Sun, Jul 05, 2009

Business

Bashas' must pay back wages

Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.16.2007
Bashas’ must pay back-wages with interest to workers transferred from two closed stores.
It was one of several requirements handed down by a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge last week. The decision affirms that employees at certain Bashas’ stores are represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99, the union said today.
The 13-year-old fight between the union and the grocery chain has been heated in the past year, including the union’s campaign accusing the company of selling expired baby food and the company’s closing of an unprofitable Oro Valley grocery store without negotiating with the union.
“We are hopeful that Bashas’ Inc. will do the right thing and immediately comply with the judge’s order,” said Jim McLaughlin, president of UFCW Local 99 in a prepared statement. “Prolonging the process through appeals will only hurt Bashas’ Inc. employees and deny them a speedy resolution.”
Bashas’ is the 10th-largest private employer in Southern Arizona.