PHOENIX — Bashas' has been ordered to appear before an administrative law judge here on April 15 to respond to allegations by the National Labor Relations Board regarding illegal conduct toward its employees. The hearing follows the filing of unfair labor practices by United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 99 here over the chain's decision to outsource 29 positions in its baler operation after some of those workers allegedly raised complaints about workplace safety. A Bashas' spokeswoman told SN the NLRB issues a complaint when parties in a dispute are unwilling to settle, without judging the merits of the allegations. "They are not government findings," she said. “In fact, most of the 29 affected workers were placed with the new contractor or accepted other positions with Bashas'," she pointed out. The complaint is the latest in a series of disputes between the Chandler, Ariz.-based company and the union over the status of certain employees who worked for union-affiliated stores that Bashas' purchased in 1993 and 2001. It lists 79 individual allegations of unfair labor practices by Bashas' supervisors against employees who supported the union's organizing efforts, including possible termination, threats to call immigration authorities and threats to fire employees who engaged in union-related activities.
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