That’s a question one has to ask over the union’s latest attempt try to dredge up public support in an attempt to organize employees at Bashas’ grocery stores.
We won’t deny labor unions have shown themselves to be valuable and important. With the economy in the shape that it’s in and people losing their jobs, this could be a time for labor unions to once again prove their worth against employers who might try to exploit current conditions and institute unfair labor practices against certain employees.
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Recently, the UFCW carried on a multi-week direct mail campaign to the Chandler-based grocery chain’s cutomers. The expensive-multi-color postcards were headlined: “Buying groceries shouldn’t support the mistreatment of workers.” The other side of the card listed a number of accusations — all essentially boiling down to the claim that Bashas’ is preventing its employees from organizing under union representation.
Those who had been receiving the mailings might have noticed they’re stopped.
Just like a dog with its tail between its legs, the UFCW backed off some of its claims after it was told to either put up or shut up.
The union couldn’t prove two store managers were “surveilling” employees as they had charged.
And, in another accusation, 19 employees were supposedly terminated “because they supported the union.” Turns out those employees at an AJ’s Fine Foods store in Scottsdale were terminated for causing the company losses of more than $13,000. What makes this one particularly laughable is that the Scottsdale AJ’s store was already unionized under the UFCW. The union didn’t even have the facts straight on its own members. The AJ’s store was one one of eight unionized stores Bashas’ acquired years ago.
Let that be another lesson for business owners. When buying out another firm, do it as an asset purchase. Do not acquire worker contracts from the previous owner. It’s not uncommon these days for an acquiring company to require employees to re-interview for their jobs under the new ownership.
Bashas’ spokeswoman Kristy Nied said the company didn’t initially see union representation as an issue. The company had always had good working relationships with its employees. Unfortunately Bashas’ learned the hard way, the UFCW turned out to be the proverbial bad apple trying to spoil the whole bunch.
According to the industry trade group Food Marketing Institute, supermarkets retain 40.9 percent of full- and part-time employees annually. Bashas’ retention rate is about 62.7 percent — more than 20 percent higher than the industry average. So Bashas’ must be doing something right by its employees.
Meanwhile UFCW leadership is clearly frustrated they haven’t been able to make bigger inroads into membership in Arizona. Fry’s Food Stores and Safeway are the only two supermarket chains whose employees are widely represented by the union.
This battle between the UFCW and Bashas’ shows no signs of letting up. UFCW spokesman Corey Owens says there are still other unfair labor practices. Bashas’ has filed a defamation lawsuit against the union.
Such a waste. Both sides should be spending their time and efforts on other matters.
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