O.C. Macy’s Plans Notices to Settle Union Complaint

Following a bitter labor dispute, Macy’s has agreed to post notices at its South Coast Plaza store saying the company will refrain from such practices as videotaping workers’ union activities, the National Labor Relations Board said Friday.

South Coast Plaza Security Inc. has agreed to post a similar notice, the labor board said.

In agreeing to post the notices for 60 days, the department store and security firm did not admit any wrongdoing.

Union officials said workers were videotaped as they handed out sheets during an effort to organize the workers. Macy’s workers overwhelmingly rejected union representation early last month.

“They brought out special hand-held cameras that they put on a tripod while we were hand-billing, which is obviously very intimidating to workers,” said Rick Eiden, organizing director for United Food & Commercial Workers Local 324 in Buena Park.

Joseph F. Vella, vice president of employee relations for Macy’s parent company, Federated Department Stores Inc., said the company settled to avoid the estimated $25,000 to $30,000 in legal costs to try the case.

“There’s no finding of fact by the labor board, nor any admission of wrongdoing by Macy’s,” he said. “All we’re doing is agreeing to comply with the law.”

South Coast Plaza officials were unavailable. South Coast Security would not comment.

The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Macy’s last year, alleging that the store’s management enforced a “no talking” rule to discourage employees from joining or helping the union and interrogated employees about their union activities.

The allegations were scheduled to be heard by an administrative law judge Feb. 1, but the parties agreed to the settlement, the NLRB said. The agency approved it Thursday.