NORTH HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 15 — The long-running labor dispute raging at a 170-employee bakery here has taken unusual turns in recent years, including accusations of death threats, illegal firings and managers forcing workers to have sex with them.þþIn yet another unusual twist, the United Auto Workers, which has been trying for three years to unionize the bakery, Chef Solutions, announced a boycott on Monday against the bakery's parent company, Lufthansa airline, and one of its customers, Boston Market. The union is not calling for a boycott of the bakery itself. þþAt a chilly rally outside the sprawling bakery, United States Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat whose district includes North Haven, along with the state attorney general, secretary of state and comptroller, endorsed the boycott and criticized the bakery's fight against unionization. In addition, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, issued a statement backing the boycott. þþUnion officials criticize the bakery and Lufthansa for refusing to acknowledge that management did anything wrong even though the National Labor Relations Board has accused bakery officials of sexual harassment and more than 20 unfair labor practices.þþSeveral workers have filed lawsuits accusing former managers of groping them and forcing sexual favors from them. One union supporter told the police that a bakery supervisor had threatened to kill him if he testified at a labor board hearing.þþAs part of a tentative settlement with the federal labor board, Chef Solutions has agreed to reinstate the two fired workers and promised not to engage in illegal antiunion activities, like threatening reprisals against union supporters. Chef Solutions acknowledges no wrongdoing in the settlement.þþUnion officials say the settlement should have allowed union organizers to meet with employees inside the bakery to counteract antiunion sessions that bakery managers hold with employees. þþTrish Beck, the company's senior vice president for human resources, said in an interview, ÿWe have worked tirelessly with the N.L.R.B. to come to a settlement, with remedies that they think are fair,ÿ including letting the union use the bakery's bulletin board. She said the union was consulted on the settlement.þþMs. Beck said it was unfair for the union to single out Boston Market, which is not a customer of the bakery here. The restaurant chain receives prepared foods from a Chef Solutions plant in Ohio. þþPhyllis Hammond, a Boston Market spokeswoman, said, ÿIt's our position that we're not involved in this dispute nor should we be.ÿ þþLufthansa's press office was already closed yesterday when the union announced the boycott. þþþþ
Source: NY Times
