368 NLRB No. 109
CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC, LLC
368 NLRB No. 109
NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
bound volumes of NLRB decisions. Readers are requested to notify the Ex-
ecutive Secretary, National Labor Relations Board, Washington, D.C.
20570, of any typographical or other formal errors so that corrections can
be included in the bound volumes.
Centerpoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC and Inter-
national Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Lo-
cal Union 66, Petitioner. Case 16–RC–229214
October 31, 2019
DECISION ON REVIEW
BY CHAIRMAN RING AND MEMBERS MCFERRAN
AND KAPLAN
The issue presented in this case is whether the Regional
Director properly directed an Armour-Globe1 election to
determine whether the Employer’s service area assistants
(SAAs) wish to be included in an existing unit of construc-
tion, maintenance, and operations employees.
On November 1, 2018, the Regional Director issued a
Decision and Direction of Election in which he found that
the SAAs may appropriately be included in the existing
unit as plant clerical employees and that the petition was
not barred by the parties’ collective-bargaining agree-
ment. Thereafter, in accordance with Section 102.67 of
the Board’s Rules and Regulations, the Employer filed a
timely request for review.
On April 29, 2019, the Board granted the Employer’s
request for review with respect to whether the petitioned-
for SAAs share a sufficient community of interest with the
current bargaining unit to warrant inclusion of the SAAs
in that unit. The Board denied review in all other re-
spects.2 Thereafter, the Employer and the Petitioner filed
briefs on review.
The National Labor Relations Board has delegated its
authority in this proceeding to a three-member panel.3
Having carefully considered the entire record in this
proceeding, including the briefs on review, we affirm the
Regional Director’s Decision and Direction of Election.4
Dated, Washington, D.C. October 31, 2019
______________________________________
John F. Ring,
Chairman
______________________________________
Lauren McFerran,
Member
______________________________________
Marvin E. Kaplan,
Member
(SEAL) NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
1 Armour & Co., 40 NLRB 1333 (1942); Globe Machine & Stamping
Co., 3 NLRB 294 (1937).
2 Member McFerran would have denied the Employer’s request for
review in its entirety, for the reasons stated in her dissent from the Order
partially granting review. Centerpoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC,
Case 16–RC–229214 (April 29, 2019) (unpublished).
3 Member Emanuel took no part in the consideration of this case.
4 In denying review, Chairman Ring and Member Kaplan apply ex-
tant Board law concerning “plant clericals.” They note, however, that
Board law in that area is inconsistent and that they would reconsider the
“plant clericals” analysis, and its value in determining whether bargain-
ing units are appropriate, in a future case.