NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

VI. REPRESENTATION CASES
A. STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF REPRESENTATION CASES
Representation cases on docket July 1,1937 to June 30, 1938.—On
June 30, 1937, 796 representation cases, involving 391,126 workers,
were pending before the Board.' These cases were carried over into
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938.
In the fiscal year 1937-38 there were filed with the regional offices
3,569 petitions, involving 995,422 workers, and 54 petitions, involving
102,101 workers, were filed with the Board in Washington, special
permission for 'such filing having been granted pursuant to the
Board's rules and regulations. Thus, a total of 4,419 representation
cases, involving 1,488,649 workers, was on docket during the period
covered by this report.
Representation cases closed July 1, 1937, to Juky 30,1938.—The representation
cases closed are divided into two groups—those cases closed
before formal action and those closed after formal action.2
The Board disposed of 3,157 cases during the fiscal year 1937-38,
or 71.4 percent of the total number of representation cases on docket.
In 1,649 representation cases, or 52.2 percent of the total cases disposed
of during the year, settlements were secured with the aid of
the regional director. Of these 1,649 cases, 830 3 were settled after
the regional director secured the consent of all parties involved to
an election to determine the issue of representation. In 603 cases
the negotiations for a consent election led to an admission that the
petitioner actually represented the majority of the employees and to
the recognition of such representatives for the purpose of collective
bargaining. Frequently, an agreement was secured between the petitioner
and the employer permitting the agents of the Board to check
uruon membership cards against the pay roll in order to determine
whether or not a majority of the employees had designated the petitioner
as their representative for the purposes of collective bargaining.
Such agreements were entered into in 216 cases.
The Board dismissed the petitions filed in 328 cases, or 10.4 percent
of all cases closed, while the petitioners withdrew their petitions in
767 cases,' representing 24.3 percent of all cases disposed of. In
some cases the withdrawals resulted from adjustments of the controversies
between the parties directly ; in some cases they occurred
after the petitioners learned that the Board had no jurisdiction over
the particular controversy; in others they were withdrawn and
charges were filed alleging a violation of section 8 (5) of the act,
i. e., a refusal to bargain collectively.
I The figures given in the Board's Second Annual Report (di. VII, p. 25) were 692 cases
and 332,308 workers. For explanation of the revisions see footnote 1, p. 18, supra.
2 Formal action in representation cases is instituted by the issuance of a notice of
hearing.
The Board conducted 812 consent elections during the fiscal year 1937-38. (See table
XXI.) However, in a few instances one election settled more than one case.
Included in this figure are 24 cases trasferred from one regional office to another.
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