Radio Corp. of America

National Labor Relations Board - Board Decisions

Oct 29, 1968

173 N.L.R.B. 440 (N.L.R.B. 1968)

440 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
Radio Corporation of America and International
Society of Skilled Trades , Petitioner . Cases 4-RC-
7352 and 4-RC-7353
October 29, 1968
DECISION AND ORDER
By CHAIRMAN MCCULLOCH AND MEMBERS
BROWN AND JENKINS
Upon the several petitions duly filed by the
International Society of Skilled Trades, Petitioner
herein, under Section 9(c) of the National Labor
Relations Act, as amended, a consolidated hearing
was held before Katherine W. Tereshinski, Hearing
Officer. Following the hearing and pursuant to
Section 102.67 of the National Labor Relations
Board Rules and Regulations and Statements of
Procedure, Series 8, as amended, and by direction of
the Regional Director for Region 4, this case was
transferred to the National Labor Relations Board for
decision Briefs have been timely filed by the Em-
ployer, the Petitioner, and the Intervenor.'
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3(b) of the
National Labor Relations Act, as amended, the Board
has delegated its powers in connection with this case
to a three-member panel.
The Board has reviewed the Hearing Officer's
rulings made at the hearing and finds that they are
free from prejudicial error. They 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 Act and it will effectuate the
purposes of the Act to assert jurisdiction herein.
2. The Petitioner is a labor organization claiming
to represent certain employees of the Employer.
3. In view of our findings below, no question
affecting commerce exists concerning the representa-
tion of the employees of the Employer within the
meaning of Section 9(c)(1) and Section 2(6) and (7)
of the Act.
The Employer is engaged at its Moorestown, New
Jersey, plant in the development and manufacture of
electronic products, specializing in radar equipment.
There are about 2,275 employees at the Moorestown
plant. About 1,750 of these are salaried professional,
technical, and staff employees, with the professional
and technical employees being represented by labor
organizations not involved in these proceedings. The
remaining approximately 525 employees are repre-
sented in a production and maintenance unit by Local
I International Union of Electrical , Radio and Machine Workers,
AFL-CIO, and its Locals 103 and 106, herein called the Intervenor.
106 of the Intervenor and have been so represented
since 1953. These employees work in the main factory
buildings as well as at the Medford Antenna site about
10 miles from the main buildings, and at such build-
ings as "The Ball" (Ballistic Missile Early Warning Sys-
tem Model Building), the XN3 Building, and Building
No. 117, all of which are on the same premises, al-
though separated from the main factory buildings.
The Petitioner sought, in petition 4-RC-7353, to
carve out of the Moorestown production and mainte-
nance unit the "modelmakers, model shop finishers,
model shop welders, and skilled maintenance employ-
ees," or alternatively, two units, one including the
skilled maintenance employees and the other mclud-
ing the other named employees. During the hearing,
however, the Petitioner orally stated its request as
being a "Moorestown Model Shop Unit," any part
thereof, or that unit together with any other that the
Board might find an appropriate combination. It also
appears that Petitioner's request for a unit of skilled
maintenance employees at Moorestown has not been
withdrawn.
The Employer has a complex at Camden, New
Jersey (consisting of 20 buildings there and 1 at
Gibbsboro, New Jersey), which develops and manu-
factures advanced communications systems for de-
fense and space application, commercial telecasting
equipment, and electronic data processing equipment.
There are approximately 12,000 employees at the
complex, half of whom are salaried and half of whom
are hourly paid. Of the hourly paid employees, 69
drivers and helpers are separately represented and all
other (nearly 6,000) hourly paid employees are
represented in a production and maintenance unit by
the Intervenor. The Intervenor was recognized at
Camden in 1950 as the representative of the produc-
tion and maintenance employees. Prior to that time,
Local 103 of the Intervenor was affiliated with the
United Electrical Workers of America, Ind., which
had been the representative of production and main-
tenance employees at Camden since about 1937.
Petitioner seeks, in petition 4-RC-7352, to sever
from the existing Camden production and mainte-
nance unit, alternatively, (1) a single unit composed of
all skilled trades employees in Division 1 (an internal
designation made by the Intervenor, not the Em-
ployer) and all skilled maintenance employees; (2) a
unit of 12 enumerated occupations such as model-
makers and toolmakers; or (3) a unit of skilled
maintenance employees. At the hearing, the Peti-
tioner withdrew its request pertaining to maintenance
employees and restates its Camden petition as apply-
ing to a model shop unit, a toolroom unit, a short
order fabrication shop unit, or any part or combina-
tion of the foregoing. There are approximately 460
employees in classifications sought by the Petitioner.
Upon consideration of the principles laid down in
173 NLRB No. 72
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA 441
Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Uranium Division, 162
NLRB No. 48, we do not believe that severance
elections are warranted in these cases.
a. Moorestown model shop
The primary unit requested at Moorestown consists
of the model shop function with modelmakers as a
nucleus. The model shop at Moorestown classifies 66
employees as modelmakers and 18 other employees in
eight other job classifications. There are also 55-60
wiremen-assemblers who, while they work in the
"wire shop," are apparently considered part of the
model shop. The job description of the modelmakers
calls for them to construct first samples, mold parts
or equipment to complete models and samples, study
blueprints to plan the work to be done, construct
necessary tools, fabricate parts, assemble components,
and the like.
In actual practice, the modelmakers do not per-
form all of the tasks called for in the job description.
Their work is broken down so that about one-third
engage only in machining work, one-third only in
sheetmetal work, and one-third do both types of
work. Further specialization is indicated by the fact
that, within each group, some of the modelmakers
cannot perform certain types of complicated ma-
chining or sheetmetal work, and such work must be
assigned to others in the group. There is no inter-
change between the two primary groups, and they are
separately supervised. While the work of the model-
makers was originally exclusively engineering (the
making of models for engineers), it has become
necessary in the last several years for this shop to
perform basic production work in order to provide
the employees with a full work load. The general
foreman of the model shop testified that the model
shop work is now 85-90 percent manufacturing
assembly work, not requiring the skills of model-
makers to perform. This manufacturing assembly
work consists of the making and assembly of parts,
such as brackets, chassis, panels, spacers, and bushers.
Approximately 8-9 percent of the remaining time of
the modelmakers is spent working for design engi-
neers in developing products, and about 1 percent is
spent in the making of tools and holding fixtures. All
of the work of the modelmakers, except the making
of tools and holding fixtures, is done on goods which
are shipped to customers. Although some 57 model-
makers work as described above, 5 others are largely
engaged in overhauling operating equipment, and the
other 4 act full time as material inspectors. While
there is an apprenticeship program for modelmakers,
equivalent experience is accepted for hiring, and
modelmakers need not have been apprenticed before
hiring.
The production work of these employees leads
them to produce quantities of parts in varying
amounts, such as thousands of angle brackets. Ap-
proximately 60-65 percent of their time is spent on
making parts such as chassis, panels and brackets in
large quantities and repetitively. Another 25 percent
of the time is spent making more complicated parts.
All of these parts are integrated into the Employer's
products. As for the making of first models, while the
modelmakers may still make the first model from
drawings or sketches, they then also produce the
whole series of parts which are thereafter fabricated.
The 55-60 wiremen-assemblers work with the
modelmakers, but are separately supervised. They use
various machines such as lathes. The work performed
by modelmakers-the fabrication and alteration of
parts-is also done by wiremen on the same machines
and in the same building.
The welders, finishers, tool crib attendants, and
two other classifications have a different supervisor
from the modelmakers or the wiremen. The two
welders in this shop work in all areas of the plant
along with other employees in the production and
maintenance unit. They weld parts, chassis and the
like which are made by modelmakers and production
employees. Most of their time is spent working on
products that will be shipped to customers, and a
majority of their effort involves repetitive tasks.
There is no apprentice program for welders. The five
finishers in the shop paint and finish parts and other
items made by modelmakers and production em-
ployees. When using plating solution, the finishers
follow instructions which indicate the length of time
the parts must be submerged and other specifications
of the work. Their functions appear to be routine and
to require little skill or training. There is no appren-
tice program for finishers. Other miscellaneous clas-
sifications in the unit are tool crib attendants,
material handlers, production clerks, and others.
The model shop unit requested herein is made up
of employees who are not in any substantial measure
engaged in a craft type of work, but rather are, for
the most part, specialists engaging in what is es-
sentially production work. The performance by these
employees of basic production work precludes their
being considered a functionally distinct department.
b. Moorestown maintenance shop
The maintenance department at Moorestown con-
sists of 8 operating engineers, 15 maintenance me-
chanics, 12 electricians, 5 pipefitters, 14 carpenters, 4
painters, 1 machinist repairman, 2 welders, and 10
laborers. The Petitioner has not specifically with-
drawn its request for an election in this group (with
the laborers excepted therefrom), although it has
withdrawn its request as to a similar Camden group.
These employees report to five different foremen,
in groups containing mixtures of classifications. The
evidence indicates that few of the employees are
442 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
engaged in jobs which require a broad exercise of
craft skills. The operating engineers operate the
boilers, but play no part in generating, using or
measuring electricity, and an outside firm is hired to
direct the operating engineers in the job of providing
pure water. The maintenance mechanics perform
preventive maintenance and repair work on air con-
ditioning equipment and production machinery. Five
of them spend their time simply rearranging parts of
the plant area by moving partitions, benches, bins,etc.
Two other mechanics spend half of their time moving
desks, bins, and similar items, and leveling them, and
spend the other half installing ceilings and repairing
floors. Two of the electricians are engaged fulltime in
washing light fixtures, two spend nearly half of their
working time oiling and greasing motors, and about
five are used at various times in replacing some
20,000 light bulbs per year. Two of the five pipe-
fitters spend all of their time doing such jobs in plant
washrooms as replacing faucet washers, using chem-
icals to prevent clogging of drains, and checking
drains for leaks. The carpenters spend much of their
time in rearranging walls and partitions and in
building boxes. Similarly, the painters and welders are
normally engaged in work which, while within the
compass of their crafts, is simple, routine and
repetitive. In sum, the maintenance shop appears to
be a group of diversified workers whose exercise of
the skills usually attributed to the respective crafts to
which they are asserted to belong is not in kind or
degree such as to indicate a special community of
craft interest that might argue for their severance
from the established unit. While the department
might be said to be "functionally distinct" from the
rest of the plant, other relevant factors, such as the
close daily association of many of the maintenance
employees with production employees throughout
the plant, the history of collective bargaining, and the
Petitioner's stated intention not to represent the
laborers, leads us to conclude that severance would be
inappropriate here.
c. Camden model shop
The Petitioner seeks to sever what it considers the
three basic craft groups from the Camden plant-the
Camden model shop, the Camden tool shop, and the
Camden short order fabrication shop.
The Petitioner seeks a Camden model shop unit
with modelmakers as the nucleus. There are approx-
imately 177 modelmakers at Camden. Of these, 170
work in two separate model shops (section 575 and
the electronic data processing shop), and the others
work in three other locations. The section 575 model
shop at Camden is divided into separate departments
the sheet metal shop, the machine shop, and the
finish shop. The section 575 shop occupies the sixth
floor of adjoining buildings 10 and 13, with the sheet
metal shop in the former and the metal shop in the
latter. About 25 modelmakers work in the sheet
metal shop making such items as chassis, panels,
and brackets, by using shears, brakes, punch presses,
and drill presses.
About 130 modelmakers are assigned to the ma-
chine shop, but only 40 work there full time. Of the
remaining 90, 20 are assigned fulltime to engineering
laboratory areas where they work with engineers or
engineering groups. They utilize machines similar to
those in the machine shop area and work under a
different foreman from the other modelmakers. The
other 70 employees are also assigned to engineers, but
spend the majority of their time in the machine shop
making parts and assemblies. All of these parts which
are made by the modelmakers in the sheetmetal and
machine shops become part of the final product sent
to the customers. There is little interchange of
personnel between the two areas.
There is some testimony that the work of these
modelmakers in the machine shop is not repetitive,
but there is also testimony to the contrary. On one
job, labeled APN-155, the modelmakers spent ap-
proximately 17,000 man hours in 2'/z years making
1,600 shields, each of which included about 4
brackets, 2 screens, and 5 bushings made by the
modelmakers. For the Apollo program, parts such as
covers and plates were made in multiples of 22, 44,
and 66, over a 10-month period.
The work of the modelmakers is often supple-
mented by work from production areas, but, unlike
the situation at Moorestown, this does not account
for a major part of their work However, it is
estimated that about 85 percent of their time is spent
in production-type work, i.e., the making and
assembling of products, while 10-15 percent of their
time is spent in making tools and fixtures.
Also working in the machine model shop of section
575 are 2 arc and gas welders, 2 spot welders, 20
model shop finishers, 5 tools and gauge inspectors, 1
template maker, 2 machine operators, and 1 ma-
chinist. The finishers plate and finish parts they
receive from the modelmakers, other production
areas, and from outside suppliers. About 65 percent
of their work comes from other production areas. The
arc and gas welders weld mostly sheetmetal products
such as chassis, cabinets, etc., on a repetitive basis.
The spot welders do routine spot welding in the sheet
metal shop. The template maker makes sheet metal
parts in quantities of 1-20 on a repetitive basis. The
machine operators perform tasks akin to those per-
formed by the modelmakers. The machinist spends
most of his time in the sheetmetal shop sanding
panels, chassis, brackets, etc. There are no apprentice
programs for these job categories, and they are
generally filled by upgrading.
There are about 15 modelmakers attached, along
with wiremen and testers, to the specialized data
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA 443
processing model shop located on the second floor of
building 13. Most, however, are permanently assigned
outside the shop to laboratory areas where they work
with engineers and wiremen m assembling units and
then producing a number of similar units.
It does not appear that either the section 575 or
the electronic data processing model shop, or both
together, or separate occupational groups within these
shops, are appropriate units for severance. The shops
comprise groupings of employees working in different
areas, doing dissimilar specialized work, under dif-
ferent supervision with little interchange. There seems
to be very little exercise of a broad range of
modelmaking skills by most of the modelmakers.
Some modelmakers work closely with production
employees and appear to do pure production work.
For the most part, they are involved in work that is
largely repetitive and involves the making, assembling,
welding, finishing, and inspecting of parts in quan-
tities. Under Mallinckrodt standards, neither the
criteria applicable to craft units nor to functionally
distinct departments appear to be met.
d. Camden tool shop
Another unit requested by the Petitioner is the
Camden plant tool shop unit, with the tool-and-die
makers as the nucleus. Most of the tool shop is
centered on the sixth floor of building 17, but the
tool design function is in building 8, and there are
tool repair functions in building 18 and building 4.
There are approximately 55 toolmakers who report to
the general foreman of the tool shop through 3
lower-level foremen. Of the 55, 35 actually work in
the tool shop Five to ten of these work full time
making production parts by machining castings,
panels, racks, etc., in quantities of 100-200. The
remaining 25 to 30 make the tools, molds, and dies
which are used at Camden, although 14 of them
spend much of their time building machines.
Ninety-five percent of Camden's tools are made at
this shop.
The other 20 toolmakers who are assigned to this
unit work outside the tool shop and are assigned on a
permanent basis to repair and service work. Five to
ten of these employees work in production assembly
in buildings 3 and 17, where they service and repair
assembly machines and work with the machine
operators. Four other toolmakers are located in
building 18, where they sharpen and repair dies and
try out tools on the production floor. They work
with brake, punch press, and kick press operators.
Four more service a production machine shop,
working on the production floor, repairing and
punching dies and tryout tools. Two more, in building
4, service and demonstrate tools in a production-
assembly area. Thus, 20 of the 55 toolmakers work
permanently in production areas outside of the tool
shop. And, of the 35 toolmakers who work in the
tool shop, 5 to 10 work full time on straight
production work.
There are several other job categories in the tool
shop unit. There are 10 template makers who report
to the general foremen of the tool shop. They spend
approximately 20 percent of their time making
fixtures and templates (which are made for produc-
tion use), 30 percent on engraving and cutting
stencils, and 50 percent working on parts and
assemblies. Generally, parts are made in quantities of
200, and in one case the template makers straightened
and polished 15-20,000 aperture plates.
Additionally, there are four tool grinders who also
report to the general foreman. Twenty-five percent
of their time is spent on production parts and 75
percent on tools. There are two heat treaters who
work in the tool shop. About 90 percent of their time
is spent in heat treating production metals and parts,
which come to them directly from production. Ten
percent of their time is spent in the heat treating of
tools. There are four tool and gauge inspectors who
also report to the general foreman. They inspect tools
and, as well, parts and gauges made in the tool shop.
The tool shop unit does not present a meritorious
case for severance. Rather than being a clearly defined
group of skilled craftsmen, performing their work on
a nonrepetitive basis, the employees are a diverse
group of workers performing dissimilar jobs, many of
which comprise essentially production or direct ser-
vicing of the production process.
e. Camden short order fabrication shop
The largest number of employees in this unit are
template makers, approximately 43 out of 100. The
function of this shop and of the template makers is to
supplement the work of the production employees
when the production employees have gotten behind
schedule and also when the production employees
have not yet received the tools they need. When
supplementing production, the short order shop uses
the processes and the tools of the production people.
They either fabricate a part of the product or build
the complete assemblies of the final product. In their
performance of work when the production employees
do not have the model tools, the short order
employees make temporary or soft templates, which
are used for production purposes solely in the short
order fabrication shop and not on the production
floors. About 15 percent of the time of template
makers is spent in making templates and tools, and
about 85 percent of their time is spent in the making
and assembling of parts. They make parts in quan-
tities of 300-500 and assemble parts into thousands
of assemblies. Work is assigned to the template
makers according to their abilities and not all of them
are capable of performing all of the tasks called for in
444 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
the job descriptions. There is no apprentice program
and vacancies are filled by upgrading.
The 34 machinists in the shop spend all of their
time making and assembling parts or doing some work
on parts made by production employees. The 13
toolmakers spend about 15 or 20 percent of their
time in making tools, which are used only in this shop
as is the case with the template makers Their
remaining work time is spent making various parts
and assemblies The 2 modelmakers spend all of their
time making and assembling production parts. Other
classifications in the shop are brake specialists, arc
and gas welders, testers, wiremen, and others.
The short order fabrication shop is clearly not a
homogeneous group of skilled craftsmen performing
the functions of their craft on a nonrepetitive basis,
but is rather a heterogeneous group of employees
performing essentially production work .on a repeti-
tive basis. Similarly, because so much of the time of
the employees is spent in performing ordinary pro-
duction tasks akin to that performed by the other
members of the overall unit, it cannot convincingly be
argued that the employees constitute a department
functionally distinct from the rest of the complex.
Accordingly, the shop does not appear to be an
appropriate unit for severance.
Bargaining History
The Moorestown plant began operations in 1953,
at which time the Intervenor organized a unit of
production and maintenance workers which it still
represents. All employees who are not represented by
the Intervenor are salaried employees. Since 1953, the
technical engineers have been represented by the
American Federation of Technical Engineers (AFTE),
Local 241, AFL-CIO, and the graduate engineers
have been represented by the Association of Scientists
and Professional Engineering Personnel (ASPEP), Ind.
There has never been any separate representation for
individual groups of craft or craft-type production
and maintenance employees.
At the Camden plant, the Intervenor has repre-
sented all production and maintenance employees
since 1950. Prior to that time, IUE Local 103 was
affiliated with United Electrical Workers of America,
Ind., which had represented the employees since
1937. The engineers are represented by AFTE and
ASPEP as at Moorestown. There are also 100 drivers,
hourly paid, who have been represented by the
Teamsters since 1946. There never has been separate
representation for any component of the production
and maintenance force.
The situation at both Moorestown and Camden is
one in which there has been notable stability in the
labor relations between the company and union. At
neither of these plants has there been any unrest or
disagreement sufficient to culminate in a strike by the
Intervenor. This history of stability is a factor which
further militates against granting severance in the
units discussed above.
Petitioner argues that the bargaining unit repre-
sented by the Camden local is inappropriate because
the collective-bargaining agreement pertaining there-
to refers to "watchmen and guards" as part of the
agreed-upon unit, in contravention of Section
9(b)(3) of the Act,' and therefore Camden must be
treated as an unorganized plant at which there is no
relevant bargaining history. We find it unnecessary to
pass upon the appropriateness of the existing unit in
asserting the relevancy of the bargaining history.
One of the factors that Mallinckrodt requires us to
consider is the history of collective bargaining, with
emphasis on whether the existing patterns of bar-
gaining are productive of stability in labor relations.
In considering the bargaining history, we are not
determining the appropriateness of the existing unit,
as that question is not in issue . We are not denying
the petition, for example, on the ground that a
multiplant unit exists and that the request for
severance must be coextensive with that unit. In such
a case, the appropriateness of the present unit might
be in question Rather, we are merely passing upon a
petition to grant a craft unit and, in doing so, we are
considering the history of amicable bargaining in the
larger unit as a factor showing stability in the present
situation, as opposed to what the labor relations
outlook might be if severance were granted. The
parties are not forbidden by the statute to agree
voluntarily to a mixed unit of employees and guards,
and the Board is not here acting contrary to the
statute's direction that it "shall not decide" that a
mixed unit is appropriate.
Adequacy and Extent of Representation
The Intervenor divides the employees it represents
at Moorestown and Camden into "divisions" on broad
occupational lines. The lowest level of representation
consists of the stewards, who have about 50 em-
ployees assigned to them. Above the stewards are the
division officials who are elected by all the employees
in a particular division. The chairman of division 1 at
Camden (which includes toolmakers, modelmakers,
2 Section 9 (b)(3) of the Act reads
The Board shall decide in each case whe ther, in order to assure to
employees the fullest freedom in exercising the rights guaranteed by
this Act , the unit appropriate for the purposes of collective
bargaining shall be the employer unit , craft unit, plant unit, or
subdivision thereof Provided, That the Board shall not . . (3)
decide that any unit is appropriate for such purposes if it includes,
together with other employees , any individual employed as a guard
to enforce against employees and other persons rules to protect
property of the employer or to protect the safety of persons on the
employer's premises .
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA 445
machinists all-around, template makers, and other
skilled occupations) is a toolmaker. The vice chairman
is a modelmaker. The chairman of division B at
Moorestown (which includes both modelmakers and
the maintenance occupations) is a modelmaker. Divi-
sion officials are on the locals' executive boards and
the negotiating committee of the RCA-IUE Con-
ference Board.
Both locals have "skilled trades" committees. At
Moorestown, the chairman for some years has been a
modelmaker, three members represent other skilled
employees, and one represents maintenance em-
ployees. At Camden, the chairman of division 1 is also
the chairman of the skilled trades committee and is,
as noted, a toolmaker. The chairman of the skilled
trades committee is also, ex officio, a member of the
negotiating committee.
During the year, the skilled trades committee
works up a set of proposals relating to the employees
with whom it is concerned. These proposals are then
submitted to the officers of the locals and the
conference board chairman. They are then pursued as
part of the union's proposals in subsequent negotia-
tions with the Employer.
At the Moorestown and Camden plants there are
28 labor grades, with grade 28 being the highest. The
modelmakers and toolmakers, who are the largest
groups sought to be severed, are both in labor grade
28. As a result of the 1967 negotiations, these
employees were increased from $3.695 to $4 per
hour, with increases to $4.16 in June 1968 and $4.33
in June 1969.
Aside from being the highest salaried employees,
these employees have also had their job security
protected by the Union. At the Moorestown plant,
for example, no modelmakers have ever been laid off.
There has been serious concern for a number of years
over the lack of work in the model shop. To prevent
the layoff of employees, the work of the model shop
has been augmented for several years with production
work, as previously described, which has accounted
for as much as 85-90 percent of work time.
Similarly, at Camden, while the problem has not been
as acute as at Moorestown, production work has been
introduced at the suggestion of the IUE in order to
protect the model shop employees.
The IUE-RCA National Agreement provides-
Paragraph 19.08 PRODUCTION WORK: Employees
who are excluded from the jurisdiction of the Bar-
gaining Unit shall not perform work normally per-
formed by employees in the Bargaining Unit.
Thus it would appear that if the employees requested
by the Petitioner were severed, a question would arise
as to whether they would be permitted to continue
performing the work which now keeps them em-
ployed on a full-time basis.
There is no question that there are some members
of the present unit who feel that their interests have
not been adequately protected and are seeking to
have the Petitioner represent them. These employees
took part in a work stoppage between May 31 and
June 9, 1967. After RCA sought to terminate the
employees who engaged in this activity, the Inter-
venor continued to protect the interest of those
employees and had 34 of the 36 involved reinstated
with backpay and the other two cases taken to
arbitration.
The Petitioner presented witnesses who testified to
the alleged inadequacy of IUE representation. This
testimony involved a grievance over the fact that the
model shop was too hot, a layoff of modelmakers
(both of which grievances were in fact settled), the
IUE's refusal to prosecute a personal grievance,
ejection from a union meeting, refusal of permission
to use a union hall, and the like. The grievances would
seem relatively minor compared to the picture of
representation previously presented. The employees
whom Petitioner seeks to sever have not maintained a
separate identity for bargaining purposes, but over the
years have acquiesced in the established bargaining
pattern, have actively participated therein, and have
received the benefits of that participation.
Conclusion
It is clear that most of the employees in the units
sought by the Petitioner are highly integrated into the
production functions of the Company. For example,
toolmakers are essential to the production output of
the Camden plant, as many of them work at making
machine repairs, aside from doing all of the repair and
servicing of tools. It is worth reiterating that supple-
menting of the production work load is done in all of
the shops discussed above and argues strongly against
severance. Some of these units are doing pure
production work as part of their everyday work
function, such as the short order fabrication shop and
the template makers in the tool shop. The latter are
engaged in production work 70 percent of their time
by making parts in large quantities for production and
assembling those parts. Others are acting in support of
the production employees, working both in separate
areas and in production areas. These employees are
making, assembling, welding, finishing, and inspecting
parts in volumes of thousands. Many of these em-
ployees are specialists rather than craftsmen, per-
forming only parts of their recognized craft functions
on a repetitive basis. Aerojet-General Corp , 163
NLRB No. 123, Potlatch Forests, Inc., 165 NLRB
No. 89. None of the units previously described may
be said to be functionally distinct departments of em-
ployees working in trades or occupations for which a
446 DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
tradition of separate representation exists, nor can it petitions. Trico Products Corp, 169 NLRB No. 58;
properly be found that there exists within any of the Aerojet-General Corp, 163 NLRB No. 123, Potlatch
basic shops or departments a smaller group of Forests, Inc, 165 NLRB No. 89.
craftsmen who warrant special consideration in the
matter of severance. ORDER
Based on the foregoing, we find that the requested
units, either singly, in part, or in any combination, do It is hereby ordered that the petitions filed herein
not constitute units appropriate for purposes of be, and they hereby are, dismissed.
collective bargaining. Accordingly we shall dismiss the