Department of Transportation v. Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific

When the Tacoma, part of a new class of ferry vessels, came into service, the United States Coast Guard required an emergency evacuation person to be on board whenever the vessel carried passengers. The Washington State Ferries (WSF) assigned the emergency evacuation person’s duties to a member of the galley crew. The Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific (IBU), whose members staff all other required crew positions on the ferries, objected to the WSF’s action and filed an unfair labor practice charge. The IBU claimed that the WSF had unilaterally altered the scope of the IBU’s bargaining unit…