Judge Refuses Ralphs’ Request to Bar Pickets

A federal judge in Los Angeles Friday refused the request by Ralphs Grocery Co. for an order barring union members from picketing stores to protest demotions and layoffs of workers.

U.S. District Judge Matt Byrne rejected the petition for a temporary restraining order sought by the company, whose attorneys had charged that a “substantial number” of customers had been turned away from the firm’s supermarkets because of pickets who urged shoppers to boycott the chain.

In an attempt to cut labor costs, Ralphs last January ordered scores of senior employees to accept lower paying positions or accept layoffs and replacement by junior workers who earn less money.

The National Labor Relations Board in August issued a complaint against Ralphs, contending the company had refused to turn over to the union the time sheets and payroll records of a number of employees.

Local 324 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which is based in Buena Park and represents retail clerks, sought the information to support its claim that Ralphs was acting wrongly by laying off or demoting the workers.

The president of local 324, John C. Sperry, said in a statement after Byrne’s ruling that “roving picket lines” would continue to appear at Ralphs stores to inform potential customers about the company’s actions.

Ralph Scalzo, an attorney for Ralphs, said the company was still pressing its lawsuit seeking $20 million in punitive damages because of the picketing. The lawsuit was filed against Local 324 and seven other union locals representing about 8,000 of the company’s 12,000 workers.