Labor board orders Bashas' to pay back wages

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Phoenix Business Journal

by Lynn Ducey

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Bashas' violated labor laws when it failed to recognize an employee union and must pay back wages to workers transferred out of stores that closed.

The ruling was issued by NLRB Administrative Law Judge William G. Kocol, who also found the grocer withdrew its recognition of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99, and failed to consult the union before it installed self-serve checkout stations in unionized stores.

Most of Bashas' operations are without union presence, but the union does represent workers at about nine stores that were purchased by Bashas and previously owned by ABCO Foods or ASI grocery.

Meanwhile, Kocol said the union was too late in filing its opposition to a change in medical plans and found in favor of Bashas.

Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/10/15/daily34.html