241 N.L.R.B. 494 (N.L.R.B. 1979)

Southern Maryland Hospital Center

National Labor Relations Board - Board DecisionsMar 27, 1979

241 N.L.R.B. 494 (N.L.R.B. 1979)

I)I('ISlI)NS ( NA I I)NA[. I.AB(OR RI:.A I I)NS BO)ARDI) Southeri Maryland I lospital ('enter nd International Union of Operatinlg Engineers. IAccal 99-99A-99('. AFL-(I(), Petitioner. ('ase 5 R(' 1()95 March 27, 1979 D[1)CISI()N ON REVIEW AN[) I)IKR('I I()N ()1 1'l I(''lIO()N Byr ('IIAIRMAN IFANNIN(i ANI) 1 MIIMI RS .JI NKIS\ ANI) Ml RPIIY ()n October 27. 1978. the Regional D)irector for Re- gion 5 issued a I)ecision and ()rder dlisnmissitgi the petition in the ahove-entitled proceeding on the grounds thit the petitioned-lfr unit of egineelring and maintenance department emploees was inap- propriate. Iheereafter, in accordance with Section 102.67 of the National .abhor Relations Board Rules and Regulations Series 8, as amenlded, the Petitioner filed a timel request ftor review alleging lat the Re- gional )ircctor erred in 'failing t find the unit appro- priate. On Decenlhcr 4, 1978, tle National tab)o Re- lations Board bh telegraphic order gl anted the Petitioner's request for rc iew. SubsequeltJv, the P'e- titioner filed a brief on review. Pursuant to the provisions )tf Section 3(h) of the National a;thor Relations Act, as iamellnded the Na- tional Labor Relations Board has delegated its au- thoritv in this proceeding to a thirce-menlihber panel. 'he Board has considered the ntlire record in this case with respect to the issue ulldclr revies, including the Petitioner's brief, and makes the btllowinrg lind- ings: The Employer operates a 30()-bed full-care hospital in Clinton, Maryland. The engineeriig and mainte- nance department unit sought hby the Petitioner con- sists of one acting chiet'f engineer six watch engineers fitur maintenance menl and on gr-ll loundskeeper.l In hlleghent, G (;enlra!/1 Ilovnil, 239 NI RB 872 (1978), the Board. after reviewing the legislitive his- tory urnderlying the health care armlndrments to the Act and the Board's unit determinations in this area, set fl'rth in some detail its reasons for concluding that hospital maintenance employees max constitute n appropriate bargaining unit. Furthermore, in making this determination a majorit of the Board stated that it will continue to rely on the traditional coirrniunlity of interest test, as established in .MericMaI ('val(muonnd ('omntl, 131 N I.R13 909 (1961 . See lic lgheirm (;on- era lovital, snlrt)r. In our opiniion. the application of' this standard to the record in this case warrants the establishment ol' a separate bargaimng unit linited to he pi.rte;sagi cd Iil teg1 il,llrlrrkeepicr l illd be ririridei n111! merirr Iullu d aplp lpriill C e ,ial. nore alie th t rlhlt rirr Cpllr c Ir lIr Ills Ilik .aTdl 11I1 tar %,ork. ar reliel k skilled I1i1iielrll thlie I`mnploecr's enginriceing and maintenarnce depart- rlent climploees. Ihe 1[mplover's engineering and maintenance em- plotees coristitute a distinct department apart from other service departments, lngineering and mainte- naince has a separate adminilistrative identifying num- ber;l, at the employecs we'ar a istinctive uniform. :'ith the exception ot the rmetel room, facilities for these erlployees ae locatled apart in the southeast col-er of the hospital building in the boilerroom, conliputter roomi, oftic., and maintenance shop. The director of huilling r.IlnrtcllallC a engineer ser- vices super\ isCs tile engilneering and mainternance em- plo>ecs al;rt Iro all othel serl'ice eimploy>ees, ,\lthougih the 1ri[pl)ox-r Lioes not seek licensed crafltsrmen Ir cng11 nei cril and maintenance depart- mInlt plositions, it appcalsl that these erlploces are generall. iore skilled than serv ice employees. lhe acting Chiet' engineer hais ;I lirst-class license: four of tlie six \al cl crginee s hase secondl- or third-class licelses: altone of te ' h ilrtenarnce lmen is a li- ceiseL Clectiil qualitied to per oril siring. in ad- dition. these crIplo cs pertorli funrTtions of vari ng skills. hlie cngiiccling cpl>ces are responsible for the opera;tion ot the boilecs irntl thie air-conditioning rind ventilation Lqupirelt. 'l'ir rionitoring function involves sophisticated nltiachtinrx. I lihe inspect ther- rtiostats anid diues throutghout the hbuilding. Ihe are also called on to rlepair technical equipnient such as the Opel'rtling room~ stcrilizer. I he mainteinance em- ploees repairi all pels o' elquipillnt sucht as printing mnihines electr-iciall operatinrg beds. radliators. trol- cNs, and ire :ailrrln sstcrns. hlc replace ceilings and flotr tiles,. refTcisi furniturel, rcilrOVC tcle\ision wall uroits. and uild cbinets,. shelves, and counter units. Ihe! ;also plertlil minolr plilrulinrg work such as unIstoplping toilets and sinks. The maintenance em- ploece skillet in clectrical work monitors the build- ing's elctricall prioleis and s(inetinies rep;airs medi- cil equiplenrt. Ihe t ei2 inCeriinig enplOyees perform both fctions since tie are esponlsible for mainte- n;lnce , ork (o tl he noril;od shifts. I lie clnsilcls spelill most of theil worktime in the boilerrooi (t lc;ast one engineer is required t monoi- tor the iboilers t all liies) in the manintenance shop. and on the roof where the air handling equipment is located. 'I'he are the only employees capable of per- fbOrming the engilleering swork. When responsible tor maintenance work. enlgineers spend considerable worktilre throughout the hospital in common with the other nr mintenaiLntc plocs. Nevertheless. the engierin g a;Ini nil:intcnll;lce nriplol!ccs receive no ie h rc rt ,r s,, rse r p,, li I, r 'ert, lriD, erpiÂ¥eces, but tIese eliploy- eff ]*rilll whlrr at AijJCtr l be A, t UTd llll t1tlrl. eqlllilrng lsli)M ir Uinder Ihe Act 241 NI.RB No. 91 494 SM I It RN \1M\R' IANI) tIt()"SPI I I1 NI IR ;ssistallce ronl ser\ icC e lllpl)eCs ;Il 1 perl (r11 theil maintena;nce tsks alone. '[he Enlol/ph'er's houril\ eloksNo ce are Mhllject o centralized personlllnel polcicls llld r-ccetv\ co 1Ilioll Iringe henefits. 1 hl re(orld is incolnclui e abou the respective \\;IgCS plaid the enlineerillng alld nll;te-lc- lna lrCe enplo ees Oll tle ne hanli. an1d tile Sc.ice employees,. on the oither handl alrlltugh it appealrs that engineering and malinllllance ellploscec, are more likely to receive h ihcr \kages. o- cx \ ple. whereas housekeepino l plog \e s start lit $.5() per hour. enineerin- eCmplo\ ees start at $4.75 per hour. andLt it appealr" t11lit thell ctiiellt a\C le'e talc is $ per hour. l1indcr the circunilsl;lnccs dlitiled lblo\c. tind thal te i gllnill llnd alnll11niC Itance C plo\ Ce shire a colmnlinllt of' iinterest sulicientl separate anld distinct troinl the broade:llr eolllllll lit of' illntelet which the\; shlare \ith ser\ice emplo. ees to k kariaill their representation as separate barlaining unit. In so concluding. we note partictlarlr that the emplok- ees sought h the IPetitioner are establihshed In a sepa - rale (dcpr;rItmlcn having ind perlndent super\r isln. I hese eImplo] es pertorrn \arled maintenanlce swork for the hospital exercising the particular skills re- qiriled hb thiiis Ilncti on. :trthermore, in the exercise oft tlis tltc ii there is 1m Illillli; ilntrchanll;ll a1lld f LI tio Itl ilta le ti l bt Cl\n mClil tlIlIl e Cl plo - CeC, lIlId eCl'\iCe Cll tIIIP CCs. Accordinel -. tc find contrai'\ t the Reional [)i- rct n- amd for the reasons set tforth in 411gh'i'c (;1n- rulIl l)mpil/l. N1/pr1. that tIle tollo Ingic emiploe es collsttllte a unilt appropriate for the purpose of' col- lecti\c hargeailing \ithin the aniearini tof Section 9(h) of the Act: All engineering r11nd maintenance employees em- ploved b1 the linplo\er iat its (Clinton. Marx- landr. hpita. excluding all other employees. gn;ards aill supervisors as defined by the Act. i)irectlon of 1leclriol anrd /:\cl/.sio' footnote omitted from publicatiolln. 5;cce : l, I1li 1v,Itl i rli'l' IIlprZl 21Il N I R t I11 17 }S I supple- enriing 228 N R 8s31 11'7l 495