NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

168 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
In Matter of The Globe Machine and Stamping Co.,24 three unions
advocated the division of the employees in a company's plant into
three units, with one unit each for polishers, certain machine operators,
and the balance of the employees. A fourth contended that a
single unit for all employees was appropriate. The Board, after
reviewing the considerations in favor of each contention, said :
In view of the facts described above, it appears that the company's production
workers can be considered either as a single unit appropriate for the purposes of
collective bargaining, as claimed by the U. A. W. A., or as three such units, as
claimed by the petitioning unions. The history of successful separate negotiations
at the company's plant, and also the essential separateness of polishing and
punch press work at that plant, and the existence of a requirement of a certain
amount of skill for that work are proof of the feasibility of the latter approach.
The successful negotiation of a plant-wide agreement on May 20, 1937, as well
as the interrelation and interdependence of the various departments at the company's
plant, are proof of the feasibility of the former.
In such a case where the considerations are so evenly balanced, the determining
factor is the desire of the men themselves. On this point, the record affords no
help. There has been a swing toward the U. A. W. A. and then away from it.
The only documentary proof is completely contradictory. We will therefore order
elections to be held separately for the men engaged in polishing and those engaged
in punch press work. We will also order an election for the employees of the
company engaged in production and maintenance, exclusive of the polishers and
punch press workers and of clerical and supervisory employees.
On the results of these elections will depend the determination of the appropriate
unit for the purposes of collective bargaining. Such of the groups as do
not choose the U. A. W. A. will constitute separate and distinct appropriate units,
and such as do choose the U. A. W. A. will together constitute a single appropriate
unit.
In Matter of Commonwealth Division of General Steel Ca,stings
Corporation, 25 where three craft units were advocated as against a
single industrial unit, the Board stated :
The Amalgamated contends that the entire Commonwealth plant should be
treated as a single unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining :
and in view of the evidence of the essential interrelation of the various departments
of the plant, there can be little doubt that the Board could find that
the unit claimed is a logical one. The Federation unions, however, have shown
that there exist in the plant separate groups which, in the absence of conflicting
claims by other unions, could be found by the Board to constitute separate
units appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining. They have,
in addition, shown that they have a substantial number of members in each
of these groups. The Board has held, in a somewhat similar situation, (citing
the Globe case) that in such a case, the men in the smaller groups claimed
should be given an opportunity to determine for themselves whether they desire
to be represented separately or together with the balance of the plant.
In accordance with the above cases, the Board has found it proper
in numerous cases to hold elections among craft employees, on the
basis of which elections the appropriate unit has been decided.26
24 Matter o_f The Globe Machine and Stamping Co. and Metal Polishers Union, Local No.
S. etc.. 3 N. L. R. B. 294.
Matter of Commonwealth Division of Genera/ Steel Castings Corporation and International
Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, Iron Ship Builders, Welders and Helpers of America;
International Association of Machinists, District No. 9; Pattern Makers Association or
St. Louis and Vicinity. and Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of
America, Local Lodge No. 102, 3 N. L. R. B. 779.
26 lfatter of City Auto Stamping Company and International Union, United Automobile
1Vorkers of America, Local No. 12. 3 N. L. R. B. 306; Matter of Pennsylvania Greyhound
Lines et al. and The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, 3 N. L. R. B. 022; Matter of Allis-
Chalmers Manufacturing Company and International Union. United Automobile Workers
of America, Local NR. 4 N. L. R. B. 159; Matter of Shell Chemical Company and GI/
Work,rs International Union, formcrly International Association of Oil Field. Gas Well
and Refinery Workers of America. 4 N. L. R. B. 259; Matter of American Hardware Corporation
and United Electrical and Radio Workers of America, 4 N. L. R. B. 412; Matter
of Pacific Greyhound Lines and Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, 4
N. L. R. B. 520; Matter of Combustion Engineering Company, Inc. and Steel Workers