The National Labor Relations Board said last week it will hear arguments from both sides over a complaint filed by Local 99 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union claiming Bashas’ unilaterally decided to start charging employees for health insurance in violation of a collective bargaining agreement it claims to have at nine of the company’s 158 stores.
The formal hearing is scheduled for Feb. 15 in Phoenix. Bashas’ has until Thursday (Jan. 11) to file a response to the complaint.
“This is another attempt by the union to force us to deal with them against the wishes of our employees,” said Mary Jo West, a Bashas’ spokeswoman. In the prepared statement, West said the “overwhelming population” of employees appreciate the company’s benefit packages.
Bashas’ officials say they don’t have a bargaining agreement, but the union said it based its complaint on Bashas’ purchases of seven former Arizona Supermarket stores in 1993 and two former ABCO stores in 2001, which had been union shops.
Bashas’ also operates Food City and AJs Purveyors of Fine Foods stores.
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