Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Nello Pistoresi & Son, Inc. (S & D Trucking Co., Inc.), 500 F.2d 399 (9th Cir. 1974). · Go Syfert
Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Nello Pistoresi & Son, Inc. (S & D Trucking Co., Inc.), 500 F.2d 399 (9th Cir. 1974). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
24 citation events (7 in the last 25 years) across 5 distinct courts.
Treatment trajectory · 1976 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1976 2001 2026
Cited for
At page 400 Determining if payments constitute wages or employment terms12 citing casesapproving NLRB's finding that infrequent, sporadic Christmas bonuses unrelated to the size of the employee's salary were not "wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment1 citing court put it this way · 10 listed here
  • Finley Hosp. v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd., 827 F.3d 720 (8th Cir. 2016).published 2 cites
    Bonuses or pay raises "are considered 'wages' or 'other terms and conditions of employment' 'if they are of such a fixed nature and have been paid over a sufficient length of time to have become a reasonable expectation of the employees an…
  • The Finley Hosp. v. NLRB, No. 15-2285 (8th Cir. June 27, 2016).published
    Bonuses or pay raises "are considered 'wages' or 'other terms and conditions of employment' 'if they are of such a fixed nature and have been paid over a sufficient length of time to have become a reasonable expectation of the employees an…
  • Acme Die Casting, a Div. of Lovejoy Indus., Inc. v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd., 93 F.3d 854 (D.C. Cir. 1996).published 2 cites
    Thus, the critical inquiry is whether these increases were granted pursuant to Acme’s “terms and conditions of employment.” The 1980-1987 wage increases fall within the ambit of section 8(a)(5) “ ‘if they are of such a fixed nature and hav…
  • Phelps Dodge Mining Co. v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd., 22 F.3d 1493 (10th Cir. 1994).published 2 cites
    Thus, the critical inquiry is whether the 1985-1989 payments qualify as “wages” or “other terms and conditions of employment.” The 1985-1989 "appreciation payments" or "bonuses" are considered "wages" or "other terms and conditions of empl…
  • Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Henry Vogt Mach. Co., 718 F.2d 802 (6th Cir. 1983).published 2 cites
    In NLRB v. Rapid Bindery Inc., 293 F.2d at 176 , the Second Circuit held that "conjecture or rumor is not an adequate substitute for an employer's formal notice to a union of a vital change in working conditions." Furthermore in NLRB v. Ne…
  • Aaron Bros. Co., a Div. of Chromalloy Am. Corp., Petitioner-Cross v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd., Respondent-Cross, 661 F.2d 750 (9th Cir. 1981).published 3 cites
    See Queen Mary Restaurants Corp. v. NLRB, 560 F.2d 403, 408 (9th Cir. 1977); NLRB v. Nello Pistoresi & Son, Inc. (S & D Trucking Co., Inc.), 500 F.2d 399, 400 (9th Cir. 1974).
  • United States v. Joseph Conforte & Sally Conforte, 624 F.2d 869 (9th Cir. 1980).published
    See United States v. Silk, 331 U.S. 704, 716-19 , 67 S.Ct. 1463, 1469-71 , 91 L.Ed. 1757 (1947); McCormick v. United States, 531 F.2d 554 , 209 Ct.Cl. 331 (1976); N.L.R.B. v. Nello Pistoresi & Son, 500 F.2d 399, 400 (9th Cir. 1974); Humble…
  • Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Airgas USA, LLC, No. 24-6310 (9th Cir. Oct. 24, 2025).unpublished
    See 29 U.S.C. § 158 (a)(5) (Section 8(a)(5)).1 Wage increases or bonuses are considered a term or condition of employment “if they are of such a fixed nature and have been paid over a sufficient length of time to have become a reasonable e…
  • Int'l Bhd. of Elec. Workers Local 1466 v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd., 795 F.2d 150 (D.C. Cir. 1986).published 2 cites
    (approving NLRB's finding that infrequent, sporadic Christmas bonuses unrelated to the size of the employee's salary were not "wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment)
  • Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Electro Vector, Inc., 539 F.2d 35 (9th Cir. 1976).published
At page 399 “if they are of such a fixed nature and have been paid over a sufficient length of time to have become a reasonable expectation of the employees and, therefore, part of their anticipated remuneration.”0 citing cases4 citing courts quote it
    Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
    NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Petitioner,
    v.
    NELLO PISTORESI & SON, INC. (S & D Trucking Co., Inc.), Respondent
    73-2253.
    Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
    Jul 1, 1974.
    Published opinion
    500 F.2d 399
    1974 U.S. App. LEXIS 7852
    Elliott Moore, Acting Asst. Gen. Counsel, NLRB, Washington, D. C., Charles M. Henderson, Director, Region 19, NLRB, Seattle, Wash., for petitioner., Wesley M. Wilson, Yakima, Wash., for respondent.
    Hufstedler, Goodwin, Skopil.
    Cited by 17 opinions  |  Published

    OPINION

    ALFRED T. GOODWIN, Circuit Judge:

    The National Labor Relations Board seeks enforcement of its order against Nello Pistoresi and Son, Inc., reported at 203 N.L.R.B. No. 108, 83 L.R.R.M. 1212 (1973).

    Reversing the administrative-law judge, a divided panel of the Board held that, by unilaterally discontinuing its Christmas bonus in 1971, Pistoresi violated sections 8(a)(5) and 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 158(a)(5) and (1). Because the Board’s finding that the bonuses were wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment is not supported by substantial evidence, enforcement of its order is denied.

    An employer violates sections 8(a)(5) and 8(a)(1) of the Act when he unilaterally alters “wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment,” National Labor Relations Act § 8(d), 29 U.S.C. § 158(d), without first consulting and negotiating with the bargaining representative of his employees. NLRB v. Katz, 369 U.S. 736, 742-743, 82 S.Ct. 1107, 8 L.Ed.2d 230 (1962); American Smelting & Refining Co. v. NLRB, 406 F.2d 552 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 395 U.S. 935, 89 S.Ct. 1998, 23 L.Ed.2d 450 (1969). Bonuses such as the one here at issue are considered wages if they are of such a fixed nature and have been paid over a sufficient length of time to have become a reasonable expectation of the employees and, therefore, part of their anticipated remuneration. Century Electric Motor Co. v. NLRB, 447 F.2d 10, 14 (8th Cir. 1971); NLRB v. Harrah’s Club, 403 F.2d 865, 874 (9th Cir. 1968); Beacon-Journal Publishing Co. v. NLRB, 401 F.2d 366, 367 (6th Cir. 1968); NLRB v. Wonder State Mfg. Co., 344 F.2d 210, 213 (8th Cir. 1965); NLRB v. Niles-Bement-Pond Co., 199 F.2d 713, 714 (2nd Cir. 1952).

    Pistoresi has been operating a livestock-hauling business since 1958, employing approximately 25 employees on a fluctuating basis. Pistoresi has paid Christmas bonuses only twice: in 1969, and in 1970. The amounts of these bonuses were determined entirely by Pisto-resi’s operations manager and ranged from $25.00 to $150.00. The manager testified that he fixed the bonuses by considering each employee’s customer relations and performance as a representative of the company, his diligence, and, to some extent, his seniority. There was no evidence that the amount of a bonus was in any way tied to the size of an employee’s salary.

    In 1971 Pistoresi failed to pay any bonus because it was negotiating with the union and had made an offer of a 5% percent wage increase. It reasonably believed that payment also of a bonus might have been a violation of the wage-price controls then in effect. Moreover, Pistoresi was somewhat dissatisfied with general employee performance during the year.

    The administrative-law judge held that since Christmas bonuses had been paid for only two years and followed no formula they had not become part of the compensation structure so as to re[*401] quire bargaining over their discontinuance. Therefore, he recommended dismissing the complaint. However, a panel of the Board, over the dissent of Member Kennedy, held that payment over a two-year period was sufficient to make the matter bargainable. The Board ordered Pistoresi to cease and desist from refusing to bargain with the union by unilaterally changing terms and conditions of employment and to make the employees whole for monetary losses suffered by reason of the termination of the 1971 bonuses.

    This Court is bound to accept the Board’s findings unless they are not supported by substantial evidence in the record taken as a whole. Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB, 340 U.S. 474, 477-491, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1951). Here, however, because of the short history and indefinite nature of the bonuses, we conclude that the Board’s finding that the bonuses constituted wages, the discontinuance of which must be bargained with the union, is not supported by substantial evidence. See NLRB v. Wonder State Mfg. Co., 344 F.2d at 212-214 in which the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit denied enforcement of a Board order under similar circumstances.

    NLRB v. Harrah’s Club, supra, in which we held that there was substantial evidence to support the Board’s finding that the unilateral discontinuance of “tokes” or tips paid to stage technicians constituted an unfair labor practice, is clearly distinguishable on its facts from this case. In that case there was evidence that tokes had been customarily received by stage technicians in amounts in excess of $300.00 per year, that toking was general practice in the entertainment business, and that the termination of tokes was in retribution for union activities.

    NLRB v. Progress Bulletin Publishing Co., 443 F.2d 1369 (9th Cir. 1971), is similarly distinguishable. There, Christmas bonuses had been paid regularly for 20 of the previous 21 years, and bonus amounts varied with the seniority of the employees. See 182 N.L.R.B. 904, 905-07 (1970).

    Enforcement of the Board’s order is denied.