Like Backyard Football when We were Kids, NLRB Allows a “Do-Over”

A union election was underway. One group of employees alleged co-worker Williams threatened to hang any employee who did not vote for the union “like they did…back in the 60s”. The company fired Williams. Williams filed an unfair labor practice charge over his termination. At hearing, the two employees maintained they heard the threat while three other employees said they did not hear Williams make a threat. When this “he-said-she-said” situation occurs, the Administrative Law Judge is required to decide which witnesses are more credible and make a ruling accordingly.

Here, the ALJ ruled that Williams did not make the statement, but then cast doubt on his decision by writing that he “might well be wrong,” and that “some doubt persists” regarding whether Williams made the threat. On appeal, the NLRB held that the ALJ had “undercut his own analysis” by not making a definitive credibility call.

The ALJ also appeared confused about the burden shifting requirements in this case. He seemed to believe that the co-worker had the burden of proving Williams made the threat about hanging people when actually the NLRB’s General Counsel had that burden.

Rather than doing what Boards in the past would have done and dismissed the case, the current Obama hold-over NLRB remanded the case back to the same ALJ for a determination of whether the general counsel carried his burden to prove that Williams did not actually make the statement about hanging.

A do-over. Go figure.

Matt Austin owns Austin Legal, LLC, a boutique law firm based in Ohio that limits its representation to employers dealing with labor, employment, and OSHA matters. You can call Matt at (614) 285-5342 or email him at Matt@MattAustinLaborLaw.com.