019 NLRB 435
Cleveland Co.
In the Matter of CLEVELAND COMPANY, PUBLISHER OF THE CLEVELAND
NEWS and CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER GUILD, LOCAL 1 (C. I. 0.)
Case No. R-1605.-Decided January 15, 1910
Newspaper Publishing Indus trp-Investigation of Representatives:
contro-
versy concerning representation of employees: controversy concerning appro-
priate
unit ;
refusal of employer to recognize union as representative of
employees within proposed unit until question of unit is determined-Unit
Appropriate for Collective Bargaining: elections to determine whether com
mercial-department employees should be combined with editorial employees.
into one unit since substantial number of commercial employees had affirma-
tively indicated opposition to representation by Union and Union had for 5
years represented editorial employees only ; no rival union contending for
separate unit of commercial employees ; certain employees excluded : employees-
covered by contracts between the Company and craft unions; certain employees
in circulation department, maintenance employees, garage employees, and main-
tenance machinist, not coveted by contract but claimed by other unions ; certain
executives ; private secretaries to corporate officers ; and occasional contribu-
tors-Representatives: proof of choice: insufficient evidence of Union's ma-
jority status among editorial employees, although Company did not question
majority-Elections Ordered: separate elections as to employees in commercial
and editorial departments.
Mr. Harry L. Lodish and Mr. Max W. Johnstone, for the Board.
Baker, Hostetler c& Patterson, by Mr. S. D. L. Jackson, Jr., of
Cleveland, Ohio, and Stevenson, Jordan c& Harrison, by Mr. Ralph
Lind, of New York City, for the Company.
Kastriner, Schweid e& Addams, by Mr. Milton B. Schweid, and
Mr. I. L. Kenen, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Mr. Abraham J. Isseman,
of Newark, N. J., for the Guild.
Mr. John Gavigan, of Cleveland, Ohio, for the Mailers.
Mr. Dan C. Chambers and Mr. James C. Connell, of Cleveland,
Ohio, for the Drivers.
Mr. Jack Laidlaw, of Cleveland, Ohio, for the Engravers.
Mr. Elwood M. Milligan, of Parma, Ohio, for the Stereotypers.
Mr. Thomas A. Flynn and Mr. John J. LaVelle, of Cleveland,
Ohio, for the B. S. H. U.
Mr. E. 0. Meerchaum, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Mr. David Kaplan,
of Washington, D. C., for the I. A. M.
Mr. Philip Schoenberg, of Cleveland, Ohio, for the Vendors.
Mr. Ivar Peterson, of counsel to the Board.
19 N. L. R. B., No. 51.
435
436 ' DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
DECISION
AND
DIRECTION OF ELECTIONS
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
On June 30, 1939, Cleveland Newspaper Guild, Local No. 1, herein
called the Guild, filed with the Regional Director for the Eighth
Region (Cleveland, Ohio) a petition alleging that a question affecting
,commerce had arisen concerning the representation of employees of
the Cleveland Company, Cleveland, Ohio, herein called the Company,
.and requesting an investigation and certification of representatives
-pursuant to Section 9 (c) of the National Labor Relations Act, 49
Stat. 449, herein called the Act.
On September 27, 1939, the National
Labor Relations Board, herein called the Board, acting pursuant to
Article III, Section 3, of National Labor Relations Board Rules and
Regulations-Series 2, ordered an investigation and authorized the
Regional Director to conduct it and to provide for an appropriate
'hearing upon due notice.
On October 10, 1939, the Regional Director issued a notice of hear-
ing, copies of which were duly served upon the Company, upon the
Guild, and upon the following labor organizations claiming to repre-
sent employees directly affected by the investigation : Cleveland
Mailers' Union No. 12, herein called the Mailers ; Cleveland Federa-
tion of Labor ; Allied Printing Trades Council ; Cleveland Web
Pressmen's Union No. 5; Cleveland Typographical Union No. 53;
Newspaper Delivery Drivers, Chauffeurs and Handlers Union Local
No. 473, herein called the Drivers; Cleveland Photo Engravers' Union
No. 24, herein called the Engravers; Cleveland Newspapers Vendors
Union, herein called the Vendors;' Cleveland Paper Handlers' Union
No. 11; Cleveland Stereotypers Union No. 22; and International
Union of Operating Engineers, Local 589, 589A.
Pursuant to the
notice, a hearing was held on October 30, 31, November 1, 2, 3, and 4,
1939, at Cleveland, Ohio, before Joseph L. Maguire, the Trial Ex-
aminer duly designated by the Board.
During the course of the hear-
ing Building Service Help Union, Local No. 47, herein called the
B. S. H. U., and International Association of Machinists, District
54-A, herein called the I. A. M., were, upon motion, permitted to
;intervene in the proceedings.
The Board, the Company, and the Guild
were represented by counsel, and the other organizations made parties
herein,2 by counsel or representatives of the respective unions.
All
' The same organization as Cleveland Newsboys Union, also served.
2 Although served with notice of the hearing, the following organizations did not appear:
.Cleveland Federation of Labor, Allied Printing Trades Council, Cleveland Web Pressmen's
Union No. 5, Cleveland Typographical Union No. 53, Cleveland Paper Handlers' Union
_No. 11, and Interpational Union of Operating Engineers, Local 589, 589A.
CLEVELAND COMPANY
437
participated in the hearing and were afforded full opportunity to be
heard, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to introduce
evidence bearing on the issues.
During the course of the hearing the
Trial Examiner made several rulings on motions and on objections to
the admission of evidence.
The Board has reviewed the rulings of
the Trial Examiner and finds that no prejudicial errors were com-
mitted.
The rulings are hereby affirmed.
The Guild and the Company, on November 18 and 20, 1939, respec-
tively filed briefs, and on December 1, 1939, the Company filed a reply
brief, which have. been considered by the Board.
On December 5,
1939, oral argument was had before the Board in Washington, D. C.
The Company, the Guild, and the I. A. M. were represented by counsel
and participated in the argument.
Upon the entire record in the case, the Board makes the following :
FINDINGS OF FACT
I. THE BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY
The Cleveland Company, an Ohio corporation, having its principal
office and place of business in Cleveland, Ohio, is engaged in the
publication, distribution, and sale of a daily (except Sunday) news-
paper, the Cleveland News.
Equipment and supplies purchased by
the Company per year have a value of approximately $460,000.
Of
this amount, approximately 91 per cent is purchased from outside the
State of Ohio.
The largest single item included in the Company's
purchases consists of newsprint, having a .value of approximately
$400,000, which is "largely purchased from foreign countries."
The
daily average circulation of the Cleveland News for the 6 months
preceding October 1, 1939, was 123,479 copies, approximately one-
half of one per cent of which were circulated and distributed outside
the State of Ohio.
Approximately 25 per cent of the news items
printed in the Cleveland News were received from outside the State.
The Company is a member of the Associated Press and subscribes
to news feature and photographic services which collect and transmit
news, features, and photographs in all parts of the United States.
The total value of advertising carried per year is in excess of
$1,500;000, of which approximately 20 per cent represents national
advertising.
The Company employs about 650 persons. The Com-
pany stipulated that it was engaged in interstate commerce.
II. THE ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED
Cleveland Newspaper Guild, Local No. 1, is a labor organization,
a local of the American Newspaper Guild, a labor organization,
admitting to membership employees of the Company who are eligible
283030-41-vol. 19----29
438
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
to membership in the American Newspaper Guild, which admits to
membership, among others, "any person gainfully employed in. and
devoting the major part of his time to an editorial, business, circula-
tion, promotion or advertising department, or kindred groups of
employees, of a news publication," except persons "whose interests
lie with the employer as against the employees." The American
Newspaper Guild is affiliated with the Congress of Industrial
Organizations.
Newspaper Delivery Drivers, Chauffeurs and Handlers. Union
Local No. 473, is a labor organization affiliated with the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers of
America, having jurisdiction over persons "engaged in handling, dis-
tributing, delivering, and collecting for newspapers and periodicals
.
.
.
throughout Greater Cleveland and vicinity."
Building Service Help Union, Local No. 47, is a labor organization
affiliated with Building Service Employees International Union, hav-
ing jurisdiction over property
maintenance employees of the
Company.3
International Association of Machinists, District 54-A, is a labor
organization, admitting to membership in its locals general mechanics,
greasers, persons who make minor repairs on automobiles, and "parts
chasers." 4
District 54-A of the I. A. M. consists of two locals,
439 and 1363.
In addition to the organizations listed above, the following labor
organizations, whose respective jurisdictions over various employees
of the Company are not disputed, are involved : Cleveland . Photo
Engravers' Union No. 24; Cleveland Mailers' Union No. 12; Cleve-
land Stereotypers Union No. 22; and Cleveland Newspaper Vendors
Union.
III. THE QUESTION CONCERNING REPRESENTATION
In December 1934 the Guild and the Company executed a contract
for a term of 1 year, covering employees in the editorial department.
Thereafter, new contracts were entered into by the Guild and the
Company, covering editorial employees only, the last such contract
expiring on May 12, 1939.
This contract, however, was extended by
oral agreement pending the determination of the present dispute by
the Board.
During the latter part of April 1939 the Guild presented to the
Company a proposed contract which contained provisions covering
editorial employees and some of the employees in the commercial de-
3It was stipulated by all parties, including Cleveland Stereotypers Union No. 22, that
two laborers in the Stereotype department, E. Bridle and C. Itodecker, are within the
jurisdiction of the B. S. H. U.
4 The representative of the I. A. Al . defined a "partst chaser" as a person engaged in
purchasing or procuring machine parts.
CLEYE'LAND COMPANY
439
partment.
The Company replied on May 12, 1939, stating that,
while it was prepared to negotiate a new contract for editorial em-
ployees, "It does not seem appropriate that a few scattered business
office 5 employees should be included under the editorial agreement."
The Company further stated that it was willing to negotiate with
the Guild with regard to business-office employees if and when the
Guild presented a separate contract for such employees and demon-
strated that it represented "the majority of the business office em-
ployees." - On May 25, the Guild notified the Company that "the
Guild now represents a majority of the so-called `white-collar' em-
ployees" of the Company and requested that "negotiations looking
toward their inclusion in the contract" be arranged.
On May 25, it group of employees in the commercial department
presented a, petition to Charles F. McCahill, vice president and
'general manager of the Company, stating; inter alia:
We feel that . . . if you should sign a collective bargaining
agreement with the Cleveland Newspaper Guild, covering Busi-
ness Office employees, you would be depriving us of our rights
as individuals to bargain for ourselves as we see fit.
We, therefore, urge you not to sign an agreement with the
Cleveland Newspaper Guild which in any way recognizes the
guild as representative of the Business Office, without at least
giving us the following undersigned Business Office Employees
a right to express our own preference.
On May 31 McCahill advised the Guild that he had received the
foregoing petition and stated : "In view of the fact that the signatures
affixed to this petition represent a majority of the business office
employees, I am not, under the circumstances, at liberty to negotiate
with the Guild for the business office."
We find that a question has arisen concerning the representation of.
employees of the Company.
IV. THE EFFECT OF THE QUESTION CONCERNING
REPRESENTATION UPON
COMMERCE
We find that the question concerning representation which has
arisen, occurring in connection with the operations of the Company
described in Section I above, has a close, intimate, and substantial
relation to trade, traffic, and commerce among the several States, and
tends to lead to labor disputes burdening and obstructing commerce
and the free flow of commerce.
"The commercial department is also referred to as the business office.
440
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
V. THE APPROPRIATE UNIT
In its petition, as amended at the hearing, the Guild alleged that
an appropriate unit consists of "all of the employees in the editorial
and commercial divisions of the Company, including persons employed
in the advertising, business, circulation, and mechanical departments,
excluding only executives, subscription solicitors in the circulation
departments and " persons in the mechanical and circulation depart-
ments who are members of or eligible to membership in recognized
craft unions."
The record shows that the Company has collective bargaining
agreements with the following labor organizations in addition to its
contract with the Guild as mentioned above : Cleveland Photo En-
gravers' Union No. 24, Cleveland Typographical Union No. 53, Cleve-
land Stereotypers Union No. 22, Cleveland Web Pressmen's Union
No. 5, Newspaper Delivery Drivers, Chauffeurs and Handlers Union
Local No. 473, Cleveland Mailers' Union No. 12, Cleveland Newspaper
Vendors Union, Cleveland Paper Handlers' Union No. 11, and In-
ternational Union of Operating Engineers, Local 589, 589A. It was
stipulated by the parties that the Guild did not claim that any of the
employees covered by the contracts with the foregoing organizations
are' within; the Guild's proposed-unit, and we so find.
The Company's position with regard to the general bargaining
unit sought .by. the Guild is that»"employees in the commercial depart-
ment should not be included in such unit unless by separate vote they
express a desire for such inclusion. In support of this position the
Company points to the petition of May 25, 1939, referred to above,
notifying the Company that the signers do not desire to be repre-
sented by the Guild.
The names of about 92 employees who were
employed in the commercial department shortly before the.hearing
and whom the Guild would include in the appropriate unit, appear
upon the .petition.
The record shows that there are about 145 em-
ployees in the commercial department claimed by the Guild.
Aside
from testimony that shortly before May 25, 1939, about 41 employees
in the "business office," who were not identified by name or by job
classification, had designated the Guild as their representative, there
is no evidence in the record showing the extent of Guild membership
among employees in the commercial department.
In other representation cases which have arisen in the newspaper-
publishing industry, the question of combining the editorial and
O The Company's pay roll , a copy of which was introduced in evidence, contains no
employees classified as subscription solicitors in the circulation department.
7 Although 'the 'petition bore 127 signatures, about 35 signatures are eliminated by a
comparison with the pay roll as of October 21, 1939, and by taking into account the
exclusions sought by the Guild.
CLEVELAND COMPANY
441
commercial departments into one unit for the purposes of collective
bargaining has been presented. In support of the broad unit we
have pointed to the functional coherence and interdependence of the
editorial and commercial departments, considerations which are
equally present here.
Where no rival claimant has sought separate
representation for commercial-department employees, and where
there has been no substantial showing of opposition by the employees
in the commercial department to inclusion within the broader unit,
we have found a unit, substantially similar to that here proposed by
the Guild, to be appropriate.8
On the other hand, where another
labor organization has claimed to represent the commercial-depart-
ment employees in a separate unit, we have concluded that the in-
clusion of commercial-department employees in the broad unit should
depend upon the desires of the employees involved.'
As indicated above, about 92 of the approximately 145 commercial-
department employees whom the Guild would include in an appro-
priate unit have, by signing the petition, affirmatively indicated a
desire not to be represented by the Guild. In view of this expression,
the fact that the Guild and the Company have for 5 years recognized
the editorial employees as a separate group for the purposes of collec-
tive bargaining, and the inconclusive nature of the history of collec-
tive bargaining in the newspaper industry for editorial and com-
mercial-department employees,10 we find that the inclusion of the
commercial-department employees in the broad unit should depend
upon their desires as expressed in the election which we shall direct,
even though the Guild's claim to represent these employees is not
contested by another labor organization.
We further find that the
desires of such employees can best be determined by an election by
secret ballot.
s Matter of Daily Mirror, Inc. and Newspaper Guild of New York, 5 N. L. R. B. 362;
Matter of Seattle Post-Intelligencer Department of Hearst Publications , Inc.
and Seattle
Newspaper Guild, Local No. 82, 9 N . L. R. B. 1262; Matter of New York Evening Journal,
Inc. and Newspaper Guild of New York, 10 N. L. R. B. 197; Matter of Brooklyn Daily
Eagle and Newspaper Guild of New York, 13. N. L. R. B. 974; Matter of New York Post,
Inc., and Publishers Service, Inc. and Newspaper Guild of New York, 14 N. L. It. B. 1008;
Matter of Globe Newspaper Company and Newspaper Guild of Boston., 15 N. L. R. B. 953.
0 Matter of Milwaukee Publishing Company
and Milwaukee Newspaper Guild
(CIO),
10 N. L. R. B. 389 ; cf. Matter of Boston Daily Record
(New England Newspaper Publish-
ing Co.) and Newspaper Guild of Boston
(American Newspaper Guild), 8 N.
L. It . B. 694.
And see Matter of Indianapolis Times Publishing Company and The Indianapolis Newspaper
Guild, 8 N. L. It. B. 1256; Matter of News Syndicate Co., Inc. and Newspaper Guild of
New York, 4 N. L. It. B. 1071.
10 There is evidence in the record showing the coverage of a number of contracts be-
tween other locals of the American Newspaper Guild and various newspaper publishers.
As of July 15, 1939 , in 32 newspapers the contracts covered editorial -department em-
ployees only ; in 33 newspapers the contracts covered editorial employees and the em-
ployees in one or more subdepartment of the commercial department , and in some in-
stances, certain employees in the mechanical department , in 5 newspapers there were
separate contracts for editorial and commercial -department employees.
442
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
If a 'majority of the employees in each department desire the Guild
to represent them we shall find that the unit composed of both edi-
torial and commercial-department employees is appropriate.
We
must therefore ascertain the desires of the employees in the editorial
department as well as the commercial department.
Although the
Company at the hearing did not question the Guild's majority in the
editorial department, in a brief filed with the Board it suggested that
such issue be determined through an election.
The Guild offered no
proof of majority representation at the hearing other than testimony
that in May 1939, 83 editorial-department employees out of about 90
had designated the Guild as their bargaining representatives.
There
is thus insufficient evidence in the record as to the editorial 'employees
upon which to base a certification.
We therefore find that an election
is necessary to determine the desires of the employees in the editorial
department.
During the hearing the Guild and the Company agreed that certain
executives, who are listed in Appendix A hereto, should be excluded
from the appropriate unit.
We see no reason for departing from
the desires of the parties in this respect; accordingly, we shall exclude
the executives listed in Appendix A.
The Company took a neutral
position with respect to the inclusion or exclusion of the private secre-
taries to the corporate officers."
The position of the Guild as to
these employees was not stated on the record.
We shall exclude the
private secretaries to the corporate officers from the appropriate unit,
since we believe that the management should not be required to handle
confidential work through employees in the unit represented by the
union with which it is dealing.12
There remain for consideration the claims of the B. S. H. U., the
I. A. M., and the Drivers to certain employees whose exclusion was
agreed to by the Guild, and certain alleged executives and occasional
contributors.
Employees claimed by the B. S. H. U.
The Guild would exclude the property-maintenance employees, con-
sisting of about 20 employees, and 2 laborers, E. Bridle and C.
Rodecker, in the stereotype department. It was stipulated by the
parties that the jurisdiction of the B. S. H. U. covers these employees.
The B. S. H. U. does not have a contract with the Company covering
the foregoing or any other employees.
We shall exclude the property-
maintenance employees and the two laborers in the stereotype depart-
ment, E. Bridle and C. Rodecker, listed in Appendix B attached
hereto.
"Tile corporate officers are D. R. Hanna, Jr., president, C. F. McCahill, vice president
and general manager, and J. J. Levins, secretary and treasurer.
12 See Matter of Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Newspaper Guild of New York, 13 N. L. R. B.
974.
'CLEVELAND COMPANY
443
Employees claimed by the I. A. M.
The I. A. M., which has no contract with the Company, claims that
six employees in the garage and G. C. Spicer, the maintenance machin-
ist, are within its jurisdiction.
The Guild agreed that these employees
should be excluded from the appropriate unit, but would include E. A.
Brooks, who is attached to the garage as bookkeeper and accountant.
The I. A. M. does not claim Brooks.
We shall include Brooks in the
unit.
Five of the garage employees claimed by the I. A. M. wash and
lubricate automobiles and make minor repairs; the sixth, George
Cooper, buys gas, oil, and parts; all of them, as well as the mainte-
nance machinist, are eligible to the I. A. M.
We shall exclude from
the unit Spicer and the garage employees, listed in Appendix C
attached hereto.
Employees claimed by the Drivers
During the hearing the Drivers, which has a contract with the
Company covering certain employees, claimed that 13 employees in
the circulation department, whose names appear in Appendix D
attached hereto, are within its jurisdiction.
The Guild agreed that
its claim did not include these employees.
The Company, however,
contends that the 13 employees involved, since they are not, now
covered by the Drivers' contract and have never before been claimed
by'the Drivers, should be included in the Guild's proposed unit.
The Drivers claims that the work performed by the above-men-
tioned employees is within its jurisdiction and similar, at least in
part, to the duties of delivery drivers as defined by the contract with
the Company.
The Drivers has jurisdiction "over all men engaged
in handling, distributing, delivering and collecting for newspapers
. .. throughout Greater Cleveland and vicinity."
The contract
provides that "the duties of a routeman (driver) shall consist of,
delivery, promotion, and any and all parts of collection of money on
his own route."
Five of the 13 are canvassers who work in the city
training carrier boys, verifying orders, and investigating complaints.
On occasions, such as an emergency, a canvasser takes the place of a
newspaper delivery driver.
A suburban canvasser, R. Hurst, per-
forms similar duties outside Greater Cleveland.
Three street-sales
supervisors have charge of the distribution and collection work done
by delivery drivers assigned to street sales, and on rare occasions take
the place of a delivery driver.
Two roadmen supervise suburban
drivers, handle truck shipments of newspapers, and in an emergency
substitute for the drivers in their territory. -D. Fitzsimmons con-
ducts a training school for new carrier boys, prepares promotion
material for them, and on occasion takes the place of a home delivery
444
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
driver.
Carl Milms, a street-sales checker, supervises and trains
colored carrier boys and turns over to the delivery driver the money
for the newspapers, which he collects from the carrier boys, a func-
tion usually performed by the delivery drivers.
He does not substi-
tute for drivers.
We conclude that the 13 employees in the circulation department,
listed on Appendix D annexed hereto, should be excluded from the
unit.
Executives
There is controversy over five employees, three in the commercial
department and two in the editorial department.
The Guild seeks
to exclude them on the ground that they are executives; with duties
of a supervisory nature; the Company, on the other hand, points out
that two of the alleged executives, in the editorial department, have
in the past been included in the Guild's contract, and urges that no
employee should be excluded unless it is clear that he is an executive.
Paul Hodges is a city editor, in charge of the city desk.
He gives
assignments to the reporters working under him, interviews appli-
cants, and makes recommendations concerning hiring and discharg-
ing.
J. B. Mullaney is the news editor.
Howard, the editor, testified
that Mullaney is charged with "the responsibility for the selection
of news and . . . seeing that the editions go to press on time."
He takes the place of Kane, the managing editor, during the latter's
absence, and makes recommendations as to hiring and discharging.
The Guild conceded that it had in the past bargained for both Hodges
and Mullaney.
Moreover, the record shows that the Guild has no
objection to the inclusion of other minor supervisory employees in
the editorial department who, within their sphere, exercise, compa-
rable supervisory functions.13
We see no reason for distinguishing
between Hodges and Mullaney and other so-called supervisors. In
the absence of any satisfactory explanation of the attempted
distinction, we shall include Hodges and Mullaney in the appropriate
unit.
Julia Krieger is the chief telephone switchboard operator.
She
has charge of six operators and interviews applicants.
There is
dispute as to whether she has the power to hire and discharge, but
she does have power to make recommendations in these matters.
We
shall, therefore, exclude her from the unit.
_
Doris Brown is the main operator in charge of about eight classified-
advertising telephone solicitors.
She does not have power to hire
13 The sports editor and the chief librarian have charge of their respective subdepart-
ments and recommended the hire and discharge of employees. In a -previous case we
excluded such employees .
Matter of Brooklyn Daili Eagle and Newspaper Guild of New
York, 13 N. L. R. B. 974:
CLEVELAND COMPANY
445
and discharge but makes recommendations in these matters and dis-
cusses job assignments with the classified-advertising superintendent.
We shall, therefore, exclude her from the unit.
F. J. Sheron, in the statistical subdepartment of the advertising
department, measures the advertising content of the newspaper and
does the more important statistical work.
He has no power to hire
or discharge nor does he make recommendations in these matters.
We shall include him in the unit.
Occasional Contributors
The Guild would exclude three persons, whose names are listed on
the editorial-department pay roll, on the ground that they are
occasional contributors.
Marjory Strong contributes a Weekly dog
column and an occasional dog-show story.
Edna Woolley contributes
a weekly column by mail from Sarasota, Florida.
Paul Young con-
tributes a garden column two or three times a week.
We shall exclude
these three occasional contributors from the appropriate unit.
The Company contends that two other contributors, Louise Bruner
and Howard Wolf, are in the same category as Strong, Woolley, and
Young.
Bruner contributes a daily column which she sends from
her home by messenger; Wolf, who is on a year's leave of absence,
also contributes a daily column which he sends by mail from his
present residence in Columbus, Ohio.
We shall include Bruner and
Wolf in the unit, since they are regular daily contributors.
As stated above, the determination of the appropriate unit will
in part depend upon the desires of the employees as expressed in the
elections which we shall direct.
Two separate elections shall be held,
one among employees in the commercial department 14 and the other
among employees in the editorial department. If both groups of
employees participating in the elections choose the Guild, they will
together constitute a single bargaining unit.
If they do not, we
shall dismiss the petition, inasmuch as no question has arisen con-
cerning the representation of employees in the editorial department
as such and since neither the Guild nor any other labor organization
seeks certification of representatives in any unit other than the unit
the Guild here claims to be appropriate.
"For the purposes of voting, we shall include E. R. Wright and Dorothy Nelson in the
commercial department.
Each appears on both the editorial and commercial-department
pay rolls.
However, it appears that they are more closely identified with the commer-
cial department.
Wright solicits church advertising and contributes a weekly column of
church news ; Nelson conducts the home institute and occasionally contributes food
articles.
From the standpoint of the editorial department, they are not unlike the occa-
sional contributors referred to above.
446
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
VI. THE DETERMINATION OF REPRESENTATIVES
At the hearing the Guild offered no proof of representation among
the employees in the unit it claimed to be appropriate, other than
testimony that in May 1939 about 83 editorial-department employees
and 41 commercial-department employees had designated the Guild
as their representative.
We find, therefore, that the question con-
cerning representation which has arisen can best be resolved by elec-
tions by secret ballot.
We shall direct the use of the Company's pay
roll immediately preceding the date of this Direction for the deter-
mination of eligibility to participate in the elections.
The Guild did not indicate on the record whether or not it de-
sired to participate in the separate elections.
In the event the Guild
does not wish to participate in the elections, we shall entertain a
request for withdrawal from the proceedings, and dismiss the peti-
tion, if such request be made. within 5 days after receipt of notice of
the Direction of Elections herein, by notification to the Regional
Director for the Eighth Region.
Upon the basis of the above findings of fact and upon the entire
record in the case, the Board makes the following :
CONCLUSION OF LAW
A question affecting commerce has arisen concerning the repre-
sentation of employees of the Cleveland Company, Cleveland, Ohio,
within the meaning of Section 9 (c) and Section 2 (6) and (7) of
the National Labor Relations Act.
DIRECTION OF ELECTION
By virtue of and pursuant to the power vested in the National
Labor Relations Board by Section 9 (c) of the National Labor Re-
lations Act, 49 Stat. 449, and pursuant to Article III, Section 8, of
National Labor Relations Board Rules and Regulations-Series 2, it
is hereby
DIRECTED that, as part of the investigation authorized by the
Board to ascertain representatives for collective bargaining with
the Cleveland Company, Cleveland, Ohio, elections by secret ballot
shall be conducted as early as possible but not later than thirty (30)
days from the date of this Direction, under the•direction and super-
vision of the Regional Director for the Eighth Region, acting in
this matter as agent for the National Labor Relations Board, and
subject to Article III, Section 9, of said Rules and Regulations,
among the employees of the Cleveland Company within the two
. CLEVET.AND COMPANY
447
groups described below who were on the pay roll of the Company
immediately preceding the date of this Direction, including employees
who did not work during such pay-roll period because they were ill
or on vacation and employees who were then or have since been
temporarily laid off, but excluding those who have since quit or who
have been discharged for cause and excluding the private secretaries
to the corporate officers; Julia Krieger, Doris Brown, Marjory
Strong, Edna Woolley, and Paul Young; and those whose names
appear in Appendices A, B, C, and D :
(a) Employees in the commercial department, to determine
whether or not they desire to be represented by Cleveland News-
paper Guild for the purposes of collective bargaining;
(b) Employees in the editorial department to determine whether
or not they desire to be represented by Cleveland Newspaper Guild
for the purposes of collective bargaining.
MR. WILLIAM M. LEISERSON, concurring in part and dissenting in
part :
The majority opinion here reverses the ruling in the Globe News-
paper Company case 15 where a separate election among the com-
mercial employees was refused by the majority. I am in agreement
with this part of the present decision, but, as in the Globe Newspaper
case, I cannot agree that an election among the editorial employees
is justified by the record.
There is no question concerning the representation of editorial
employees.
These employees have been represented by. the Guild
since 1934 under a collective bargaining agreement which recognizes
the Guild as the exclusive representative of a unit consisting of the
employees in the editorial department.
The Company does not
question the Guild's majority in this unit; the representative of the
Guild testified that it had 83 members out of about 90 in the unit, and
no other organization is challenging the right of the Guild to act as
representative in this unit.
The Guild is the duly designated and
selected representative of the editorial employees, and its contract
in the record shows that the Company recognizes it as such.
Since the facts clearly establish that there is no question con-
cerning representation among the editorial employees, I am of the
opinion that the Board is ;not authorized to order an election among
these employees.
'6 Matter of Globe Newspaper Company and Newspaper Guild of Boston, 15 N. L. R. B.
953.
448
DECISIONS OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
APPENDIX A
Dan R. Hanna, Jr., president.
C. F. McCahill, vice president and general manager.
J. J. Levins, secretary and treasurer.
N. R. Howard, editor.
Hugh Kane, managing editor.
Leo P. Doyle, advertising director.
G. F. Disney, in charge of local and national advertising solicitors.
E. J. Maus, classified advertising superintendent.
J. Kirvey, in charge of advertising department artists.
F. Kolofer, building maintenance superintendent.
J. V. Madigan, circulation manager.
John Maynard, assistant circulation manager.
W. IT. Cowgill, mechanical superintendent.
APPENDIX B
Geo. King
Ross Topping
Chas. Sheridan
Clyde Miller
Otis Turner
Edw. Harrington
Stanley Hall
Emmett Hemphill
0. Hammersmith
Steve Martinovich
John Pohoverki
Geo. Cooper
John Warren
Edw. Supinski
Leonard Buehner
Katie Phillip
Anna Karash
Mary Kulan
Anna Kolomychuk
Anna Gwiazda
Rose Petell
Katie Olszowy
Anna Hawryenk
Walter Christy
E. Bridle
C. Rodecker
APPENDIX C
W. G. Hecker
S. Blaszak
G. C. Spicer
APPENDIX D
Fitzsimmons, in home delivery
promotion.
Canvassers :
Carl Frey
Wm. Kirk
Arthur Muldoon
R. Myers
G. D. Whitelock
Street Sales Supervisors :
Frank LeClair
A. Reagan
F. Fusco
Carl Milms, street sales checker.
Roadmen :
Dennis Lucas
Albert Barton
R. Hurst, suburban canvasser.