions with their six million members. These petitioning unions represent the overwhelming majority of all private sector union members in the United States who are subject to the NLRA.
The title of the book refers to the symbol adopted by the National Recovery Administration. The National Industrial Recovery Act was enacted by Congress in 1933 to stimulate the American economy and help the nation recover from the Great Depression. The law created the NRA to administer the act. Section 7(a) of the Act promoted the formation of labor unions, and created a tremendous upsurge of union organizing.
The NRA adopted the "Blue Eagle" icon as its symbol.
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act, is a foundational statute of United States labor law that guarantees the right of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action such as strikes. Central to the act was a ban on company unions. The act was written by Senator Robert F. Wagner, passed by the 74th United States Congress, and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States that enforces U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, the NLRB has the authority to supervise elections for labor union representation and to investigate and remedy unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of protected concerted activity.
In labor law, a union shop, also known as a post-entry closed shop, is a form of a union security clause. Under this, the employer agrees to either only hire labor union members or to require that any new employees who are not already union members become members within a certain amount of time. Use of the union shop varies widely from nation to nation, depending on the level of protection given trade unions in general.
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The National Labor Relations Board, an agency within the United States government, was created in 1935 as part of the National Labor Relations Act. Among the NLRB's chief responsibilities is the holding of elections to permit employees to vote whether they wish to be represented by a particular labor union. Congress amended the Act in 1947 through the Taft–Hartley Act to give workers the ability to decertify an already recognized or certified union as well. This article describes, in a very summary manner, the procedures that the NLRB uses to hold such elections, as well as the circumstances in which a union may obtain the right to represent a group of employees without an election.
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The National Labor Board (NLB) was an independent agency of the United States Government established on August 5, 1933, to handle labor disputes arising under the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA).
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Card check, also called majority sign-up, is a method for employees to organize into a labor union in which a majority of employees in a bargaining unit sign authorization forms, or "cards", stating they wish to be represented by the union. Since the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) became law in 1935, card check has been an alternative to the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) election process. Card check and election are both overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. The difference is that with card sign-up, employees sign authorization cards stating they want a union, the cards are submitted to the NLRB and if more than 50% of the employees submitted cards, the NLRB requires the employer to recognize the union. The NLRA election process is an additional step with the NLRB conducting a secret ballot election after authorization cards are submitted. In both cases the employer never sees the authorization cards or any information that would disclose how individual employees voted.
Charles J. Morris is an American legal scholar who is the professor of law emeritus at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He is an internationally-renowned labor law scholar and authority on the National Labor Relations Act.
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NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251 (1975), is a United States labor law case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. It held that employees in unionized workplaces have the right under the National Labor Relations Act to the presence of a union steward during any management inquiry that the employee reasonably believes may result in discipline.
NLRB v. Truck Drivers Local 449, 353 U.S. 87 (1957), is an 8-0 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held that a temporary lockout by a multi-employer bargaining group threatened by a whipsaw strike was lawful under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), as amended by the Taft-Hartley Act.
NLRB v. Mackay Radio & Telegraph Co., 304 U.S. 333 (1938), is a United States labor law case of the Supreme Court of the United States which held that workers who strike remain employees for the purposes of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The Court granted the relief sought by the National Labor Relations Board, which sought to have the workers reinstated by the employer. However, the decision is much better known today for its obiter dicta in which the Court said that an employer may hire strikebreakers and is not bound to discharge any of them if or when the strike ends.
Communications Workers of America v. Beck, 487 U.S. 735 (1988), is a decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that, in a union security agreement, unions are authorized by statute to collect from non-members only those fees and dues necessary to perform its duties as a collective bargaining representative. The rights identified by the Court in Communications Workers of America v. Beck have since come to be known as "Beck rights," and defining what Beck rights are and how a union must fulfill its duties regarding them is an active area of modern United States labor law.
NLRB v. Columbian Enameling & Stamping Co., 306 U.S. 292 (1939), is a US labor law case where the US Supreme Court held 5-to-2 that the National Labor Relations Act required decisions of the National Labor Relations Board (Board) to be based on substantial evidence. The Supreme Court overturned a ruling of the Board for not being based on substantial evidence. The Court also held that only the representative of the workers could issue collective bargaining proposals under the law, and that proposals transmitted by a third party did not trigger the Act's protections or duties.
National Labor Relations Board v. Sands Manufacturing Co., 306 U.S. 332 (1939), is United States labor law case, decided by a majority of 5 to 2 by the Supreme Court of the United States, which overturned a decision by the National Labor Relations Board because it was not supported by substantial evidence. The Court defined collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act to mean that proposals and responses to proposals were pending, and that future meetings were being planned. Absent such conditions, bargaining was not occurring. The Court also held that an employer did not violate the Act if it chose to deal with the employees on an individual basis.
Harry Alvin Millis was an American civil servant, economist, and educator and who was prominent in the first four decades of the 20th century. He was a prominent educator, and his writings on labor relations were described at his death by several prominent economists as "landmarks". Millis is best known for serving on the "first" National Labor Relations Board, an executive-branch agency which had no statutory authority. He was also the second chairman of the "second" National Labor Relations Board, where he initiated a number of procedural improvements and helped stabilize the Board's enforcement of American labor law.
William Emanuel is an American lawyer and government official who formerly served as a member of the National Labor Relations Board. Prior to assuming that role, he was a shareholder at the law firm Littler Mendelson.