Filed: Jul. 26, 1996
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: Before SMITH, WIENER, and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges. DeMOSS, Circuit Judge: Appellant Avondale Industries, Inc. appeals from a final order and judg cross-motion for summary judgment, holding that documents sought by Avondale FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY In June 1993, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) held an elect Union) as their collective bargaining representative. The election, which i agreement, the employees were instructed to vote at one of five assigned pol Each of the five voting
Summary: Before SMITH, WIENER, and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges. DeMOSS, Circuit Judge: Appellant Avondale Industries, Inc. appeals from a final order and judg cross-motion for summary judgment, holding that documents sought by Avondale FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY In June 1993, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) held an elect Union) as their collective bargaining representative. The election, which i agreement, the employees were instructed to vote at one of five assigned pol Each of the five voting z..
More
Before SMITH, WIENER, and DeMOSS, Circuit Judges.
DeMOSS, Circuit Judge:
Appellant Avondale Industries, Inc. appeals from a final order and judg
cross-motion for summary judgment, holding that documents sought by Avondale
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
In June 1993, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) held an elect
Union) as their collective bargaining representative. The election, which i
agreement, the employees were instructed to vote at one of five assigned pol
Each of the five voting zones had two voting lists: one “zone list” of
procedures, when individual voters presented themselves to vote at their ass
count after the election showed 1,804 votes in favor of union representation
After the election, Avondale invoked the Freedom of Information Act (“FO
master voting lists and zone voting lists for each polling place; and (3) ea
Halloran, 874 F.2d at 323. Within this framework, the court must balance th
Exemption 6
To specifically prevail under Exemption 6, the government must establis
privacy, but only those disclosures which constitute clearly unwarranted in
necessary to prevent a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. 5
segregable and the overall privacy interests of the individual clearly outwe
We must, therefore, ask whether the NLRB has discharged its burden of de
a clearly unwarranted invasion of the voters’ personal privacy. Ray, 112 S.
invasion of the voters’ privacy.
Ruling from the bench, the district court held that the unredacted voti
While this court considers this to be a very close call, I’m
respect to the agency.
It is questionable as to how much information is going to be
I have problems with 7 because of its broadness, and I certa
So, I believe that the analysis under Exemption 6 would appl
The district court did not enter a written order.
Given the brevity of the district court’s ruling, it is uncertain what
court did not apply the correct standard.
Federal regulations state that, “[t]he formal documents constituting th
personnel files, medical files, and similar files need not be disclosed if
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, Exemption 6 cases require a balanc
1604-1605; United States Department of Defense, Et Al., v. Federal Labor Rel
at 546.
The district court was correct in asserting that it was required to bala
that the burden is on the government to establish that the invasion of privac
that the NLRB has not met its burden.
The NLRB correctly asserts that, to determine whether disclosure of the
a viable privacy interest. The NLRB argues that they do. Specifically, the N
indicating who voted and who did not vote in the representation election.” T
from marketers or others, creating an atmosphere of surveillance over employe
As stated earlier, Exemptions 7(A) and 7(C) exempt from disclosure,
records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but
could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion
5 U.S.C. § 552(b). In finding Exemption 7 inapplicable, the district court
agree that Exemption 7 does not apply.
The threshold inquiry is whether the marked voting lists were compiled
S. Ct. 471, 475 (1989). In this case, there is no summary judgment evidence
of union representation proceedings are considered compiled for law enforcem
this issue.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the order of the district court granting the
REVERSED and REMANDED.