July 25, 1995, slip op. at 1-2; Daugherty v. General Physics Corp., Apr. 19, 1995, slip op. at 2.

    In its Brief in Opposition to the Recommended Decision and Order at page 5, J & L raises for the first time the argument that Boschuk is not protected by the ERA because he is the natural son of Lourdes M. Boschuk, the president and sole owner of J & L. J & L argues that the word "employee" is not defined in the ERA and the Board must therefore apply the definition contained in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which specifies that "the term employee . . . shall not include . . . any individual employed by his parent or spouse." 29 U.S.C. §152(3). We do not agree. Although the Board has looked to case law interpreting the NLRA for guidance on a number of issues, we are not bound to apply specific legislative exemptions contained in the NLRA to the ERA. We believe that the test set forth in Community for Creative Non-Violence v. Reid, 490 U.S. 730 (1989) and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company v. Darden, 112 S. Ct. 1344 (1992) is appropriately applied in this case. See Coupar v. Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno, Oklahoma, Case Nos. 90-TSC-0001, 91-TSC-0003, Sec'y. Dec., Feb. 28, 1995 and Reid v. Methodist Medical Center, Case No. 93-CAA-4, Sec. Dec., Apr. 3, 1995, slip op., aff'd, No. 95-3648 (6th Cir. Dec. 20, 1996). In Reid the Supreme Court announced the rule that it would follow in cases where the meaning of "employee" was not defined in the statute containing the term:

[w]here Congress uses terms that have accumulated settled meaning under . . . the common law, a court must infer, unless the statute otherwise dictates, that Congress means to incorporate the established meaning of these terms . . . . In the past, when Congress has used the term "employee" without defining it, we have concluded that Congress intended to describe the conventional master-servant relationship as understood by common-law agency doctrine.

Id. at 739. The exemptions specified in Section 152(3) of the NLRA were imposed under the assumption that the inclusion in bargaining units of employees closely aligned to management might provoke fear of disclosure and retaliation for union activity. See, e.g., NLRB v. Action Automotive, Inc., 469 U.S. 490, 495 (1985) (inclusion of family members "could tend to inhibit free expression of views and threaten the confidentiality of union attitudes and voting."). Such concerns are simply not applicable in the context of an ERA whistleblower case. Additionally, in its November 6, 1996 Proposed Conclusions of Law at paragraph 2, J & L conceded that Boschuk was an employee.