Judge Reprimands Ralphs at Sentencing Hearing

LOS ANGELES - A U.S. District Court judge here said yesterday he was "surprised, disturbed and disappointed" by the actions of Kroger-owned Ralphs Grocery Co. during the 141-day strike-lockout in Southern California three years ago, saying its crime of illegally rehiring hundreds of locked-out union members had the effect of "eroding public confidence in the collective bargaining system. " According to Judge Percy Anderson, Ralphs demonstrated "a pervasive and powerful corporate culture [that] exalted profits, [with a] win-at-any-costs [approach]." Anderson made his remarks at a hearing at which he formally sentenced the company to three years' probation, during which it will be required to establish court-supervised training and compliance programs and to continue to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney in its ongoing investigation of involvement by individual Ralphs executives. Ralphs made payment last week of a $20 million criminal fine and $50 million in restitution to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, to 19,000 of its members employed by Ralphs and to the union's health, benefit and pension funds after pleading guilty to various criminal charges earlier in the year. Elliot Zwiebach