Royal Packing Co. v. Agricultural Labor Relations Board

Royal Packing Company (Royal), an agricultural employer subject to the provisions of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (Act) (Lab. Code, § 1140 et seq.), seeks review of an order of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (Board) finding Royal has committed unfair labor practices under the Act and decreeing remedies for those practices.

Royal is an Arizona corporation with principal California office in Salinas. It employs about 240 persons to grow, pack and ship lettuce. Its principal shareholders and officers are Jack and Don Hart, brothers. It principally markets “naked pack” lettuce, that is, unwrapped heads of lettuce packed into cartons for sale in the field. However, during the events in question, it also operated two lettuce wrap machines under the respective supervision of foreman Manuel Alcantar (Alcantar) and Tony Ayala (Ayala). Each machine is operated by a crew of wrappers who stand at specified stations and with mechanical assistance wrap the heads of lettuce for packing as they are cut.

The United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW) brought unfair labor practice charges following the multiunion organizational campaign among Royal employees during the…