Big Ridge, Incorporated v. NLRB
Big Ridge, Incorporated v. NLRB
Opinion
NONPRECEDENTIAL DISPOSITION To be cited only in accordance with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1
United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit Chicago, Illinois 60604
Argued May 31, 2013 Decided July 2, 2014
Before
JOEL M. FLAUM, Circuit Judge
DANIEL A. MANION, Circuit Judge
ILANA DIAMOND ROVNER, Circuit Judge
Nos. 12‐3120, 12‐3258, 12‐3322, 12‐3654 On Petitions for Review and Cross‐ Applications for Enforcement of Orders BIG RIDGE, INC. & of the National Labor Relations Board. FTS INTERNATIONAL PROPPANTS, LLC, Petitioners, Cross‐ Nos. 14‐CA‐30379, 14‐CA‐30406, 14‐RC‐ Respondents, 12824, 30‐CA‐82116, 30‐RC‐6783
v.
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Respondent, Cross‐ Petitioner.
O R D E R
Big Ridge, Inc. and FTS International Proppants, LLC lost unrelated cases before the National Labor Relations Board. Petitioners argued that the Board lacked a quorum at the time it issued decisions in their cases, see 29 U.S.C. § 153(b), because three of the Board’s five members—Sharon Block, Richard Griffin, and Terence Flynn—were improperly appointed under the Recess Appointments Clause of the Constitution. Nos. 12‐3120, 12‐3258, 12‐3322, 12‐3654 Page 2
In NLRB v. Noel Canning, No. 12–1281 (June 26, 2014), the U.S. Supreme Court held these three appointments invalid because “when the appointments … took place, the Senate was in the midst of a 3‐day recess. Three days is too short a time to bring a recess within the scope of the Clause. Thus we conclude that the President lacked the power to make the recess appointments here at issue.” Slip op. at 2. As “in the absence of a lawfully appointed quorum, the Board cannot exercise its powers,” Noel Canning, slip op. at 3 (citing New Process Steel, L.P. v. NLRB, 560 U.S. 674, 687–88 (2010)), we GRANT the petitions for review and VACATE the Board’s orders in both cases. We also DENY the cross‐petitions of the Board for enforcement of its orders.
Reference
- Status
- Unpublished