Keith’s note: This NLRB mandated notice was sent to all employees at Caltech/JPL and just appeared as a huge banner on JPL’s internal web page. It states: “The National Labor Relations Board has found that we violated Federal labor law and has ordered us to post and obey this notce.”
The hierarchy at JPL for disciplinary actions is: 1. Oral warning 2. Written warning 3. Final written warning 4. Involuntary termination. As such, the wording in this formal NLRB notice this clearly indicates that some pro-union activity got the second level of discipline against these people from JPL management – until the NLRB stomped on Caltech/JPL, that is. Click on image to enlarge for full NLRB notice.
NLRB Rules Against JPL on HSPD-12 Actions, earlier post
“By issuing written warnings to Robert Nelson, Dennis Byrnes, Scott Maxwell, Larry D’Addario, and William Bruce Banerdt because they engaged in protected, concerted activities, the Respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices affecting commerce within the meaning of Section 8(a)(1) and Section 2(6) and (7) of the Act. Having found that the Respondent has engaged in certain unfair labor practices, I shall order it to cease and desist therefrom and to take certain affirmative action designed to effectuate the policies of the Act.”
Earlier HSPD-12 posts
Apparently the official dress code for managers at JPL is brown shirts and jackboots.
But seriously, I didn’t expect their reaction to unionizing activities considering their notorious reputation for lack of discipline in all things engineering.
Not sure quite what that means, but if you know anything about Caltech, don’t expect any union employees. There are no unions there, and it would be difficult to imagine CIT ever tolerating them.
and it would be difficult to imagine CIT ever tolerating them.
Caltech is not above the law regardless of how big the brains of the managers there are.
Unions are a fact of life in the modern age and they (Caltech) need to use their big brains to deal with it.
Gonzo_Skeptic I disagree, the two fit together. Organisations are either managed to produce an output or provide care and comfort for the people in charge. Lack of discipline = no output (except by accident). Where as bosses find disagreement uncomfortable.
Using Nazi references might be the peak of snark, but it kills credibility and has zero worth. It certainly has no place in rational discussion.
Sounds like it could have been said of the JPL managers who went so far as to violate labor laws – “They’re gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out…They’re screwing with the wrong people.” Score one for people knowing and standing up for thier rights.
The NLRB action was _not_ related to union activities. In 2011, Caltech issued letters of reprimand to the five JPL employees because they used JPL’s internal email system to discuss the implications of a recent Supreme Court ruling on the working conditions at JPL. The employees had been plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that personal background investigations into the intimate details of the private lives of JPL employees were legally permitted as part of the Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12 (HSPD12) process of issuing employee identification badges used for access to the JPL facility. The disciplined JPL employees’ email (which I helped prepare and signed) had discussed alternative approaches to the badging process and noted that NASA had wide discretion regarding the nature and scope of the background investigations. That type of discussion using JPL email is protected by the National Labor Relations Act, but Caltech/JPL alleged that the employees had violated work rules. The NLRB found Caltech at fault and ordered that the disciplinary citations be revoked, and that Caltech notify all of its employees of this result and provide them assurance that their rights would not be violated in the future.
Thanks for the information.
I find it amazing that Caltech/JPL publicly confesses to doing something wrong and promises to never do it again, yet never clearly states exactly what that evil deed was/is.
The wording of the notice was specified in the NLRB action; it looks a lot like other NLRB required notices. They focus more on what has to be going forward than what occurred in the past.
They focus more on what has to be going forward than what occurred in the past.
Except for reminding everyone who the troublemakers were who started this attack against the supreme authority of JPL management, in case anyone forgot. I’m sure the troublemakers won’t get retaliated against or punished for other offenses in the future, and their careers at JPL have unlimited potential.