Amicus Curiae Brief — Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro, 136 S. Ct. 890 (2016) (No. 15-415)

No. 15-415

In THE

Supreme Court of the United States

ENcINO Motorcars, LLC,

Petitioner,

Vv.

HECTOR NAVARRO; MIKE SHIRINIAN; ANTHONY PINKINS;

KEVIN MALONE; AND REUBEN CASTRO,

Respondents.

On Writ of Certiorari to the United States

Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

BRIEF OF THE INTERNATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND

AEROSPACE WORKERS, AFL-CIO AS AMICUS

CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS

MARK D. SCHNEIDER Davip A. ROSENFELD

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF Counsel of Record

MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE CAREN P. SENCER

Workers, AFL-CIO WEINBERG, ROGER & ROSENFELD

9000 Machinists Place 1001 Marina Village Parkway,

Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-2667 Suite 200

mschneider@iamaw.org Alameda, California 94501

Telephone: (301) 967-4500 drosenfeld@unioncounsel.net

csencer@unioncounsel.net

Telephone (510) 337-1001

Counsel for Amicus Curiae

Peake DeLancay Printers, LLC - (301) 341-4600 - Cheverly MD

i

QUESTIONS PRESENTED

Under Chevron’s two-step framework:

1. Does the Fair Labor Standards Act’s statutory

overtime-pay exemption for automobile deal-

ership “salesm|e]n, partsm[e]n, or mechanic{[s]

primarily engaged in selling or servicing auto-

mobiles,” 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(10)(A), unambigu-

ously apply or not apply to service advisors?

2. Is the Department of Labor’s 2011 notice-and-

comment regulation, 29 C.FR. § 779.372(c),

which concluded that service advisors fall out-

side the salesman/partsman/mechanic exemp-

tion, a permissible construction of the statute?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

QUESTIONS PRESENTED.......................2..000+:

pg Ee ee ree

I.

II.

I.

A. THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS

BOARD IS TASKED WITH

DETERMINING THE APPROPRIATE

BARGAINING UNIT FOR PURPOSES

OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ........

B. THE FUNCTION OF SERVICE

ADVISORS IS CUSTOMER

ITTY pitieniicesncendasteniessheneiucdomsscctions

1. The Primary Function of Service

Advisors is a Communication

2. Service Advisors Do Not Sell or

Service Automobiles ......................

C. DEALERSHIPS IN THE 1960s

EMPLOYED MANY POSITIONS

IN THE SERVICE AREA BEYOND

THE TWO SPECIFIED EXEMPT

NU iieibitinichenabnsvatsnivesnbtceprnionseici

6

1]

11

13

18

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS—Continued

Page

D. EVERY SERVICE DEPARTMENT

INCLUDES MANY NON-EXEMPT

CLASSIFICATIONS OF EMPLOYEES 21

1. Additional Classifications of

Service Department Employees ... 22

2. Classifications in the Parts

RO IUEE \istienixcotnenblgtictimmiaalioce 28

3. Classifications in the Body Shop... 30

E. THE DIVERSITY OF JOB

FUNCTIONS IN A DEALERSHIP

SUPPORTS A LIMITED AND

NARROW READING OF THE

OVERTIME EXEMPTION .................. 32

BV. . CRFUPL MENON Sins conicesnspcsrentanstebeanincsiuinnna 37

Vv

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

CASES Page

Academy LLC d/b/a Phil Long Ford of

Chapel Hills,

27-RC-8320 (May 21, 2004) ..............:.ceeccceees 23, 27

Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, Inc.,

9-RC-17854 (November 21, 2003) ............... passim

Austin Ford, Inc.,

136 N.L.R.B. 1398 (1962)....................000.. 19, 21, 29

Autonation Imports of Longwood, Inc.

d/b/a Courtesy Honda,

12-RC-083701 (August 10, 2012) .......0......... passim

Azure Auto II, LLC d/b/a Findlay N.

Volkswagen,

28-RC-160737 (October 9, 2015) ................. 18, 30

Big Valley Ford, Inc.,

32-RC-5370 (October 14, 2005) ...........0000.... passim

BMW of West Springfield,

1-RC-21908 (May 24, 2005) .................0cccce 12, 27

Bradley Chevrolet, Inc.,

25-RC-10146 (November 6, 2002) ............... 13, 31

Champion Fordland, Inc.,

4-RC-20177 (May 8, 2001) ..............0.ccccccceeee. 17

Clay Chevrolet, Inc.,

1-RC-21570 (December 20, 2002)................ 21, 22

Contemporary Cars, Inc., d/b/a

Mercedes-Benz of Orlando,

12-RC-9344 (November 14, 2008)

subsequent decisions 354 N.L.R.B. No. 72

(2009) and 355 N.L.R.B. 592 (2010),

enforced, 667 F.3d 1364 (11th Cir. 2012)..... passim

vi

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued

CASES Page

Country Ford Trucks, Inc.,

32-RC-4617 (June 16, 1999) subsequent

decision 330 N.L.R.B. 328 (1999), review

denied, 229 F.3d 1184 (D.C. Cir. 2000)......... 28

Countryway P’ship d/b/a Crown Motors,

14-RC-12430 (November 12, 2003) ........ 14, 26, 31

Crown Motor Co., Inc., d/b/a

Acura of Memphis,

26-RC-8613 (August 20, 2010) ..........0..-...... passim

Cutter Dodge, Inc.,

- | ta i & |) | 20

Dick Bullis, Inc. d/b/a Dick Bullis Chevrolet,

oy) IR 8 l,l =e 24, 25

Fairfield Ford,

9-RC-17713 (October 29, 2002) subsequent

decision 340 N.L.R.B. No. 9 (2003), review

denied, enforced, 116 Fed. Appx. 601

EE I ccdantncrensianscumeatnsniacnseatinnes 21, 23, 25, 26

Fletcher Jones Las Vegas d/b/a Fletcher

Jones Chevrolet,

300 N.L.R.B. 875 (1990)..................... 14, 23, 24, 25

Frank Buck Motors d/b/a Pocono Peterbilt,

4-RD-2121 (November 13, 2007) ................. 28, 29

Fuller Auto. Co. d/b/a Fuller Auto. Co.

& Fuller Mfg. & Supply Co.,

Jin: @ 6) 6 13, 19

Hall Chevrolet, LLC,

5-RC-126386 (May 22, 2014) .................. 21, 28, 31

vil

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued

CASES Page

Howard Orloff Imports, Inc.,

13-RC-21069 (November 10, 2003) ............ 15, 17

Jackson Ford, Inc.,

7-RC-22545 (November 17, 2003) ............... 17, 22

Junction Buick Pontiac GMC-Truck,

8-RC-16059 (June 30, 2000) .............0000.0000.. 23, 27

Keldeneri Corp. d/b/a San Leandro

Nissan Hyundai Kia,

JD(SF)-10-07 (April 5, 2007)............0..0.0...... 17

Larry Faul Oldsmobile Co., Inc.,

EE A eee 20

Life Quality Motor Sales, Inc.,

29-RC-9173 (February 23, 1999).................. passim

McRobert Motor Co. d/b/a Gresham Ford,

36-RC-6082 (July 25, 2001)... cece 12

Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines,

12-RC-9290 (January 9, 2008)...................... 16, 27

Michael Stead, Inc. d/b/a Michael Stead’s

Walnut Creek Ford,

32-RC-4789 (August 11, 2000) .......... 17, 28, 29, 30

Missco, Inc.,

to} PB 4 el, | es 20

NLRB v. Action Auto., Inc.,

| tk, CR ee ene 8

NLRB v. Hearst Publ’ns, Inc.,

I 10

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued

CASES Page

N. Bay Saturn Group, Inc. d/b/a

Saturn of Marin,

20-RC-17537 (July 30, 1999)..................... 15, 23, 24

Oliver C. Joseph, Inc.,

14-RC-12830 (August 12, 2011) .........c.0.0.--. 22, 24

Packard Motor Car Co. v. NLRB,

Se Cees 10

Parker-Robb Chevrolet, Inc.,

262 N.L.R.B. 402 (1982), review denied on

other grounds, Auto. Salesmen’s Union

Local 1095 v. NLRB, 711 F.2d 383

AL RNa cre 20

Payton-Wright Ford, Inc.,

16-RC-10539 (November 24, 2003) ........ 30, 31, 34

Performance of Brentwood,

26-RC-063405 (September 29, 2011)...... passim

Pflueger Auto Group, LLC,

37-RC4120 (November 21, 2005) ............... 26, 29

Phil Long European Imports, LLC,

27-RC-8071 (August 24, 2000) .......... passim

VES Auto., LLC,

32-RC-5403 (March 3, 2006)................0cc:c00 25

Royal Gate Dodge, Inc.,

14-RC-12420 (February 24, 2003)................ 24, 31

Rush Truck Ctrs. of Cal., Inc.

d/b/a Rush Truck Ctr., Sylmar,

31-RC-8102 (April 26, 2002) ..........ccccscssseseee 14

ix

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued

CASES

Sacramento Auto. Ass'n, Valley Motor

Car Dealers Council,

193 N.L.R.B. 745 (1971) ..cccse-ccccveeccssseeeseoveees

Sexton Ford Sales, Inc.,

14-RC-068800 (December 8, 2011).............

State College Ford Lincoln Mercury, Inc.,

6-RC-12215 (June 11, 2008) ...........scesseeesees

Thomas Motors of Joliet, Inc.,

13-RC-21966 (September 10, 2010)............

Tinley Park J. Imports, Inc.,

13-RC-21270 (November 24, 2004) ............

Trevellyan Oldsmobile Co.,

133 N.L.R.B. 1272 (1961 )...cccccccccccessssveeseseee

UAG-Steven Creek II, Inc. d/b/a

Audi Stevens Creek,

32-RC-108320 (July 29, 2013) ...cc.ccccccsseeooee

Wiers Int'l Trucks,

25-RC-10389 (May 21, 2007) subsequent

decision 353 N.L.R.B. 475 (2008)...............

W. R. Shadoff,

Fe Pee OS (CD ceciccccrnscessnsensevctnesssce

STATUTES

AR See ctienheeccebaconasveinnnpuinineiaitiiosansecinnaitinie

TE | enone

EM se I

Page

17

19

x

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued

STATUTES Page

DO U.S.C. $ 15O(C).......ccceccsecsssersecesessceseesseees 6

DO U.S.C. 8 160.....0..ecrcsccccsesscorsvssressessseenccnessenns 10

DO U.S.C. $§ 201-219.........cccscsssreseeeeeesecesnerseeses 2

29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(10)(A)......-.0c0eeseeee 2. 14, 21, 36

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 9884.9............-:+:+ 15

REGULATIONS

D9 C.ER. § 10] ........ccccescsosssssseresncsescosersseeenensens i)

DD C.BR. & 108 .....c.ccecooresvessrcevesscvcsosenscssesceoveresees i)

29 C.ER. § 102.60-72 ..........ccceccceseeeeeeenesneensnnenees i)

DD CER. § 108 ......00....cceccscccssossroresssossevsssssenseones iS)

29 C.ER. § 779.372 C)(1) ...cceecceeeeeeeeeernnenseenenees 4

OTHER AUTHORITIES & MATERIALS

26 Fed. Reg. 3885 (May 4, | as g

26 Fed. Reg. 3911 (May 4, | ER g

79 Fed. Reg. 74,308 (December 15, 2014)

(codified at 29 C.F-R. pts. 101, 102, and 103) 9

NLRB, An Outline of Law and Procedure in

Representation Cases (2012),

https://www.nlirb.gov/sites/default/

files/attachments/basic-page/

node-1727/representation_case_outline_

Of law _4-16-13.pdf...........ceccceeeeeeerenneneeeenens 8

xi

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES—Continued

OTHER AUTHORITIES & MATERIALS Page

Robert A. Gorman & Matthew W. Finkin,

Basic Text on Labor Law: Unionization

and Collective Bargaining (2u ed. 2004) ... 8

Robert A. Gorman & Matthew W. Finkin, Labor Law

Analysis And Advocacy (2013) ..............00 8, 10

l

BRIEF OF THE INTERNATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND

AEROSPACE WORKERS, AFL-CIO AS

AMICUS CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF

RESPONDENTS

INTEREST OF AMICUS CURIAE

The INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MA-

CHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS, AFL-CIO

(“IAM”) is a labor organization of nearly 600,000

members, representing workers across the United

States.' It represents employees in various indus-

tries including manufacturing, aerospace and ship-

yards. Its particular interest in this case is that it

has long represented employees in service depart-

ments of automobile dealerships, going back to at

least the 1940s. As of this date, the Union repre-

sents over 35,000 employees in automotive indus-

tries, mainly automobile dealerships, across the

country.

The Union’s primary representation of employees

in automobile dealerships has been service mechan-

ics. Its representation, however, has also included

partsmen, service advisors, parts runners, dispatch-

ers, bodymen, lot persons and the many additional

classifications who work in the varying configura-

tions in the service departments of different dealers

throughout the country.

' No counsel for a party authored this amicus brief in whole

or in part, and no person or entity, other than the amicus,

made a monetary contribution to the preparation or submis-

sion of this brief.

2

The Union has been in the forefront of organizing

employees inservice departments. Asaresult, through

its affiliated District and Local Lodges, the LAM has

participated in hundreds of National Labor Relations

Board (NLRB) proceedings involving unit determina-

tions concerning mechanics, service advisors and oth-

er job classifications in service departments.

The Union’s interest in this case is ensuring that

service advisors whom it currently represerits, as

well as those whom it seeks to organize, are not ex-

empt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards

Act, 29 U.S.C. § § 201-219. The LAM is also concerned

that any expanded reading of the exemption would

affect the many other classifications of employees it

represents in service departments. The narrow ap-

plication of the overtime exemption in 29 U.S.C.

§ 213(b)(10)(A) is particularly important to this long-

term goal of organizing and representation.

Amicus Curiae brings a specific perspective to this

Court. Rather than present argument about the

meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act, we detail

and explain how the National Labor Relations Board

(NLRB), in representation proceedings, has treated

service advisors, mechanics and the other members

of service departments in various dealerships over

the last seventy-five years of reported decisions.

While these decisions do not deal with the precise

issue before the Court, they provide an even-handed

view of the work performed in service departments,

how that work is divided amongst classifications, the

layout of dealerships, the wages and methods of

compensation for various classifications and, of par-

ticular interest, the work of service advisors. This

3

review should assist the Court in understanding the

nature of service advisor work and why it makes

sense that they are not within the exemption from

overtime of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that

is at issue.

I. STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Respondents brought an action under the Fair La-

bor Standards Act, claiming that they were entitled

to overtime under federal law. The district court dis-

missed their claim, and the Ninth Circuit reversed,

holding that the exemption in the Fair Labor Stan-

dards Act did not apply to service advisors in auto-

mobile dealerships. This decision relied, in part, on

an interpretation of the Department of Labor.

This case is before the Court without any factual re-

cord of what service advisors do in dealerships across

the country. The record is limited to the bare allega-

tions of the complaint concerning one dealership.

Under the provisions of the National Labor Rela-

tions Act, 29 U.S.C. § 151, the NLRB is authorized to

determine appropriate bargaining units for the pur-

poses of collective bargaining. See 29 U.S.C. § 159(b).

In making these unit determinations, the NLRB has

issued numerous decisions describing the job duties

and working conditions of service advisors and other

classifications employed in the service departments

of automobile dealers. We present analysis from

these decisions in support of the Respondents’ argu-

ments that the exemption cannot reasonably apply

to service advisors and that the Department of La-

bor’s regulation excluding service advisors from the

4

exemption makes sense both historically as well as

within the current configuration of automobile deal-

erships. See 29 C.F-R. § 779.372(c)(1).

Il. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

Decisions of the NLRB and Decisions and Direc-

tions of Elections of Regional Directors, present a

thorough review of job duties and working conditions

of employees in automobile dealerships. Because the

NLRB is required by statute to make individualized

unit determinations each time a question of represen-

tation is raised, there is an extensive administrative

record examining the operations in automotive ser-

vice departments from the 1940s to present.

These cases fully explore the job duties of service

advisors. The work of service advisors is regularly

described as the communication link between cus-

tomers and the mechanics who service their vehicles.

Service advisors are uniformly described as having

neither the skills nor tools to perform the servicing

function. This undermines the argument of Petition-

er that service advisors are engaged in the servicing

of vehicles. Pet. Br. 22-35.

Review of NLRB decisions from the 1960s forward

show service advisors work in dealerships perform-

ing non-mechanic work, managing the process of au-

tomobile repair for customers and ensuring that cus-

tomers are advised of the status of needed repairs

and costs associated with the repairs, and all paper-

work is completed properly. This undermines the

argument of Petitioner that service advisors are

salesmen. Pet. Br. 23.

5

These same decisions describe, in detail, the nu-

merous job classifications in use in service depart-

ments and the scope of the job duties associated

with these classifications. Lube technicians, lot at-

tendants, car washers, detailers, cashiers, warranty

clerks, parts drivers, parts runners, body shop em-

ployees and many other job classifications are used

in addition to mechanics and partsmen in most deal-

erships. These job classifications, and the scope of

associated duties, do not fit within the FLSA exemp-

tion at issue, and these individuals currently enjoy

the overtime protections of the FLSA. This under-

mines the argument of Petitioner that the exemp-

tion is meant to be inclusive of all classifications of

the parts and service departments engaged in the

servicing of vehicles. See Pet. Br. 29-31, 36-38 and

39-40.

Given the scope of job classifications used in deal-

erships in the 1960s, which continues to the pres-

ent, it is clear that the exemption was not intended

to include service advisors. If accepted, the Peti-

tioner’s argument regarding the functional integra-

tion of service advisors in the servicing of vehicles

would result in a de facto return to the blanket ex-

emption of 1961 since all employees in the service

department are, in some way, part of the servicing

process. Contrary to the Petitioner’s position, it

would be more disruptive to expand the exemption

to include more classifications.

Our argument outlines the framework used by the

NLRB, the job duties regularly assigned to service ad-

visors, the duties of other employees in service depart-

ments and explains why the Department of Labor's

6

limited reading of the FLSA exemption is consistent

with the daily operations of automobile dealerships.

il. ARGUMENT

A. THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS

BOARD IS TASKED WITH DETERMINING

THE APPROPRIATE BARGAINING UNIT

FOR PURPOSES OF COLLECTIVE

BARGAINING.

Through the NLRB representation process, a

wealth of administrative decisions have been issued

outlining the job titles, job duties, working condi-

tions and supervisory structures of automotive deal-

erships. These decisions provide a neutral factual

review of dealerships over time.

Under the provisions of 29 U.S.C. § 159(b), the

NLRB “shall decide in each case whether, in order to

assure the employees the fullest freedom in exercis-

ing their rights guaranteed by this subchapter, the

unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bar-

gaining shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant

unit or subdivision thereof. ”

The procedure by which these unit determinations

are made is also established in the statute. “[T]he

Board shall investigate such [representation] peti-

tion and if it has reasonable cause to believe that a

question of representation affecting commerce ex-

ists shall provide for an appropriate hearing upon

due notice.” 29 U.S.C. § 159(c).

Although the National Labor Relations Act sets out

certain restrictions on determinations of appropriate

7

bargaining units, the NLRB has historically employed

a community of interest standard in determining the

appropriateness of any particular unit.

The leading treatise describes the Board’s function

as follows:

The Board draws upon the criterion of community

of interest in order to determine whether, for ex-

ample, employees with special craft skills and

training should be separated out for purposes of

voting and bargaining or whether they should be

grouped along with semi-skilled and unskilled em-

ployees in an “industrial” unit; whether “produc-

tion and maintenance” employees should be

grouped in a single unit with “white-collar employ-

ees” doing technical or clerical work; whether the

unit should include only employees working in a

single plant, store or office of the employer or

whether there should be a grouping of employees

in several—or indeed all—of the employer's plants,

stores or offices; and whether it is sound to go even

beyond the employees of a single employer and to

group those employees with persons employed by

other employers in the same industry in the same

competitive market. In making judgments about

“community of interest” in these different settings,

the Board will look at such factors as: (1) similar-

ity in the scale and manner of determining earn-

ings; (2) similarity in employment benefits, hours

of work and other terms and conditions of em-

ployment; (3) similarity in the kind of work per-

formed; (4) similarity in the qualifications, skills

and training of the employees; (5) frequency of

contact or interchange among the employees; (6)

8

geographical proximity; (7) continuity or integra-

tion of production processes; (8) common super-

vision and determination of labor-relations poli-

cy; (10) history of collective bargaining; (11)

desires of the affected employees; (12) extent of

union organization.

Robert A. Gorman & Matthew W. Finkin, Labor Law

Analysis And Advocacy § 5.2, at 103 (2013).? See

also NLRB v. Action Auto., Inc., 469 U.S. 490, 494

(1985); NLRB, An Outline of Law and Procedure in

Representation Cases 135-38 (2012).°

As a result of consistent application of this estab-

lished test, nearly all unit determination decisions

review the work of the employees in each job classi-

fication, the methods of compensation, integration

of work, interchange between classifications, hours

of work, required uniforms, and other criteria that

fall into the traditional multi-factor test.

Prior to 1961, the hearings used to gather the infor-

mation necessary to make unit determinations were

conducted by the Regional Director, and then the re-

cord was submitted directly to the Board in Washing-

ton for the issuance of a decision. After 1961, the deci-

sions were issued by the Regional Directors subject to

review by the Board. The process has been modified

recently to speed up and simplify the process but still

* This is the third edition of the text previously known as

Robert A. Gorman & Matthew W. Finkin, Basic Text on Labor

Law: Unionization and Collective Bargaining (2d ed. 2004).

* Available at https://www.nirb.gov/sites/default/files/attach-

ments/hasic-page/node-1727/representation_case_outline_of_

law_4-16-13.pdf

Y

requires a determination to be made in each case based

on its unique facts. 79 Fed. Reg. 74,308 (December 15,

2014) (codified at 29 C.F-R. pts. 101, 102, and 103).

The Board has thus, through its Regional Directors

and decisions of the Board on review, considered the

placement of service advisors in or out of potential

bargaining units sought by unions as part of the rep-

resentation process. These cases provide a body of

concrete facts regarding the work of service advisors

and other service department employees. The simi-

larities and differences between service advisors and

other employees and the general working conditions

of service departments have been described in a

manner that should offer some stability and accuracy

to an understanding of the work of service advisors.

The records relied on below are the Regional Di-

rector decisions and, in some cases, Board decisions

involving service advisors and service departments

in general.‘ In a few cases, these issues arise in the

context of unfair labor practice proceedings involv-

‘ Before 1961, there are no Regional Director decisions. All

cases before May 15, 1961, are decisions of the Board because

all hearing records were submitted directly to the Board, which

then issued a decision after review of the record. In 1961, the

Board delegated the power to hold hearings and issue deci-

sions to the Regional Directors. 29 U.S.C. § 153(b); 26 Fed.

Reg. 3885 and 3911 (1961). Thereafter, Regional Directors is-

sued decisions subject to the right of any party to seek review.

If review was granted, the Board would then issue a decision.

Thus, this brief cites Board decisions before 1961 and primar-

ily Regional Director decisions after 1961. Unless otherwise

indicated, those Regional Director decisions were not chal-

lenged by way of exceptions to the Board, test of certification,

or otherwise. See 29 C.F-R. § 102.60-72.

10

ing service advisors and other members of service

departments. These cases are resolved by decisions

issued by Administrative Law Judges, which are then

reviewed directly by the NLRB. See 29 U.S.C. § 160.°

In some cases, the Board’s determinations as to

the appropriateness of a unit have been reviewed by

the courts of appeals where employers challenged

the bargaining unit in what is called a test of certifi-

cation. See Robert A. Gorman & Matthew W. Finkin,

Labor Law Analysis And Advocacy § 4.10, at 90-92

(2013). This Court has granted particularly wide dis-

cretion to the Board's determination of the appropri-

ate bargaining unit. See Packard Motor Car Co. v.

NLRB, 330 U.S. 485, 491 (1947); NLRB v. Hearst

Publ’ns Inc., 322 U.S. 111 (1944),

As will be evident from these cases, employers and

unions, primarily the International Association of

Machinists, have litigated the scope of bargaining

units in service departments because service depart-

ments contain many different classifications and vary

from dealership to dealership. In some cases, the pe-

titioning union has sought to include service advisors

in a unit of service department employees with me-

chanics. In other cases, the union sought to exclude

service advisors. In other cases, the employer has

° We cite to cases that are available on the NLRB’s website.

The Regional Director decisions after 1961 were not published

in the official volumes of NLRB Decisions. Regional Director's

Decisions and Directions of Election are available through the

Board's website at https://www.nirb.gov/search/cases. Report-

ed NLRB Decisions are available on the Board’s website at

https://www.nirb.gov/cases-decisions/board-decisions in addi-

tion to Westlaw and Lexis.

ll

sought to include the service advisors when the union

has resisted it, or the employer sought to exclude

them when the Union has sought to include them.

Regardless of which party has taken which position,

the result is a decision analyzing the job duties, com-

pensation methods and daily operations in the par-

ticular service department.

The variety of positions taken by the parties to

these unit determination proceedings makes these

decisions helpful and trustworthy to the issue before

this Court. In effect, they constitute a neutral record

of service department operations and should be

treated as an accurate historic description of the

work of service departments in general and service

advisors in particular. These conclusions are gener-

alized from well over one hundred cases that con-

cern various classifications in dealerships that differ

significantly in size, organization and operations.

B. THE FUNCTION OF SERVICE ADVISORS

IS CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

1. The Primary Function of Service

Advisors is a Communication Link.

A service advisor is a customer service position.

The primary duties are to record customer concerns

regarding their vehicle on a repair order, to provide

an estimate and to keep customers informed on the

status of their vehicle’s repair or maintenance.

Service advisors:

greet in-coming customers, prepare repair orders,

and assign the repair orders to individual [mechan-

12

ics] Service advisors are required to have good

communication skills and receive special training in

dealing with customers _ The ‘advisor’ part of their

title deals with their relationship with the customer.

They do not ‘advise’ or counsel the mechanics on

how to diagnose a problem, what cause to eliminate

first, or other technical aspects they merely serve

as the link between customers and mechanic.

McRobert Motor Co. d/b/a Gresham Ford, 36-RC-

6082, at p. 2 (July 25, 2001). The primary responsibil-

ity of a service advisor is “to greet customers, to find

out what problems the customers are experiencing

with their vehicles, and to keep the customers in-

formed about the status of their vehicles during the

repair process.” Phil Long European Imports, LLC,

27-RC-8071, p. 5 (August 24, 2000).

The service advisor position is also described as “a

liaison” between the customer and the mechanic.

Autonation Imports of Longwood, Inc. d/b/a Cour-

tesy Honda (“Courtesy Honda”), 12-RC-083701, p. 5

(August 10, 2012); Performance of Brentwood LP,

26-RC-063405, p. 24 (September 29, 2011); Crown

Motor Co., Inc., d/b/a Acura of Memphis (“Acura of

Memphis”), 26-RC-8613, p. 15 (August 20, 2010). As

such, it is not surprising that “customer service is a

critical aspect of the service advisor job.” Big Valley

Ford, Inc., 32-RC-5370, p. 7 (October 14, 2005). The

job requires “customer-facing skills” to explain re-

pairs that will be performed to the vehicle. BMW of

West Springfield, 1-RC-21908, p. 4 (May 24, 2005).

The duties of the service advisor are generally to

generate the necessary paperwork for a repair to start,

13

commonly referred to as a “repair order,” and to as-

certain the estimated time and cost to complete a re-

pair. Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, Inc.,

9-RC-17854, p. 3 (November 21, 2003). A mechanic

diagnoses any problems with a vehicle and conducts a

multi-point inspection in the hope of generating addi-

tional potential repairs. Performance of Brentwood,

26-RC-063405, p. 24. Based on the findings of the me-

chanic (and not the service advisor), the service advi-

sor contacts the customer and recommends additional

repairs. Big Valley Ford, 32-RC-5370, pp. 12-13. The

customer either accepts or rejects the proposed addi-

tional repairs, and either way, the appropriate repair

order is generated by the service advisor and provid-

ed to the mechanic. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701,

pp. 7-8. Once the repair is completed, the service

advisor contacts the customer to advise that the ve-

hicle is ready for pick-up. /d., p. 8. The completed

repair order is then used to compute the billing, and

a copy is provided to the customer for her records.

This is generally seen, in modern dealerships, as a

customer relations function. Bradley Chevrolet, Inc.,

25-RC-10146, p. 4 (November 6, 2002). Even earlier,

in 1950, some took the position that service advisors

were essentially “clerical workers.” Fuller Auto. Co.

d/b/a Fuller Auto. Co. & Fuller Mfg. & Supply Co.

(“Fuller Auto. Co.”), 88 N.L.R.B. 1452, 1457 (1950).

2. Service Advisors Do Not Sell or Service

Automobiles.

The scope of a service advisor’s duties does not

include mechanic work or automobile sales. Em-

ployers have regularly argued to the NLRB that the

14

only appropriate bargaining unit is the entirety of

the service department because “employees are in-

tegrally related to the single function of servicing

and repairing automobiles.” Fletcher Jones Las Ve-

gas d/b/a Fletcher Jones Chevrolet (“Fletcher Jones

Chevrolet”), 300 N.L.R.B. 875, 876 (1990); Country-

way P’ship d/b/a Crown Motors (“Crown Motors”),

14-RC-12430, pp.1-2 (November 12, 2003) (employer

argues that all employees in service, body shop,

parts and detail departments are all part of the “ve-

hicle repair process”); Rush Truck Ctrs. of Cal.,

Inc. d/b/a Rush Truck Ctr., Sylmar, 31-RC-8102, p. 9

(April 26, 2002). This is parallel to the gloss Peti-

tioner raises in the pending case. Pet. Br. 23. The

NLRB regularly rejects this argument and finds dis-

tinct units within the service department. Similarly,

this Court should reject adding an additional classifi-

cation of employee to the 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(10)(A)

exemptions.

As found in many decisions, “advisors do not per-

form vehicle maintenance and repairs.” Courtesy

Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 36. Service advisors are not

qualified to perform servicing work. Phil Long Eu-

ropean Imports, 27-RC-8071, p. 5. And, “ability to

perform repair or mechanical work” is not a job re-

quirement for service advisors. Sexton Ford Sales,

Inc., 14-RC-068800, p. 7 (December 8, 2011).

The service advisor is responsible for securing con-

sent from a customer that a recommended additional

repair should be performed. This is sometimes re-

ferred to as “up-selling.” See Contemporary Cars,

Inc., d/b/a Mercedes-Benz of Orlando (“Mercedes-

Benz of Orlando”), 12-RC-9344, p. 17 (November 14,

15

2008) subsequent decisions 354 N.R.L.B. No. 72 (2009)

and 355 N.L.R.B. 592 (2010), enforced, 667 F.3d 1364

(11th Cir. 2012). In some states, like California, a deal-

ership contacts a customer to provide an estimate of

costs and receive explicit authorization for a repair

before performing any work beyond that which was

stated on the original repair order. This is required by

statute. See Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 9884.9.

In most dealerships, service advisors perform no me-

chanic work. However, in some dealerships, a service

advisor may perform minor service work, like testing a

vehicle's battery, replacing a wiper blade or changing a

license plate bulb as a courtesy to a customer. Acura of

Memphis, 26-RC-8613, pp. 15-16; N. Bay Saturn Group,

Inc. d/b/a Saturn of Marin (“Saturn of Marin”), 20-RC-

17537, p. 5 (July 30, 1999). To the extent a service advi-

sor performs minor mechanical work it “is incidental to

their primary duties of greeting customers and prepar-

ing the R[epair] O[rder].” Sexton Ford Sales, 14-RC-

068800, p. 14; Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 27. A

service advisor would not have the tools or skills to per-

form more than this incidental work. Further, this time

is neither tracked by the dealership nor charged to the

customer. Sexton Ford Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 7; State

College Ford Lincoln Mercury, Inc., 6-RC-12215, p. 7

(June 11, 2003).

Just as the job duties of service advisors do not in-

clude servicing or maintaining vehicles, the duties

similarly do not include selling either service or vehi-

cles. The primary function of the job is to serve as the

communication link between mechanics and custom-

ers. Howard Orloff Imports, Inc., 13-RC-21069, p. 2

(November 10, 2003). Although there is undoubtedly

16

a sales component, no reported cases describing the

job duties of service advisors designate sales as the

primary responsibility of the position. In addition, the

sales portion of the function has limited discretion.

The service advisor does not diagnose a vehicle. See

Mercedes-Benz of Orlando, 12-RC-9344, p. 16. The

service advisor records the customer concerns as a

guide to the mechanic, who diagnoses the problem to

determine precisely what work is needed and/or sug-

gests repairs or maintenance. The information neces-

sary to make these suggestions comes from two sourc-

es: repairs identified by the mechanic or manufacturer

provided maintenance menus or service schedules,

such as service menus for specified mileages. Cowr-

tesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 15; Thomas Motors of

Joliet, Inc., 13-RC-21966, p. 2 (September 10, 2010);

Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines, 12-RC-9290, pp.

9-10 (January 9, 2008). As a result, the service advisor

serves a reporting function conveying to the customer

the diagnosis of the mechanic or the recommendation

of the manufacturer.

Although many service advisors are paid on a draw

against commission system, the pay plan itself is not

determinative since individuals in many classifications

in a dealership receive a portion of compensation

based on either individual, department or dealership-

wide performance. This includes not only mechanics,

partsmen and salesmen but also, on occasion, includes

dispatchers, detailers, parts drivers, warranty clerks,

and bookers.® See Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines,

6 The duties associated with these positions are addressed

below.

17

12-RC-9290, p. 11 (bookers paid on commission); Tin-

ley Park J. Imports, Inc., 13-RC-21270, p. 6 (Novem-

ber 24, 2004) (detailers responsible for recondition

the appearance of vehicles paid on flat rate); Howard

Orloff Imports, 13-RC-21069, p. 4 (dispatchers paid by

commission); Jackson Ford, Inc., 7-RC-22545, pp. 5-6

(November 17, 2003) (lube technicians may receive

commission); Champion Fordland, Inc., 4-RC-20177,

p. 4 (May 8, 2001) (warranty clerk earns salary and

commissions); Michael Stead, Inc. d/b/a Michael

Stead’s Walnut Creek Ford (“Michael Stead’s Walnut

Creek Ford”), 32-RC47839, p. 3 (August 11, 2000) (parts

driver and clerical participate in bonus program based

on department-wide sales).

Similarly, some of the classifications that are usu-

ally thought to be paid on productivity based systems

or as a percentage of sales, may be paid hourly. See,

e.g., Sexton Ford Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 9 (some

body shop repairmen paid hourly, those with higher

skill levels paid flat rate); Wiers Int'l Trucks, 25-RC-

10389, p. 5 (May 21, 2007) subsequent decision 353

N.L.R.B. 475 (2008) (service technicians, service ad-

visors and parts associates all paid on an hourly ba-

sis); Michael Stead’s Walnut Creek Ford, 32-RC-4789,

p. 3 (service advisors paid hourly with ability to par-

ticipate in department-wide bonus program).

Additionally, many dealerships have an internal

service advisor who only writes repair orders on

new cars (the pre-delivery inspection process) or

used cars that are being readied for sale. See, e.g.,

Thomas Motors of Joliet, 13-RC-21966, p. 3; Aelden-

eri Corp. d/b/a San Leandro Nissan Hyundai Kia,

JD(SF)-10-07 (April 5, 2007). They do not have

18

contact with any external customers and do not

“sell” as the sole “customer” is the dealership it-

self. Mercedes-Benz of Orlando, 12-RC-9344, p. 16.

Similarly, if the dealership has an express oil

change process, there may be a service advisor as-

signed only to that part of the operation. Big Val-

ley Ford, 32-RC-5370, p. 3. In some cases, the in-

ternal service advisor and express lane service

advisors may be paid hourly as compared to on a

commission basis. Azure Auto II, LLC d/b/a Find-

lay N. Volkswagen (“Findlay N. Volkswagen”), 28-

RC-160737, p. 3 (October 9, 2015).

C. DEALERSHIPS IN THE 1960s EMPLOYED

MANY POSITIONS IN THE SERVICE AREA

BEYOND THE TWO SPECIFIED EXEMPT

POSITIONS.

The term “service advisor” is not new to the auto-

motive services lexicon. Although the title “service

salesman” had been used in the 1940s and 1950s, us-

age of that term reduced dramatically by the 1960s

and is rarely, if ever, used in dealerships, as reflected

in more recent current case law. When Congress was

debating the scope of the FLSA exemption, service

advisor was a known service department position.

The history and practice of job title usage in NLRB

cases supports the position that if Congress intended

to include individuals performing the work of service

writers or advisors into the scope of the overtime ex-

emption, the language would have included the clas-

sification. Dealerships in the 1960s used multiple job

titles when referring to their service department em-

ployees, and the job title of service writer/advisor

19

was already in wide-spread use. See Trevellyan Olds-

mobile Co., 133 N.L.R.B. 1272 (1961).

For example, in 1965, the Board found the titles of

“service writer, line mechanics, new car get ready

and new car detail mechanics, used-car mechanics,

body-and-fender men, painters and helpers, parts

department men, and lubrication, pickup, and deliv-

ery men” each to be in use in a single dealership.

See W. R. Shadoff, 154 N.L.R.B. 992, 993 (1965). Simi-

larly, in 1962, the job titles of service writer, dispatch-

er, automotive line mechanics, porters, paint and body

shop mechanics, new car get-ready, used car make-

ready, and parts department were in use. See Austin

Ford, Inc., 136 N.L.R.B. 1398, 1399-1400 (1962).

As demonstrated above, through the 1960s, more

than just mechanics and partsmen “servicing and re-

pairing customers’ automobiles” were working in

service departments, and similarly, more than just

salesmen were “preparing cars for sale to the public”

in either service or sales departments. See W. R.

Shadoff, 154 N.L.R.B. at 994. The Petitioner’s argu-

ment that these broad functions define the scope of

the FLSA exemption should be rejected. Pet. Br. 28-

31. To accept the position would be a return to the

1961 blanket exemption.

The historical use of a variety of job classifications

is recorded more than a decade before the 1961 ex-

emption was enacted. In Fuller Automobile Co., 88

N.L.R.B. at 1453, job titles of control clerk, new and

used car and truck salesmen, parts panel salesmen,

office clerical employees, body shop employees,

foremen, service writers, watchman, swing man and

20

car jockeys were identified as part of the sales and

servicing organization.

As the description above shows, the use of multi-

ple classifications, above and beyond those specified

in the FLSA exemption, is not limited to the service

area. In new car sales, a dealership may employ fi-

nance and insurance salesmen in addition to auto-

mobile salesmen. Parker-Robb Chevrolet, Inc., 262

N.L.R.B. 402, 410 (1982) (excluding finance and in-

surance salesmen from unit of automobile salesmen),

review denied on other grounds, Auto. Salesmen’s

Union Local 1095 v. NLRB, 711 F.2d 383 (D.C. Cir.

1983); Larry Faul Oldsmobile Co., Inc., 262 N.L.R.B.

370 (1982) (finance and insurance salesmen who are

in new car, used car and lease departments included

in unit of automobile salesmen); see also Cutter

Dodge, Inc., 278 N.L.R.B. 572, 575 (1986) (excluding

outside parts salesmen).

The same analysis can be applied outside of auto-

mobile dealerships. Reported cases related to farm

implement dealerships are scarce although there are

cases dealing with farm implement manufacturers

who also sold their implements. In one of the few

farm implement dealership cases, the Board had an

opportunity to determine the appropriate bargaining

unit at acompany that was engaged in the “retail sale,

service and repair of farm machinery and farm imple-

ments.” Missco, Inc., 116 N.L.R.B. 1213 (1956). In

that case, the only job titles sought by the union were

“mechanics, helpers, assemblers, parts employees,

truckdrivers, painters, and janitors.” Jd. at 1214. The

employer sought to add the bookkeeper and sales-

men. /d. There were no service advisors, presum-

21

ably because the position is not necessary at a facil-

ity repairing farm implements.

D. EVERY SERVICE DEPARTMENT INCLUDES

MANY NON-EXEMPT CLASSIFICATIONS

OF EMPLOYEES.

A modern auto dealership’s service and parts de-

partment includes many classifications beyond those

specifically listed in 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)(10)(A). A re-

view shows the regular usage of at least twenty job

titles or functions in a well-staffed service depart-

ment. Other than mechanics and partsmen, each is

outside the FLSA exemption. Dealerships often have

other departments, such as lease departments, fleet

sales and used car departments, that encompass ad-

ditional non-exempt classifications.

Dealerships have varying structures of manage-

ment. There may be a service department head (now

often called fixed operations) and various depart-

ment heads, including in the parts department or

even among the service advisors. See Hall Chevrolet,

LLC, 5-RC-126386 pp. 2-3 (May 22, 2014); Mercedes-

Benz of Orlando, 12-RC-9344, p. 3; Clay Chevrolet,

Inc., 1-RC-21570, p. 2 (December 20, 2002). In gen-

eral, a service department may be divided into sub-

departments: for example, automotive servicing,

parts, and body shop. See Big Valley Ford, 32-RC-

5370, p. 3; Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck,

9-RC-17854, p. 2. A fourth sub-department of “new

car get-ready” may also be designated. See Austin

Ford, Inc., 136 N.L.R.B. at 1399. Some dealerships

have service, sales, parts and body shop departments,

each with their own supervisor. Fairfield Ford, 9-RC-

22

17713, p. 2 (October 29, 2002) subsequent decision

340 N.L.R.B. No. 9 (2003) review denied, enforced,

116 Fed.Appx. 601 (6th Cir. 2004).

As a result of these various organizational struc-

tures, it is difficult to apply a “one size fits all” ap-

proach to the variety of ways in which a dealership

may be organized or job duties divided.

1. Additional Classifications of Service

Department Employees

A service department requires a multitude of jobs

to be performed for a customer to have a positive

experience and a vehicle to be repaired efficiently.

Most of these jobs are unskilled and well outside the

scope of any FLSA exemption.

The most common classification inside the service

department is a mechanic, frequently referred to as a

service technician. Phil Long European Imports, 27-

RC-8071, p. 3, n. 3. The mechanic is responsible for ve-

hicle repair and maintenance. This is a skilled position,

and, under Board law, the mechanics on their own may

form a craft unit, distinct from other dealership employ-

ees basec. on their skill and training. Courtesy Honda,

12-RC-083701, pp. 25-26. However, over time, the skills

and function of mechanics have changed. Now, most

parts are replaced rather than repaired. Clay Chevro-

let, Inc., 1-RC-21570, p. 3. Also, based on the increase in

electronic components in vehicles, one of the most fre-

quently used “tools” for a mechanic is a diagnostic com-

puter. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 11. Mechan-

ics usually have their own tools and tool boxes. The

value of these tools and box can exceed $50,000. Jack-

son Ford, 7-RC-22545, p. 4; Oliver C. Joseph, Inc., 14-

23

RC-12830, p. 8 (August 12, 2011). Mechanics earn certi-

fications from either the manufacturer or the National

Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

Fletcher Jones Chevrolet, 300 N.L.R.B. at 875; Perfor-

mance of Brentwood, 26-RC-063405, p. 10; Big Valley

Ford, 32-RC-5370, p. 6; Saturn of Marin, 20-RC-17537,

p. 4. No one else in the dealership does the work of the

mechanic, and the mechanic does not do the work of

any other classification. Fairfield Ford, 9-RC-17713, p.

3. This makes sense because of the skill sets involved

and the higher wages of mechanics.

In addition to highly-trained mechanics, there are

likely to be lesser skilled technicians known as lubri-

cators, lube technicians, express techs, or lube and oil

technicians. These individuals do not bring their own

tools to work. Their work is frequently limited to oil

and other fluid changes, changing belts or filters, ro-

tating tires or other simple servicing work. Fletcher

Jones Chevrolet, 300 N.L.R.B. at 876; Courtesy Honda,

12-RC-083701, p. 14; Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC

Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 3. Lube technicians are gener-

ally paid on an hourly basis and are not exempt from

overtime. Fletcher Jones Chevrolet, 300 N.L.R.B. at

876; Junction Buick Pontiac GMC-Truck, 8-RC-

16059, p. 4 (June 30, 2000). These employees are of-

ten employed in “quick lane” or “quick service”

areas, geographically separate from the rest of the

service department. Academy LLC d/b/a Phil Long

Ford of Chapel Hills (“Phil Long Ford of Chapel

Hills”), 27-RC-8320, p. 4 (May 21, 2004).

There may also be pre-delivery inspection techni-

cians who do not perform mechanical work but sim-

ply inspect and prepare new vehicles for customers to

24

pick up. Royal Gate Dodge, Inc., 14-RC-12420, pp. 6-7

(February 24, 2003). This includes inspecting the ve-

hicle upon its arrival, removing any protective coat-

ings used in shipping, placing floor mats in vehicles,

installing dealer logo license plate holders and the

like. This position is sometimes referred to as a “get

ready technician” or “new car cleanup employee.”

Fletcher Jones Chevrolet, 300 N.L.R.B. at 876; Dick

Bullis, Inc. d/b/a Dick Bullis Chevrolet (“Dick Bullis

Chevrolet”), 176 N.L.R.B. 158, 158 (1969); Performance

of Brentwood, 26-RC-063405, p. 23; Arbogast Buick,

Pontiac, GMC Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 4. In some deal-

erships, this function is filled by an “internal techni-

cian” who performs pre-delivery inspections on new

cars and used cars acquired by the dealership. Acura

of Memphis, 26-RC-8613, p. 13.

The pre-delivery inspection work may also be per-

formed by a “detailer.” Tinley Park J. Imports, 13-

RC-2127C, p. 6. But a detailer may also refer to an

individual who provides a deep clean and wash to a

vehicle and repairs minor paint scratches for either

existing customers or in preparation for selling a pre-

owned vehicle. Performance of Brentwood, 26-RC-

063405, p. 19; Mercedes-Benz of Orlando, 12-RC-9344,

p. 14; Saturn of Marin, 20-RC-17537, p. 4. Detailers

are paid on an hourly basis. Oliver C. Joseph, 14-RC-

12830, p. 12; Saturn of Marin, 20-RC-17537, p. 7

There may also be a car washer or wash rack em-

ployee who washes cars that have been serviced be-

fore the vehicle is returned to the customer. Sexton

Ford Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 8.

Some dealerships will have a dispatcher who keeps

track of the work and assigns the work to the me-

25

chanics depending on the nature of the work and the

skills of the mechanics. Fairfield Ford, 9-RC-17713,

p. 4. In older parlance, they were known as “tower-

men,” inherited from other settings where some sat

in a tower to monitor the flow of work. See Dick

Bullis Chevrolet, 176 N.L.R.B. at 158. Other dealer-

ships may call this position a “workflow coordina-

tor.” Performance of Brentwood, 26-RC-063405, p.

26. This individual may have no mechanical certifi-

cations but may earn commission off of the total la-

bor sold in the service department. Sexton Ford

Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 8. In some dealerships, the

service advisors may serve this function. Sacramen-

to Auto. Ass’n, Valley Motor Car Dealers Council,

193 N.L.R.B. 745, 746 (1971); Q&S Auto., LLC, 32-RC-

5403, p. 10 (March 3, 2006).

A dealership may also employ a quality control per-

son. This person reviews repaired vehicles to ensure

the work was performed correctly. He does not usu-

ally perform his own repair work and may have limit-

ed mechanical knowledge. Fletcher Jones Chevrolet,

300 N.L.R.B. at 875. This individual can be paid hourly

and receive overtime. Life Quality Motor Sales, Inc.,

29-RC-9173, pp. 26-28 (February 23, 1999).

Some dealerships employ an appointment taker,

also known as a service appointment coordinator

or scheduler. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 17;

Mercedes-Benz of Orlando, 12-RC-9344, p. 5; Life

Quality Motor Sales, 29-RC-9173, p. 11. Like the

name suggests, an appointment taker schedules

service appointments for customers calling the ser-

vice department. This is mainly a clerical function.

It is paid on an hourly basis and entitled to overtime

26

compensation. Life Quality Motor Sales, 29-RC-

9173, p. 12.

A service department may have clerks and cashiers.

The cashiers accept payment from customers and may

file documents and/or pick up phones for the service

department. Phil Long European Imports, 27-RC-

8071, p. 2, n. 2; Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck,

9-RC-17854, p. 4. Clerks process paperwork associat-

ed with repairs. Some clerks are warranty clerks,

which means they administer warranty payments

from manufacturers. Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC

Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 4. This may also be referred to

as a warranty administrator. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-

083701, p. 2. Both clerks and cashiers are generally

hourly, non-exempt positions but occasionally are sal-

aried. Acura of Memphis, 26-RC-8613, pp. 17-18 (hour-

ly); Crown Motors, 14-RC-12430, p. 6 (same); Life

Quality Motor Sales, 29-RC-9173, pp. 29-31 (cashiers

and warranty clerks both hourly, non-exempt); but see

Fairfield Ford, 9-RC-17713, p. 3 (salaried).

There may be a “booker” who “books” or closes

repair orders and ensures that technicians are prop-

erly paid under the flat rate pay system. See Mer-

cedes-Benz of Orlando, 12-RC-9344, pp. 7, 20. This

job may be referred to as a “flagger” in reference to

the flat rate hours “flagged” by a mechanic. Sexton

Ford Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 8. There may even be a

file clerk responsible for the retention of paperwork.

Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, 9-RC-17854, p.

4; Life Quality Motor Sales, 29-RC-9173, p. 32.

There are also porters, lot porters, valets, or car

jockeys. Pflueger Auto Group, LLC, 37-RC-4120, p.

27

7 (November 21, 2005); Arbogast Buick, Pontiac,

GMC Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 3. Their main function

is to move vehicles either from the customer ser-

vice entrance of the dealership to a mechanic's stall

or a lot, or from the lot to a stall or back to the cus-

tomer. These employees also help to maintain

cleanliness in the service area. Phil Long Ford of

Chapel Hills, 27-RC-8320, p. 10. A porter may also

top off fluids, such as windshield wiper fluid or anti-

freeze. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 6. They

are paid on an hourly basis and are eligible for over-

time. BMW of West Springfield, 1-RC-21908, p. 7;

Junction Buick Pontiac GMC-Truck, 8-RC-16059, 4.

A car may also be moved by a car cleaner or washer

to facilitate the cleaning of the car. Regardless of

the scope of these utility people, this is generally an

hourly, non-exempt position. Acura of Memphis,

26-RC-8613, p. 17; Life Quality Motor Sales, 29-RC-

9173, pp. 10-11.

The dealership may also employ a “shuttle driver”

or “courtesy driver” who is responsible for transport-

ing customers to and from the facility. Courtesy

Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 2; see Mercedes-Benz of Or-

lando, 12-RC-9344, p. 22. This is an hourly position.

Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines, 12-RC-9290, p.

11. In a large dealership, there may also be a service

greeter who directs customers to the appropriate

service advisor. See Mercedes-Benz of Orlando, 12-

RC-9344, p. 5.

Although mechanics are generally required to keep

their own work areas clean, most dealerships either

employ janitorial staff or contract with an outside

agency to provide on-going cleaning services. If em-

28

ployed directly by the dealership, the janitor is usu-

ally housed within the service department even if her

duties extend into the sales areas. See Country Ford

Trucks, Inc., 32-RC-4617, p. 3 (June 16, 1999) swbse-

quent decision 330 N.L.R.B. 328 (1999), review de-

nied, 229 F.3d 1184 (D.C. Cir. 2000). This job is

hourly and non-exempt. In some dealerships, the

individual performing this work may be called a

maintenance employee, and the job may also include

facilities or machinery maintenance. Frank Buck

Motors d/b/a Pocono Peterbilt (“Frank Buck Mo-

tors”), 4-RD-2121, p. 4 (November 13, 2007).

2. Classifications in the Parts Department

The service department may or may not include

the parts department. The modern parts department

is generally staffed by partsmen. The partsman may

be called a retail or wholesale parts counter employ-

ee or aparts advisor. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701,

p. 2; Phil Long European Imports, 27-RC-8071, p. 7.

A partsman generally works at one of two counters:

the back counter, which opens to the shop where the

mechanics work or the front counter, which opens

into the dealership to an area where customers may

purchase accessories or parts that will not be in-

stalled by the dealership. Michael Stead’s Walnut

Creek Ford, 32 2C-4789, pp. 2-3. These individuals

take parts orders from mechanics, members of the

public or outside companies (including body shops

and independent repair shops) and provide the parts

to the requesting party. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-

083701, p. 20. In dealerships that maintain a body

shop, there may be a third counter specific to the

parts necessary for the body shop. Hall Chevrolet,

29

5-RC-126386, p. 14. Historically, partsmen may have

had mechanical responsibilities in repairing parts,

but recent unit determination decisions do not refer-

ence any mechanical tasks associated with the job.

Compare Austin Ford, 136 N.L.R.B. at 1400 with

Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, pp. 19-20.

In a large parts department, there are other em-

ployees in addition to traditional partsmen. The

stocker, stockroom clerk, or shipping and receiving

employee, confirms receipt of ordered parts, stores

incoming parts and re-packages used parts for recy-

cling, return to the manufacturer or other disposal.

See Arbogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, 9-RC-

17854, p. 4; Michael Stead’s Walnut Creek Ford, 32-

RC-4789, pp. 2-3. In some dealerships, the shipping

and receiving clerk is required to operate a forklift

for the storage of parts. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-

083701, p. 20. These individuals may also be called

warehouse employees. Frank Buck Motors, 4-RD-

2121, p. 5. This is generally an hourly paid position.

Pflueger Auto Group, 37-RC-4120, p. 11; Life Quality

Motor Sales, 29-RC-9173, p. 8.

A parts delivery driver is used when a part is not in

stock at the dealership. The parts driver may pick up a

needed part from an offsite warehouse maintained by

the employer, another dealership or a parts retailer.

Similarly, the driver may deliver parts to another dealer

or repair shop. Courtesy Honda, 12-RC-083701, p. 21.

This is an hourly position. Sexton Ford Sales, 14-RC-

068800, p. 11; Pfleuager Auto Group, 37-RC4120, p. 11.

Some dealerships employ a parts runner who deliv-

ers parts inside the shop from the partsman to the me-

30

chanic. In some dealerships, this individual is the “parts

inventory control associate.” See Mercedes-Benz of Or-

lando, 12-RC-9344, p. 7. This is an hourly position. See

Findlay N. Volkswagen, 28-RC-160737, p. 3.

Some dealerships employ an administrative assis-

tant, cashier or clerical dedicated to the parts depart-

ment. See, e.g., Michael Stead’s Walnut Creek Ford,

32-RC-4789, p. 3. Alternatively, there may be a parts

warranty clerk. Payton-Wright Ford, Inc., 16-RC-

10539, p. 7 (November 24, 2003). The parts driver,

runner, clerk and administrative assistant are hourly,

non-exempt positions. Michael Stead’s Walnut Creek

Ford, 32-RC-4789, p. 3.

3. Classifications in the Body Shop

Some dealerships maintain a body shop as part of

the service department. A body shop, generally in a

separate area, is used for painting, frame adjustment,

and cosmetic repairs. Arbogast Buick, Pontiac,

GMC Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 6. This may also be re-

ferred to as a collision center. Payton-Wright Ford,

16-RC-10539, p. 1. Employees of the body shop re-

pair vehicles but do not service vehicles within the

terms of the FLSA exemption. Some of the job titles

are parallel to the traditional service department, but

the function is different.

A body shop technician will do collision and paint

repair work. They straighten metal, utilize body filler

and grinders to repair damage, smooth and sand re-

paired areas, and match paint. These employees may

be paid on a flat rate basis or receive hourly pay. Ar-

bogast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 6

(flat rate pay); Life Quality Motor Sales, 29-RC-9173,

31

p. 6 (hourly pay). This is a different skill set and craft

from the automotive mechanic. Big Valley Ford, 32-

RC-5370, p. 13.

The body shop may include an automotive painter

to re-paint those sections of the vehicle that have

been repaired. This work can be performed in a paint

booth and completed with a spray gun. Sexton Ford

Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 10. This individual may also

repair sheet metal and match paint. This position

may be paid based on revenue produced. /d.; Arbo-

gast Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, 9-RC-17854, p. 7 It

could also be paid as an hourly wage with an incen-

tive for work produced. Royal Gate Dodge, 14-RC-

12420, p. 10. The painter may have an hourly paid

assistant. Sexton Ford Sales, 14-RC-068800, p. 11.

The body shop may employ a detailer who cleans,

washes, waxes and buffs cars but does not perform

body work. Life Quality Motor Sales, Inc., 29-RC-9173,

p. 7. This detailer would be separate from the service

department detailer or car washer. Bradley Chevrolet,

25-RC-10146, pp. 5, 6.

Body shops have an “estimator” who performs

some of the functions of a service advisor. Payton-

Wright Ford, 16-RC-10539, p. 3. The estimator pro-

vides an estimate on the cost of body repair and the

expected date of the return of the car to a customer.

Hall Chevrolet, 5-RC-126386, p. 12. Frequently, these

estimates are prepared for insurance companies.

Royal Gate Dodge, 14-RC-12420, p. 9. There is no

sales function in preparing estimates.

There may be a separate porter and secretary des-

ignated for the body shop department. Crown Mo-

32

tors, 14-RC-12430, p. 6. Both of these are hourly posi-

tions. /d. at p. 7

E. THE DIVERSITY OF JOB FUNCTIONS IN A

DEALERSHIP SUPPORTS A LIMITED AND

NARROW READING OF THE OVERTIME

EXEMPTION.

Dealerships vary dramatically, and the roles of me-

chanics and partsmen are some of the few constants.

Because of the diversity of functions of other classi-

fications employed in a dealership, the exemption

should be read as written, including only the speci-

fied classifications of mechanics and partsmen. Any

other approach would exclude many classifications

from the FLSA protections they now enjoy.

The justification provided for partsmen and me-

chanics to be exempted from the FLSA overtime re-

quirements stem from a potential for on-call work to

be performed at the site of a disabled vehicle includ-

ing trucks and farm implements. See Resp. Br. 32-35.

This is particularly true in the legislative history con-

nected to partsmen and their role in maintaining farm

implements. /d. Putting aside changes in the auto-

motive, truck and farm implement industries and the

question of whether the rationale for the exemption

still holds true, the rationale never was applied and

would not hold true for service advisors, lube techni-

cians, warranty clerks, lot porters, detailers, parts

stockmen, parts runners, bodymen, painters or any

other employee in a service department. Nonethe-

less, the Petitioner argues that service advisors be

read into the statute based on either their functional

integration in the servicing of vehicles or their work

33

selling the servicing of vehicles. Pet. Br. 25,27 Many

of the above classifications would be swept into the

exemption by adopting that rationale.

Contrary to the Petitioner's suggestion, designat-

ing service advisors as exempt is not necessary to

maintain simplicity in pay plans for the service de-

partment. Service departments already have a multi-

tude of pay plans to address the various categories of

employees. Mechanics and body shop technicians

can be paid on varying flat rate plans, but a different

flat rate plan applies to the service shop than the

body shop. Some employees, including parts run-

ners, warranty clerks and dispatchers may receive a

bonus based on department-wide sales. Some war-

ranty clerks receive a monthly salary. Some bonuses

are based on customer satisfaction in addition to

gross or net sales of parts, labor or both.

These complex pay systems are managed electroni-

cally and are frequently outsourced to payroll compa-

nies such as ADP and PeopleSoft. Regardless of the

exemption status of service advisors, a typical dealer-

ship will continue to employ a multitude of exempt

and non-exempt employees in the service department.

See UAG-Steven Creek II, Inc. d/b/a Audi Stevens

Creek, 32-RC-108320, p. 4 (July 29, 2013) (service de-

partment employs service technicians, service advi-

sors, greeter/porters, dispatcher, warranty clerk, car

washer/detailers, and shuttle drivers); Courtesy Hon-

da, 12-RC-083701, pp. 1-2 (parts and service depart-

ment includes service technicians, lube technicians,

service advisors, appointment taker, cashier, service

porter, warranty administrator, service support indi-

vidual, retail parts counter employee, wholesale parts

34

counter employee, parts shipping and receiving em-

ployee, parts floater employee and parts driver); Pay-

ton-Wright Ford, 16-RC-10539, p. 1 (body shop, parts

and service department includes service technicians,

quick lube technicians, service advisors, body or colli-

sion center technicians, parts back counter employ-

ees, stocker, warranty parts employee, parts driver,

parts warranty clerk, bookers, aftermarket sales, parts

front counter employees).

Petitioner’s legal position expands the three ex-

emptions into many disparate classifications. An es-

timator serves as the functional equivalent of a ser-

vice advisor in the body shop. The estimator serves

as the go-between for the customer (or the insurance

company) with the body shop technician. The esti-

mator neither works on the vehicle itself nor does

the position have an explicit sales component: there

is usually no work to “up-sell.” Either the dent or

damage is going to be fixed or not. If the service ad-

visor is read into the exemption, does the estimator

get shoehorned into the exemption as well based on

the similarities to service advisors?

A lube technician has neither the earning potential of

the mechanic (as she is generally paid hourly without a

production bonus) nor the skill set that would result in

being required to perform work away from the dealer-

ship. A broad reading of the exemption would encom-

pass this lower skilled position which, while engaged in

service on vehicles, is not a true “mechanic.”

A warranty clerk may earn a portion of his com-

pensation based on overall sales of service. The clerk

does not service vehicles nor does he have direct

35

communication with the customer to sell additional

service. A bonus is calculated on the total warranty

work that is ultimately approved by the manufactur-

er. In that sense, he is selling the service that has

been performed to the manufacturer. No rational

reading of the exemption, however, should include

the warranty clerk.

Similarly, the term “partsman” is applicable only

to the parts advisor/parts counter person. To ex-

pand the exemption to include the parts warehouse-

man, parts driver or parts runner, or parts cashier/

clerk strays from the original meaning of the lan-

guage. The legislative history shows that partsmen

were included in response to concerns regarding

maintenance of farm implements, where a part may

have to be fabricated for a quick repair. Resp. Br.

36-37. It would be exceedingly rare for a partsman

in an automobile or truck dealership and repair fa-

cility to encounter a similar circumstance. It is un-

heard of for a parts warehouseman to be dragged

out of bed to find a part in a department that is open

for set hours during the day. Nonetheless, if all per-

sons integral to the servicing of an automobile were

covered under the exemption, the parts warehouse-

man would lose the benefit of the overtime to which

he is currently entitled.

A dispatcher is essentially a middleman between

the service advisor and the mechanic, determining

which available mechanic is best suited to perform a

particular repair. If the service advisor is included in

the exemption and the mechanic is included in the

exemption, the dispatcher, as the functionally inte-

grated Jink between advisor and mechanic, would be

36

similarly included notwithstanding the dispatcher’s

lack of work servicing a vehicle or selling services to

customers.

In some dealerships, an individual may hold mul-

tiple positions. For example, at the Ford dealership

in State College, Pennsylvania, one employee was

found to spend 25% of her time as a service advisor,

50% of her time performing quality checks and the

remaining 25% of her time processing warranty

claims. State College Ford Lincoln Mercury, 6-RC-

12215, pp. 7-8. Unlike the remaining service advisors

at the dealership, who were paid salary with a bonus

based on parts sold, she was paid hourly for her ser-

vice advisor work and only earned a bonus based on

the number of satisfied customers to whom she

spoke. Jd. Under the Petitioner's analysis, this indi-

vidual would be excluded from the FLSA protection

of overtime based on her service advisor work.

These examples highlight the slippery slope of ex-

panding the limited language of 29 U.S.C. § 213(b)

(10)(A) to include job titles beyond salesman, parts-

man and mechanic. Given the variations in structure

and job duties between dealerships found in all of

these NLRB cases, a narrow reading is required. The

Department of Labor has the mandate, expertise and

knowledge to review job duties in a broad number of

dealerships. Rather than the Court relying on one

isolated workplace, the DOL, which is better suited

for the task, should be setting policy on this matter

and its interpretation should be honored.

37

IV. CONCLUSION

The Court should affirm the judgment of the court

of appeals.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mark D. SCHNEIDER Davip A. ROSENFELD

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF Counsel of Record

MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE CAREN P. SENCER

Workers, AFL-CIO WEINBERG, ROGER & ROSENFELD

9000 Machinists Place 1001 Marina Village Parkway,

Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-2667 Suite 200

mschneider@iamaw.org Alameda, California 94501

Telephone: (301) 967-4500 drosenfeld@unioncounsel.net

csencer@unioncounsel.net

Telephone (510) 337-1001

Counsel for Amicus Curiae

April 5, 2016