Man Held in Assault Tied to Market Strike

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Cypress man who allegedly injured an independent truck driver Saturday by lobbing a large firecracker at him in an incident investigators believe is related to the two-week-old Southern California supermarket strike.

The attack occurred about 12:35 a.m. as Michael Thomas, 32, was driving north on the Long Beach Freeway near Imperial Highway after delivering a load of food to a Ralphs market in Compton, Deputy Lynda Edmonds said.

Two men in a red Camaro drove alongside and, using a slingshot, tossed an M-80 explosive device into the cab of Thomas’ truck, Edmonds said.

Treated for Injuries

Thomas, who suffered injuries to his stomach and thigh, was treated at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Deputies arrested 52-year-old Douglas Moffett at his Cypress home about five hours after the attack, Edmonds said.

Moffett was booked at the Lynwood sheriff’s station on suspicion of assault with an explosive device and remained in custody in lieu of $60,000 bail, she said.

Investigators would not say whether Moffett had any union affiliation, but they said they believe that the incident was strike-related.

There have been more than 40 arrests and at least a dozen people injured since 10,000 meat cutters and 12,000 Teamsters walked off their jobs or were locked out Nov. 4. The strike and lockout have affected seven Southland supermarket chains.

Talks between the unions and management broke down repeatedly over the last week, with federal mediator Frank Allen predicting Friday that the dispute could continue for as long as two more weeks.

On Saturday, union spokesman Dan Swinton said the unions were offering several proposals to revive the stalled talks.

Swinton said union representatives would be willing to meet with management either in “fishbowl” negotiations, which allow reporters to sit in on the debate, or “blackout” negotiations, which allow no news releases but those put out by the mediator.

The blackout method is designed to prevent public attacks by either side.

The unions said they would “enthusiastically accept” a joint news conference invitation from the Food Employers Council, which on Tuesday rejected as a “publicity stunt” a similar conference arranged by the unions.

Management Viewpoint

Market representatives added that they would participate in a “fair” joint news conference moderated by a mutually acceptable neutral person.

David Willauer, spokesman for the Food Employers Council, declined to respond to the union proposals until formal notification was received from the unions. He said management had received no communication from the strikers as of late Saturday afternoon.

No talks are scheduled.