Oncor Elec. Delivery Co. v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd.

Williams, Senior Circuit Judge:

The National Labor Relations Act (the "Act") protects the right of employees to "engage in ... concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection." 29 U.S.C. § 157 . Under some circumstances those protected activities include employee appeals to third parties standing "outside the immediate employee-employer relationship." Eastex, Inc. v NLRB , 437 U.S. 556 , 565, 98 S.Ct. 2505 , 57 L.Ed.2d 428 (1978).

But the protection of the Act is no bar to dismissal for "cause," 29 U.S.C. § 160 (c) (i.e., a cause independent of…