Union Files Charges of Unfair Labor Practices Against Waldbaum's
Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW has filed eight charges with the National Labor Relations Board against A&P banner Waldbaum's, alleging that the grocer is engaging in unfair labor practices during negotiations for a new contract for about 90 pharmacists at 35 New York-area stores.
The charges include complaints that the company is making employees take off pro-union buttons and stickers, calling the police on union representatives taking part in such protected activities as consumer leafleting, spreading false and misleading information at mandatory meetings with the pharmacists, and refusing to provide the New York-based union with wage information concerning the pharmacists' per diem and that of non-union pharmacists.
"Waldbaum's has refused to bargain with the union in good faith," said Local 338 secretary-treasurer John DeMartino. "In addition to all of these very blatant violations, the company has stalled our negotiations because they refuse to come to any agreement unless the union agrees to allow the company to withdraw from the Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW retirement plan."
A company spokeswoman told Progressive Grocer that A&P's policy to refrain from commenting on pending litigation,.
The pharmacists' contract expired April 1, and a contract extension then expired April 30. A strike vote was approved May 13. Negotiations are slated to resume June 25.
An affiliate of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and the 1.4 million-member United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW represents over 18,000 supermarket, dairy and healthcare workers in the New York metropolitan area.
The charges include complaints that the company is making employees take off pro-union buttons and stickers, calling the police on union representatives taking part in such protected activities as consumer leafleting, spreading false and misleading information at mandatory meetings with the pharmacists, and refusing to provide the New York-based union with wage information concerning the pharmacists' per diem and that of non-union pharmacists.
"Waldbaum's has refused to bargain with the union in good faith," said Local 338 secretary-treasurer John DeMartino. "In addition to all of these very blatant violations, the company has stalled our negotiations because they refuse to come to any agreement unless the union agrees to allow the company to withdraw from the Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW retirement plan."
A company spokeswoman told Progressive Grocer that A&P's policy to refrain from commenting on pending litigation,.
The pharmacists' contract expired April 1, and a contract extension then expired April 30. A strike vote was approved May 13. Negotiations are slated to resume June 25.
An affiliate of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and the 1.4 million-member United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW represents over 18,000 supermarket, dairy and healthcare workers in the New York metropolitan area.