Ford Motor Co.

National Labor Relations Board - Board Decisions

Aug 6, 1948

78 N.L.R.B. 887 (N.L.R.B. 1948)

In the Matter Of FORD MOTOR COMPANY ( MAYWOOD PLANT ), EMPLOYER
and INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS, LOCAL
11, A. F. OF L., PETITIONER
In the Matter Of FORD MOTOR COMPANY ( LINCOLN-MERCURY DIVISION),
EMPLOYER and INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AIR-
CRAFT AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, CIO
(UAW-CIO), PETITIONER
Cases Nos. 21-RC-100 and 21-RC-2.36, respectively.-Decided August
6, 1948
DECISION
DIRECTION OF ELECTION
AND
ORDER'
Upon petitions duly filed, a hearing was held before a hearing officer
of the National Labor Relations Board.' The hearing officer's rulings
made at the hearing are free from prejudicial error and are hereby
affirmed.
Upon the entire record in this case, the Board finds :
1. The Employer is engaged in commerce within the meaning of the
National Labor Relations Act.
2. The labor organizations named herein claim to represent em-
ployees of the Employer.
3. A question affecting commerce exists concerning the representa-
tion of employees of the Employer, within the meaning of Section 9
(c) (1) and Section 2 (6) and (7) of the Act.
4. The appropriate unit :
International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricul-
tural Implement Workers of America, CIO,- herein called the UAW,
seeks, and the Employer favors, a plant-wide unit comprising all pro-
duction and maintenance employees. International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, Local 11, A. F. of L., herein called the IBEW,
seeks a unit of all maintenance and construction electricians.
' The proceedings herein were consolidated by an Order of the Board dated May 7, 1948.
78 N. L. R. B., No. 123.
887
888 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
The Employer is engaged in the manufacture of automobiles, trucks,
tractors, and related products. For the purpose of assembling auto-
mobiles, it operates 17 assembly plants at various locations through-
out the United States.2 The automobile assembly plant at Maywood,
Los Angeles, California, is the one involved in this proceeding. At
this plant, components of the automobile are received in the form of
subassemblies, major stampings, and miscellaneous parts. Body
stampings are welded together into completed body shells, painted
and trimmed. Chassis assemblies are built up from frames, axles,
wheels, drive shafts, and motors and joined with the body assembly to
produce completed automobiles, which are shipped to dealers. Most
of the operations, involved in this process are performed upon moving
conveyor lines, driven by means of electric motors. These lines are so
coordinated that a break-down in any part will either stop the entire
assembly process or throw the system completely out of balance.
The sole source of power used in the operation of the plant is elec-
tricity and the successful operation of the plant is entirely dependent
upon the proper and continuous functioning of electrical equipment.
Thus, the conveyor lines are driven by electric motors; holes are drilled
and screws and nuts tightened by electrically driven high-cycle hand
tools; body components are welded together by means of electric spot
welding guns; the compressors are electrically-driven, the paint spray
guns, the ventilating equipment, and drying ovens are electrically
operated; and completed automobiles move off the end of the assembly
line onto electrically actuated testing equipment.
The Company employs approximately 1,000 production and main-
tenance employees at this plant, of whom 9 are classed as maintenance
electricians. The record shows that the work of these electricians is
closely integrated with that of the other employees and that, together
with these other employees; they constitute a highly coordinated pro-
duction team.' These electricians constantly inspect, check, and re-
place worn or defective parts in the electrical equipment on the pro-
duction floor to avoid break-downs during operations; they also make
immediate repairs when break-downs or other equipment failures
occur. One electrician works on the afternoon shift, another on the
midnight shift, and still another on Saturdays and Sundays, with
Monday and Tuesday off, leaving 6 electricians regularly on the day
shift during the week. On the day shift, one is regularly assigned to
the repair of high-cycle hand tools used on the assembly line, one is
regularly assigned to the paint spray booths and drying ovens and 3
2 There is no bargaining history at the plant in question . The Employer's 16 other plants
are separately organized into plant -wide production and maintenance units
3 The record also shows that the working and employment conditions of the electricians,
except for rate of pay, are identical with those of the other hourly rated employees.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY 889
are regularly engaged in the maintenance and repair of welding guns
used in the "body build-up" department.
Electricians generally comprise a distinct craft group and we have
previously held that as craftsmen they may be represented in either
a craft unit or a production and maintenance unit, depending upon
their desires as expressed in a self-determination election.4 However,
where-as in the instant case, the electricians regularly and repetitively
perform such indispensable assembly-line operations as to constitute
an integral part of the production process, we believe that they should
be included, with the other production and maintenance employees,
in a plant-wide unit.-5
We find, therefore, that the unit sought by the IBEW is in-
appropriate.
Accordingly, we find that all production and maintenance em-
ployees of the Employer at its assembly plant, Los Angeles, California
(Lincoln-Mercury Division), excluding superintendents, directors
of departments, foremen, and all other supervisors; all employees in
the industrial relations department, traffic department, controller's
department, purchasing department, and methods and standards sec-
tion; any employees who engage in work corresponding to that done
in the administrative offices (including finance, purchasing, industrial
relations, engineering, sales and advertising, general counsel) and
manufacturing staff department; guards, employees working ex-
clusively for the plant manager, assistant plant manager, superin-
tendents, plant engineers or directors or managers of departments,
time-study men, students in technical schools, professional employees,
their professional assistants, and those training in the professions,
constitute a unit appropriate for the purpose of collective bargaining
within the meaning of Section 9 (b) of the Act.
DIRECTION OF ELECTION
As part of the investigation to ascertain representatives for the
purposes of collective bargaining with the Employer, an election by
secret ballot shall be conducted as early as possible, but not later than
30 days from the date of this Direction, under the direction and super-
vision of the Regional Director for the Region in which this case was
heard, and subject to Sections 203.61 and 203.62 of National Labor
Relations Board Rules and Regulations-Series 5, among the em-
* Matter of General Motors Corporation, Harrison Radiator Division, 71 N. L R B. 757.
This General Motors plant is engaged in manufacturing automobile heaters and defrosters.
The plant involved in the instant case is engage(] in automobile-assembly production which
entails an altogether different production procebs, and is dependent entirely on electrical
power.
5 See Matter of National Tube Company , 76 N. L. R. B. 1199.
890 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
ployees in the' unit found appropriate in paragraph numbered 4,
above, who were employed during the pay-roll period immediately
preceding the date of this Direction of Election, including employees
who did not work during said pay-roll period because they were ill
or on vacation or temporarily laid off, but excluding those employees
who have since quit or been discharged for cause and have not been
rehired or reinstated prior to the date of the election, and also ex-
cluding employees on strike who are not entitled to reinstatement, to
determine whether or not they desire to be represented, for purposes
of collective bargaining, by International Union, United Automobile,
Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, CIO
(UAW-CIO).
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the petition filed in Case No. 21-RC-190
by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 11,
A. F. of L., be, and it hereby is, dismissed.
- CHAIRMAN HERZOG took no part in the consideration of the above
Decision, Direction of Election, and Order.
MEMBER REYNOLDS dissenting :
I am constrained to dissent from the majority opinion in this case
,because I am of the opinion that the maintenance electricians herein
are no different from those whom we have found repeatedly to be
skilled craftsmen entitled to be represented in separate units, if they
so desire.,' Here, the electricians are not production employees, but
perform the usual functions of skilled mechanics who require a con-
siderable period of apprenticeship and training before attaining the
rank and status of craftsmen. This clearly distinguishes them from
the production employees. Under these circumstances, I would give
the maintenance electricians an opportunity to decide whether or not
they should have separate representation.
6 Matter of The Turbine Eugzneeriug Company, 73 N. L R B 163 • Matter of Lockheed
Aircraft Corp ., 77 N. L. R. B. 507 ; Matter of Tin Processing Corporation, 78 N. L. R. B.
96.