NLRB Judge Rules That Two Hallmark Movies Violated Federal Labor Law By Firing Drivers Who Attempted To Unionize

deadline.com:

An NLRB administrative law judge has ruled that two Hallmark movie productions violated federal labor law in 2021 when nine of its drivers were interrogated about their union activities, were threatened with job loss, and were then fired for attempting to unionize the projects under a Teamsters Local 399 contract.

The case stems from unfair labor practices charges filed by Local 399 against 3484 Inc. and 3486 Inc., the companies that produced Christmas at the Madison and Love at the Pecan Farm.

Following a three-day hearing, NLRB Administrative Law Judge Gerald Etchingham ruled that the employers’ representatives violated several sections of the National Labor Relations Act by attempting to prevent them from unionizing and then firing them for striking and picketing the productions.

In his ruling, the judge had particularly harsh words about David Wulf, the owner of 3484 Inc. and 3486 Inc. The judge found that during Wulf’s testimony, he was “evasive and untruthful in many of his statements and opinions to the point that he was not a credible witness and could not be relied on for most of his testimony.” Wulf, the judge wrote, also “lied” about whether or not his transportation coordinator had hiring and disciplinary authority, and that he “lied” when he accused Lindsay Dougherty, who was then a Local 399 business rep and is now its chief executive officer, of sending Wulf “threatening and intimidating emails telling him he was going to have a bad day when, in fact, all Daugherty said to Wulf was that ‘it sounds like you had a really hard day yesterday.’ “ Read the judge’s full ruling here.