NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

VII. PRINCIPLES ESTABLISHED 169
Since the holding of elections in cases of this kind has the purpose
only of determining the wishes of the employees as to the form of
organization and as to their representatives, where the wishes with
regard to both of these matters have been clearly demonstrated, the
Board has found it unnecessary to hold an election. Thus, in Matter
of Worthington Pump and Machinery Corp.," where the issue was
whether or not wood pattern makers should be treated as a separate
unit, the Board said:
We find no great preponderance of evidence in this record in favor of one
contention over the other. The industrial form of organization has apparently
been successfully applied to this plant, or at least has made an auspicious
beginning as indicated by the contract recently entered into. On the other
hand, the association has been in the plant for many years, representing employees
of a well-defined craft * * *.
The Board has held that the desire of the employees in the disputed group
is to be given considerable weight. In this case it is conceded by the S. W. 0. C.
that the wood pattern makers prefer separate representation. Furthermore,
the S. W. 0. C. admittedly has no membership among them. In the light of all
the circumstances of this case, we believe that the separate representation
desired by the wood pattern makers should be permitted.'
In Matter of Penneyk;ania Greyhound Lines et al., 29 questions concerning
representation were involved as to the employees of each of
several companies. Rival contentions were made as to whether the
bus drivers of each of the companies, and the maintenance employees
of some, constituted, separate units. The Board held that here again
the desires of the men themselves should control. As to some of the
companies, the Board found that elections were necessary to ascertain
the preferences of the men, but as to others, it found that a preference
for a separate unit had been sufficiently demonstrated, so that
elections were unnecessary.
Conversely to the cases last discussed, the Board has held that in
order to warrant separate elections, there must be a sufficient showing
of a desire for separate representation among the employees to indicate
a doubt as to the majority preference. In Matter of Allis-Chalmers
Manufacturing Company, 3° a plant-wide unit on one hand and at
least six separate craft units on the other were advocated. After considering
the factors tending to support the rival arguments the Board
said :
It is evident that if a union were to petition for an investigation of representatives
and its petition indicated that its numerical strength was no greater
than that shown here by the Pattern League, the I. M. U., the I. A. M., and the
I. B. E. W. with respect to the electrical production workers, the Board would
consider it unnecessary to order the investigation. And similarly, an election
among the electrical production workers, among those claimed by the machinists'
Organizing Committee, etc., 5 N. L. R. B. 344; Matter of The Falk Corporation and Amalgamated
Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of North America, Lodge 1525, 6
N. L. R. B. 654; Matter of Joseph S. Finch & Co.
'
Inc. and United Distillery Workers Union,
Local No. 3, 7 N. L. R. B. 1 ;.and Matter of Shell Oil Company and International Association
of Oil Field, Gas Well and Refinery Workers of America, 7 N. L. R. B. 417.
"Matter of Worthington Pump and Machinery Corp. and Pattern Makers Association
of New York and Vicinity, Pattern Makers League, 4 N. L. R. B. 448.
See also : Matter of Waterbury Clock Company and International Association of Machinists,
4 N. L. R. B. 120; Matter of Gulf Oil Corporation and International Brotherhood
of Boilermakers. Iron Shipbuilders, Welders & Helpers of America, 4 N. L. R. B. 133;
Matter of Waterbury Manufacturing Company and International Association of Machinists,
Local 1335, 5 N. L. R. B. 288 ; Matter of Armour & Company and International Association
of Machinists, Local 92, 5 N. L. R. B. 535; and Matter of Fairbanks, Morse & Company and
Pattern Makers Association of Beloit, 7 N. L. R. B. 229.
29 Matter of Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines et al. and The Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen, 3 N. L. R. B. 622.
so Matter of Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company and International Union, United
Automobile Workers of America, Local 248, 4 N. L. IL B. 159.