Dodge of Naperville, Inc. and v. NLRB , 796 F.3d 31 ( 2015 )


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  •  United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
    Argued May 8, 2015                   Decided August 4, 2015
    No. 12-1032
    DODGE OF NAPERVILLE, INC. AND BURKE AUTOMOTIVE
    GROUP, INC., DOING BUSINESS AS NAPERVILLE JEEP/DODGE,
    PETITIONER
    v.
    NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD,
    RESPONDENT
    Consolidated with 12-1122
    On Petition for Review and Cross-Application
    for Enforcement of an Order of
    the National Labor Relations Board
    James F. Hendricks Jr. argued the cause for petitioner.
    With him on the briefs was Gary L. Lieber.
    Douglas Callahan, Attorney, National Labor Relations
    Board, argued the cause for respondent. With him on the
    brief were Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney
    General at the time the brief was filed, U.S. Department of
    Justice, Beth S. Brinkmann, Deputy Assistant Attorney
    General, Scott R. McIntosh, Sarang V. Damle, and Melissa
    Patterson, Attorneys, John H. Ferguson, Associate General
    2
    Counsel, National Labor Relations Board, Linda Dreeben,
    Deputy Associate General Counsel, and Usha Dheenan,
    Supervisory Attorney.
    Before: GARLAND, Chief Judge, and MILLETT and
    WILKINS, Circuit Judges.
    Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge WILKINS.
    WILKINS, Circuit Judge: The owner of a small car
    dealership closed the dealership down and informed the six
    mechanics there – all of whom were union members – that
    they were expected to continue working at the owner’s larger,
    non-unionized dealership for reduced wages and inferior
    benefits. After delivering this news, the owner refused to
    bargain with the mechanics’ union over the effects of the
    move or to otherwise recognize the union in any way. The
    union filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board,
    which ultimately found that the company had committed
    various unfair labor practices during the relocation. Most
    critically here, the Board concluded that the company acted
    unlawfully when it withdrew recognition of the union.
    On appeal, the company contends that it had no choice
    but to withdraw recognition of the union, on the ground that
    the relocated employees had been absorbed into a larger unit
    of non-union employees at the new dealership. The company
    also levies an attack on the Board’s composition at the time
    the decision was issued. Because we conclude that these
    challenges are meritless, we deny the petition for review and
    grant the Board’s cross-application for enforcement.
    3
    I.
    A.
    This labor dispute unfolded outside of Chicago at two car
    dealerships owned by Ed Burke: Burke Automotive Group,
    Inc., doing business as Naperville Jeep Dodge, in Lisle,
    Illinois; and its subsidiary, Dodge of Naperville, in nearby
    Naperville, Illinois.      (We refer to these dealerships
    respectively as the Lisle dealership and the Naperville
    dealership, and collectively as Burke Automotive, or simply
    Burke.) In early June 2009, the Lisle dealership employed
    fourteen mechanics, none of whom were unionized, while the
    Naperville dealership employed six mechanics, all of whom
    belonged to Automobile Mechanics Local No. 701,
    International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
    Workers, AFL-CIO (“the Union”). See Dodge of Naperville,
    Inc., 357 N.L.R.B. No. 183, 
    2012 WL 30418
    , at *1 (Jan. 3,
    2012).     The Union had represented employees at the
    Naperville dealership for 20 years. Id. at *28.
    The Chrysler bankruptcy of 2009 triggered a chain of
    events that forced Burke Automotive to close one of its
    dealerships. On June 19, after significant back-and-forth,
    Chrysler approved a proposal by Ed Burke to continue selling
    vehicles in Lisle so long as he closed, at least temporarily, the
    Naperville facility. Id. at *13.
    On June 20, Burke Automotive shut down the Naperville
    dealership and notified the six mechanics that they no longer
    had jobs there. Id. at *14, 17. It permitted the Naperville
    mechanics to work at the Lisle dealership immediately and
    told them that if they refused employment, they would be
    viewed as having quit and would be denied unemployment
    compensation. Id. at *1, 17-20. Burke also ceased to honor
    4
    the collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) that it had
    entered into with the Union. Id. at *19. At the Lisle facility,
    the transferred employees worked alongside the other Lisle
    employees and under the same supervision. They also were
    compensated with wages and benefits at the standard Lisle
    rates, which were considerably less favorable than those set
    forth in the Naperville employees’ CBA. Id. at *2, *19-20.
    Two former Naperville employees resigned in light of the
    inferior terms and conditions imposed. Id. at *35-36. 1
    The Union contacted Burke Automotive and requested
    the opportunity to bargain over the effects of the move. But
    Burke refused to recognize the Union, explaining that it no
    longer represented a majority of mechanics in the bargaining
    unit. Id. at *18-19.
    B.
    The Union filed charges with the National Labor
    Relations Board’s General Counsel, who subsequently issued
    a complaint against Burke Automotive. A hearing was held
    before an administrative law judge (“ALJ”) in Chicago on
    March 15 and March 16, 2010. The ALJ found that Burke
    Automotive had violated Sections 8(a)(5) and 8(a)(1) of the
    National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) by failing to bargain
    with the Union about the effects of the relocation on the
    Naperville mechanics, unreasonably delaying the provision of
    1
    Although the hourly rate was the same at the two dealerships, at
    Naperville the mechanics were guaranteed 34 hours of pay a week,
    provided that they were present at the dealership for 40 hours that
    week. At Lisle, the mechanics were paid solely for the hours of
    work that they were assigned and completed, even if they were
    present in the garage for 40 hours or more. This often resulted in
    considerably less take-home pay at the Lisle dealership. Dodge of
    Naperville, 
    2012 WL 30418
    , at *16, *19.
    5
    information to the Union, and unlawfully threatening the
    mechanics against unionizing. Dodge of Naperville, Inc., 13-
    CA-45399, 
    2010 WL 3285387
     (N.L.R.B. Div. of Judges Aug.
    2, 2010). He further found that Burke Automotive had
    unlawfully withdrawn recognition of the Union as the
    exclusive representative of the mechanics in the Naperville
    bargaining unit, unlawfully repudiated the collective
    bargaining agreement in effect at the time, unilaterally
    changed the terms and conditions of employment, and
    constructively discharged the two Naperville mechanics who
    resigned. 
    Id.
    The Board affirmed the ALJ’s decision, subject to some
    technical modifications and clarification of the underlying
    reasoning. The Board also affirmed the ALJ’s order directing
    Burke Automotive to take various affirmative steps, including
    bargaining with the Union. One of the panel’s members
    dissented with respect to the Board’s finding that Burke
    unlawfully withdrew recognition of the Union. 2 It is
    primarily this question of withdrawal that Burke presses in its
    petition for review.
    2
    Because the dissenting member believed that withdrawal of
    recognition was proper, he also dissented from the Board’s findings
    that the employer unlawfully informed the Naperville employees
    that they no longer enjoyed union representation at the Lisle
    dealership, unlawfully repudiated the CBA, unlawfully imposed
    unilateral changes without bargaining, and constructively
    discharged two members. See Dodge of Naperville, 
    2012 WL 30418
    , at *7 n.3.
    6
    II.
    A.
    Because the Board has “the primary responsibility of
    marking out the scope of the statutory language and of the
    statutory duty to bargain” under the NLRA, this Court “defers
    to the Board’s ‘reasonably defensible’ construction of that
    duty.” Cincinnati Newspaper Guild, Local 9 v. NLRB, 
    938 F.2d 284
    , 286 (D.C. Cir. 1991) (quoting Ford Motor Co. v.
    NLRB, 
    441 U.S. 488
    , 496-97 (1979)) (internal quotation
    marks omitted). Any findings of fact made by the Board are
    conclusive if supported by substantial evidence, “even if a
    reviewing court on de novo review would reach a different
    result.” Citizens Inv. Servs. Corp. v. NLRB, 
    430 F.3d 1195
    ,
    1198 (D.C. Cir. 2005); see also Synergy Gas Corp. v. NLRB,
    
    19 F.3d 649
    , 651 (D.C. Cir. 1994) (the Court will uphold an
    order of the Board unless “it appears that the Board’s factual
    findings are not supported by substantial evidence or that the
    Board acted arbitrarily or otherwise erred in applying
    established law to the facts at issue”).
    B.
    1.
    As noted, the Board concluded that Burke Automotive
    violated its duty to bargain with the Union over the effects of
    the relocation to Lisle. Although Burke does not challenge
    this ruling – at least not directly – the ruling bears on other
    issues raised in the appeal. We therefore pause to discuss the
    scope of an employer’s duty to bargain over the effects of a
    relocation.
    7
    An employer generally is free to make decisions about
    the scope and direction of its enterprise, including whether to
    shut down or relocate part of the business. First Nat’l Maint.
    Corp. v. NLRB, 
    452 U.S. 666
    , 686-88 (1981). The employer
    must, however, bargain with the union over the effects of that
    decision on the employees represented by the union. 
    Id. at 681-82
    ; see also United Food & Commercial Workers Local
    540 v. NLRB, 
    519 F.3d 490
    , 495-96 (D.C. Cir. 2008).
    “[B]argaining over the effects of a decision must be
    conducted in a meaningful manner and at a meaningful time,”
    First Nat’l Maint. Corp., 
    452 U.S. at 681-82
    , which did not
    occur here. Burke Automotive did not inform the Union of
    the move until after it happened, and even then refused to
    engage in any discussions with the Union about the move’s
    effects on the employees.
    The range of topics discussed during effects bargaining
    depends on the nature of the change imposed. When an
    employer transfers employees from one facility to another,
    mandatory subjects of bargaining generally include “initial
    wages, benefits, seniority rights, and working conditions at
    the new location.” Dodge of Naperville, 
    2012 WL 30418
    , at
    *3; see also Holly Farms Corp. v. NLRB, 
    48 F.3d 1360
    , 1368
    (4th Cir. 1995) (holding that employer had a duty to bargain
    with union over the effects of a merger on “wages, hours,
    work rules, work schedules, and work locations”); Comar,
    Inc., 
    349 N.L.R.B. 342
    , 354 (2007) (“Comar II”) (noting that
    bargaining subjects during transfer included “the relocated
    workers’ wages, work locations, schedules, carryover of
    seniority, and other terms and conditions of employment at
    the new plant, as well as over the conditions of the transfer”). 3
    3
    Burke mischaracterizes its duty to bargain to include, at most, the
    effects of the mechanics’ discontinuation of employment. See
    Petitioner’s Br. 24. The cases cited by Burke, however, refer to
    8
    Burke Automotive therefore was required to bargain with
    the Union about the former Naperville employees’ initial
    wages, benefits, schedules, and other terms and conditions at
    the Lisle facility. During such bargaining, the employer was
    required to consider “any proposals” put forth by the Union
    on these topics. First Nat’l Maint. Corp., 
    452 U.S. at
    678-79
    n.17.
    The duty to engage in effects bargaining persists even if
    the employer’s management decision renders the historic unit
    inappropriate for other purposes. Thus, an employer cannot
    avoid effects bargaining simply by waiting until after the
    change has taken place and then claiming that the bargaining
    unit is no longer viable. See Comar II, 349 N.L.R.B. at 354.
    We affirmed this commonsense principle in United Food &
    Commercial Workers Local 540, where an employer claimed
    that its duty to engage in effects bargaining was rendered
    moot by the closure of a facility. We rejected the employer’s
    argument, holding that an “employer’s duty to bargain over
    the effects of a plant closing continues even after the closing:
    . . . [W]hen a plant closes, an employer cannot escape its
    effects bargaining duty simply by saying ‘No one works here
    anymore; the bargaining unit has disappeared.’” 519 F.3d at
    mandatory topics of bargaining when an employer shuts down a
    facility and lays off the employees. See, e.g., Friedman’s Exp., Inc.,
    
    315 N.L.R.B. 971
    , 971-72 (1994) (in the context of a plant closure,
    “it is well settled that effects bargaining encompasses ‘issues such
    as severance pay, seniority, pensions, health insurance, [and] job
    security’ that are of concern to all bargaining unit employees
    ‘whose employment status will be altered by the managerial
    decision.’”) (footnotes omitted). The Board found that Burke’s
    actions constituted a relocation or transfer. Dodge of Naperville,
    
    2012 WL 30418
    , at *3, *20, *24-25. Burke does not expressly
    challenge this factual finding, which is supported by substantial
    evidence in any event.
    9
    496. Likewise, even if the Naperville bargaining unit merged
    with the Lisle employees moving forward, the employer
    retained an obligation to bargain about the relocation’s effects
    on the Naperville employees.
    2.
    The more difficult question – and the one that Petitioner
    more clearly presses on appeal – is whether the historic
    Naperville unit became an inappropriate unit for other
    collective bargaining purposes once those employees were
    moved to Lisle. This question is critical to the Board’s
    finding that Burke Automotive unlawfully withdrew
    recognition of the unit. As the Board observed, an employer
    may lawfully withdraw recognition (for purposes other than
    effects bargaining) if the union no longer enjoys support from
    a majority of employees in the relevant unit. Dodge of
    Naperville, 
    2012 WL 30418
    , at *2 (citing Serramonte
    Oldsmobile, 
    318 N.L.R.B. 80
    , 104 (1995), enforced in
    relevant part, 
    86 F.3d 227
     (D.C. Cir. 1996)).
    Burke Automotive argued to the Board that the only
    appropriate unit was the aggregated group of historic Lisle
    and former Naperville employees. Burke contended that the
    old Naperville unit lost its distinct identity when its
    mechanics began working side-by-side with Lisle employees,
    and that the merged group formed one (and only one)
    “community of interest.”
    The Board rejected this view. It began its analysis,
    however, by explaining that under other circumstances, the
    changes made during the relocation would justify recognizing
    a combined Naperville-Lisle unit, rather than a unit of only
    former Naperville employees. Specifically, many of the
    similarities between the two units – the fact that the
    10
    mechanics did the same work side-by-side, under the same
    supervision, for the same wages and benefits – indicated that
    the units were no longer distinct. Dodge of Naperville, 
    2012 WL 30418
    , at *2. The Board further explained that these
    changes usually would constitute the sort of “compelling
    circumstance” that would justify disregarding a unit with a
    twenty-year bargaining history. 
    Id.
    But not so here, where many of the employer’s unilateral
    changes to the former Naperville employees’ working
    conditions – such as reductions in take-home pay and inferior
    benefits, to conform to the Lisle employees’ conditions –
    were put into place without the required effects bargaining.
    Because these changes were unlawful, they could be
    disregarded in the analysis. Id. at *3. Moreover, the Board
    reasoned, the employer’s failure to engage in any sort of
    effects bargaining “ma[de] it impossible to assess what the
    terms and conditions of the Naperville employees would have
    been after the relocation, had the Respondent not acted
    unlawfully.” Id. (citing Deaconess Medical Center, 
    314 N.L.R.B. 677
    , 677 n.1 (1994), and Holly Farms Corp., 
    311 N.L.R.B. 273
    , 279 n.25 (1993)). The Board therefore
    concluded that the changed circumstances did not compel
    modification of the historic Naperville unit at that time.
    We review the Board’s determination of the appropriate
    bargaining unit deferentially, as “the NLRA vests in the
    Board authority to determine ‘the unit appropriate for the
    purposes of collective bargaining.’” Serramonte, 
    86 F.3d at 236
     (quoting 
    29 U.S.C. § 159
    (b) (1994)). We recognize that
    “the Board’s discretion in this area is broad, reflecting
    Congress’ recognition of the need for flexibility in shaping
    the bargaining unit to the particular case.” 
    Id.
     (quoting NLRB
    v. Action Automotive, Inc., 
    469 U.S. 490
    , 494 (1985))
    (brackets and internal quotation marks omitted); see also
    11
    United Food & Commercial Workers Local 540, 
    519 F.3d at 494
     (Because a determination of an appropriate bargaining
    unit “requires a fact-intensive inquiry and a balancing of
    various factors, the Board has broad discretion in making the
    determination; we have said its decision is entitled to wide
    deference.”) (internal quotation marks omitted). We also
    have long observed that “the Board need only select an
    appropriate unit, not the most appropriate unit.” Serramonte,
    
    86 F.3d at 236
     (emphasis in original) (brackets and internal
    quotation marks omitted).
    When determining whether a smaller bargaining unit is
    appropriate, as opposed to a larger unit, the Board looks to
    whether there is a “community of interest” among the
    employees. United Food & Commercial Workers Local 540,
    
    519 F.3d at 494
     (internal quotation marks omitted). In doing
    so, the Board considers factors such as “‘the employees’
    wages, hours and other working conditions; commonality of
    supervision; degree of skill and common functions; frequency
    of contact and interchange with other employees; and
    functional integration.’” 
    Id.
     (quoting Sundor Brands, Inc. v.
    NLRB, 
    168 F.3d 515
    , 518 (D.C. Cir. 1999)); see also Home
    Depot USA, 
    331 N.L.R.B. 1289
    , 1290 (2000) (mentioning
    these factors, as well as “employment benefits,” “amount of
    working time spent away from the employment or plant
    situs,” and “history of bargaining”).
    The traditional community of interest analysis may be
    modified under particular circumstances, and two such
    modifications are relevant here. First, the Board is reluctant
    to alter a historical relationship between a unit and its union,
    and it therefore gives significant weight to a unit’s bargaining
    history. Specifically, the Board demands that a party
    challenging a historical unit show that “compelling
    circumstances” warrant modification of the unit. Trident
    12
    Seafoods, Inc. v. NLRB, 
    101 F.3d 111
    , 118 (D.C. Cir. 1996);
    ADT Security Servs., 
    355 N.L.R.B. 1388
    , 1396 (2010).
    Second, when evaluating the community of interest factors,
    the Board ignores any impermissible changes made
    unilaterally by the employer (for example, changes made
    without effects bargaining, if that was required). In re
    Comar, Inc., 
    339 N.L.R.B. 903
    , 911 (2003) (“Comar I”) (“To
    hold otherwise would allow [the employer] to benefit from its
    own unlawful conduct.”), enforced, 111 F. App’x 1 (D.C. Cir.
    2004); Holly Farms Corp., 311 N.L.R.B. at 279.
    The Board applied these legal principles when it
    concluded that Burke Automotive had failed to establish
    compelling circumstances that would justify disregarding the
    historic Naperville unit. Burke argues that this conclusion
    was erroneous for various reasons. For the following reasons,
    all of Burke’s arguments must be rejected.
    Burke Automotive first argues that the NRLB applied a
    “new standard” when it applied the “compelling
    circumstances” test discussed above. Petitioner’s Br. 3, 26.
    Burke is incorrect about the novelty of the “compelling
    circumstances” test. As noted, the Board has repeatedly held
    that a historical bargaining unit remains appropriate absent a
    showing of “compelling circumstances,” as this Court has
    recognized. Southern Power Co. v. NLRB, 
    664 F.3d 946
    , 951
    (D.C. Cir. 2012) (discussing “compelling circumstances”
    standard); Cmty. Hosps. of Cent. California v. NLRB, 
    335 F.3d 1079
    , 1085 (D.C. Cir. 2003) (same); Trident Seafoods,
    
    101 F.3d at 118
     (same).
    Burke next argues that the Board should have applied an
    “accretion” doctrine. “Accretion is the addition of a group of
    employees to an existing union-represented bargaining unit
    without a Board election.” Dean Transp., Inc. v. NLRB, 551
    
    13 F.3d 1055
    , 1067 (D.C. Cir. 2009) (emphasis added). 4 The
    Board has not applied the doctrine where, as here, the larger
    unit was not organized and had no bargaining representative.
    See N.Y. Rehab. Care Mgmt., LLC v. NLRB, 
    506 F.3d 1070
    ,
    1077 (D.C. Cir. 2007). Rather than relying on the accretion
    doctrine, the Board framed its decision in accordance with its
    presumption against disturbing a historical bargaining unit.
    This was consistent with Board precedent.
    Burke also contends that the Board’s decision in Brown
    Truck & Trailer Manufacturing Co., 
    106 N.L.R.B. 999
    (1953), establishes that a historical union cannot bargain over
    the terms and conditions of unit employees at a new facility
    where non-unit employees work. See Petitioner’s Br. 25.
    Burke’s assertion misconstrues the case. Brown Truck merely
    stands for the proposition that a bargaining unit that is
    transferred to another facility cannot bargain over the terms
    and conditions of employment for all of the employees at the
    new facility. 106 N.L.R.B. at 1002. This principle – that a
    union cannot bargain over the terms and conditions of
    employment for employees it does not represent – is a core
    tenet of labor law. See Int’l Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union
    v. NLRB, 
    366 U.S. 731
    , 736-37 (1961) (holding that a union
    cannot represent a group of employees for which it does not
    enjoy majority support). But it is inapposite here, where the
    Board was simply considering whether the Union could
    continue representing the six former Naperville employees.
    4
    When considering whether a smaller unit has been accreted into a
    larger unit, the Board evaluates whether the two merged units form
    an “overwhelming community of interest.” Safeway Stores, Inc.,
    
    256 N.L.R.B. 918
    , 918 (1981). Even if accretion were relevant
    here, it is not clear whether this standard is meaningfully different
    from the “compelling circumstances” test.
    14
    It is only Burke Automotive’s last argument that gives us
    pause. Burke questions whether, even if it had engaged in
    effects bargaining with the Union, any changes made with
    respect to mandatory bargaining topics would have been
    sufficient to maintain the distinctness of the historic
    Naperville and Lisle units. Burke points out that in other
    cases where the Board has refused to disturb a historical
    bargaining unit after a relocation or merger, additional factors
    beyond wages and benefits indicated that the historical unit
    remained distinct. For example, in Comar II, the Board found
    that changed circumstances did not compel disregarding a
    historical bargaining unit where an employer relocated a
    group of employees from one facility to another but kept the
    two sets of employees at the new facility separate from each
    other and under different supervision. 349 N.L.R.B. at 360;
    see also ADT, 355 N.L.R.B. at 1388-89 (finding no
    compelling circumstances, despite merger of two units of
    service employees, where each set of employees retained
    different terms of employment, including – unlike here –
    different primary work locations).
    Although this is a tougher call, we conclude that the
    Board’s decision was supported by substantial evidence and
    that it was not arbitrary. It is clear that the Naperville
    employees could have bargained for “wages, hours and other
    working conditions” that were different from those of the
    Lisle employees and were more consistent with the terms
    outlined in the CBA; this weighs against finding a community
    of interest. Moreover, the bargaining process is a flexible
    one, where an employer is obligated to consider in good faith
    “any proposals” submitted by the union. First Nat’l Maint.
    Corp., 
    452 U.S. at
    678-79 n.17. Although Congress has
    limited mandatory subjects of bargaining “to matters of
    ‘wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of
    employment,’” an employer and a union sitting down at the
    15
    bargaining table “are free to bargain about any legal subject.”
    
    Id. at 674
     (quoting 
    29 U.S.C. §§ 158
    (d) and 158(a)(5)).
    Burke and the Union could have agreed to other changes that
    would have led the Naperville employees to have, for
    example, distinct supervisors or spheres of work from the
    Lisle employees. There is uncertainty about what the
    relocation would have looked like had effects bargaining
    taken place, and the Board found that it would be unfair to
    permit Burke to benefit from the uncertainty created by its
    unlawful refusal to bargain. In view of the “wide deference”
    accorded to the Board, United Food & Commercial Workers
    Local 540, 
    519 F.3d at 494
    , we cannot say that this was error.
    We note, however, that our decision is limited to these
    particular facts.    We might have reached a different
    conclusion had effects bargaining taken place and resulted
    only in modest differences between the two groups in wages
    and benefits. The Board itself has noted that it can be
    unworkable to continue recognizing a union representing only
    a historic bargaining unit if unit employees are working side-
    by-side with non-unit employees. See Abbott-Northwestern
    Hosp., 
    274 N.L.R.B. 1063
    , 1067 (1985) (recognizing the
    potential difficulty in having unit and non-unit employees
    working alongside each other, performing the same jobs). It
    may turn out that Burke’s withdrawal of recognition was
    simply premature – but premature is still improper. We
    therefore uphold as reasonable the Board’s conclusion that
    Burke Automotive unlawfully withdrew recognition of the
    Union when it did so immediately upon the relocation, prior
    to any effects bargaining.
    C.
    Burke Automotive also challenges the Board’s decision
    by attacking the composition of the Board itself. Burke
    16
    argues that the Board was operating with only two valid
    members at the time that the decision was issued, and that the
    Board consequently lacked the requisite quorum. According
    to the employer, the Board’s opinion is therefore invalid. See
    New Process Steel v. NLRB, 
    130 S. Ct. 2635
    , 2640-42 (2010)
    (holding that the Board cannot render decisions when its
    membership falls below three).
    The Board’s opinion was issued on January 3, 2012. It is
    undisputed that on that date, the three members that issued the
    opinion – Chairman Mark G. Pearce, Member Brian Hayes,
    and Member Craig Becker – were the only individuals acting
    as Board members at that time. It also is undisputed that the
    appointment of Craig Becker (who was recess appointed in
    the second session of the 111th Congress) expired at the end
    of the first session of the 112th Congress. See U.S. Const.,
    art. II § 2, cl. 3 (“[The President] shall have power to fill up
    all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate,
    by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their
    next session.”).
    Burke Automotive argues that Becker’s appointment
    ended on December 17, 2011, when the Senate agreed to
    adjourn and convene for pro forma sessions only every
    Tuesday and Friday between that date and January 23, 2012.
    According to Burke, this action triggered the end of the
    session and the beginning of an inter-session recess.
    This argument has no merit. See D.R. Horton, Inc. v.
    NLRB, 
    737 F.3d 344
    , 352-53 (5th Cir. 2013) (rejecting the
    same argument regarding Member Becker’s service). The
    Supreme Court recently observed that the end of an annual
    session is triggered by a recess only if the Senate adjourns
    sine die – that is, without specifying a date to return. NLRB v.
    Noel Canning, 
    134 S. Ct. 2550
    , 2560-61 (2014) (“The Senate
    17
    or the House of Representatives announces an inter-session
    recess by approving a resolution stating that it will ‘adjourn
    sine die,’ i.e., without specifying a date to return (in which
    case Congress will reconvene when the next formal session is
    scheduled to begin).”). Because the Senate convened every
    few days after December 17, the short recesses that took place
    were intra-session recesses – in other words, the prior session
    did not end. The first session of the 112th Congress instead
    ended at noon on January 3, 2012, when the second session
    began. See U.S. Const., amend. XX, § 2 (“The Congress shall
    assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall
    begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by
    law appoint a different day.”); D.R. Horton, 737 F.3d at 352
    (“Because there was no sine die adjournment on an earlier
    date, one Senate session ended on January 3, 2012,
    immediately before the next session began at noon.”).
    In its reply, Burke suggests (without any evidence or
    argument) that perhaps the Board’s order issued after noon on
    January 3, 2012, after Becker’s appointment expired.
    Because we do not consider arguments raised for the first time
    on reply, we do not address this argument. Petrochem
    Insulation, Inc. v. NLRB, 
    240 F.3d 26
    , 30 (D.C. Cir. 2001). 5
    5
    Burke Automotive also contends that the Board abused its
    discretion in issuing an affirmative bargaining order.          See
    Petitioner’s Br. 38. Although the affirmative bargaining order
    originated with the ALJ, Burke did not object to the nature of that
    order before the Board and has not explained its failure to do so.
    We therefore lack authority to consider its objection here. See 
    29 U.S.C. § 160
    (e) (“No objection that has not been urged before the
    Board . . . shall be considered by the court, unless the failure or
    neglect to urge such objection shall be excused because of
    extraordinary circumstances.”); Alwin Mfg. Co. v. NLRB, 
    192 F.3d 133
    , 143 (D.C. Cir. 1999) (“A court of appeals altogether ‘lacks
    jurisdiction to review objections that were not urged before the
    18
    III.
    For the foregoing reasons, we find no error in the Board’s
    conclusions with respect to Burke Automotive’s unlawful
    withdrawal of recognition. We also reject Burke’s other
    challenges to the Board’s decision. We therefore deny
    Burke’s petition for review and grant the Board’s cross-
    application for enforcement.
    So ordered.
    Board.’”) (quoting Woelke & Romero Framing, Inc. v. NLRB, 
    456 U.S. 645
    , 665-66 (1982)).
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 12-1032

Citation Numbers: 418 U.S. App. D.C. 31, 796 F.3d 31

Filed Date: 8/4/2015

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 1/12/2023

Authorities (20)

Nos. 93-1710, 93-1882 , 48 F.3d 1360 ( 1995 )

New York Rehabilitation Care Management, LLC v. National ... , 506 F.3d 1070 ( 2007 )

Southern Power Co. v. National Labor Relations Board , 664 F.3d 946 ( 2012 )

The Cincinnati Newspaper Guild, Local 9, the Newspaper ... , 938 F.2d 284 ( 1991 )

Sundor Brands, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board , 168 F.3d 515 ( 1999 )

Commty Hosp Ctrl CA v. NLRB , 335 F.3d 1079 ( 2003 )

Ctzn Invst Svc Corp v. NLRB , 430 F.3d 1195 ( 2005 )

Alwin Manufacturing Co. v. National Labor Relations Board , 192 F.3d 133 ( 1999 )

United Food & Commercial Workers v. National Labor ... , 519 F.3d 490 ( 2008 )

Petrochem Insulation, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board , 240 F.3d 26 ( 2001 )

Trident Seafoods, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board , 101 F.3d 111 ( 1996 )

serramonte-oldsmobile-inc-dba-serramonte-oldsmobile-serramonte , 86 F.3d 227 ( 1996 )

Synergy Gas Corporation v. National Labor Relations Board , 19 F.3d 649 ( 1994 )

Ford Motor Co. (Chicago Stamping Plant) v. National Labor ... , 99 S. Ct. 1842 ( 1979 )

First National Maintenance Corp. v. National Labor ... , 101 S. Ct. 2573 ( 1981 )

International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union v. National ... , 81 S. Ct. 1603 ( 1961 )

Woelke & Romero Framing, Inc. v. National Labor Relations ... , 102 S. Ct. 2071 ( 1982 )

New Process Steel, L. P. v. National Labor Relations Board , 130 S. Ct. 2635 ( 2010 )

Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Canning , 134 S. Ct. 2550 ( 2014 )

National Labor Relations Board v. Action Automotive, Inc. , 105 S. Ct. 984 ( 1985 )

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