Judge: Bruno's must honor labor contract

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The Anniston Star

By Dan Whisenhunt

A federal judge in Birmingham issued a ruling today that could have implications for the future of Oxford's Foodmax store.

Bruno's Supermarkets, the bankrupt owner of Oxford's Foodmax, argued it couldn't sell its stores unless a federal judge threw out a labor contract between the company and its workers. Today, the judge rejected that request and upheld the objection of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.


Foodmax in Oxford. Photo: Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star

Union spokesman Corey Owens said the Oxford Foodmax is unionized. The union had taken steps to strike if the judge threw out the contract. The Star spoke with Owens before the judge's ruling was known.

Read more: http://www.annistonstar.com/breaking/2009/as-localupdate-0427-0-9d27p4033.htm

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A rare victory for workers. Full short story at link.

[Ian David]

1. Oh, good. I thought maybe Sasha Baron Cohen was in trouble. n/t

[pattmarty]

2. Unfortunately a contract is a contract is all-binding EXCEPT..................

............when that contract is with a labor union, then they are screaming that it unfairly burdens the company and it's "socialistic". Hypocritical motherfuckers.

[BobTheSubgenius]

5. That's not entirely true.

I give you:

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Treaty Banning Antipersonnel Mines, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a protocol to create the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the Kyoto Protocol on global warming...

Oh, wait. Those are treaties, and thus compliance-optional.

Never mind.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Bruno's is bankrupt? How sad.

Bruno's broke an attempt by B'ham grocers to exclude black customers back in the Fifties.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. 2nd or 3rd time. actually.

The story has been getting a lot of play in this area.
Bruno's went bankrupt in the ...80's. I think, re-organized, bought some more stores, sold some off a short time later, kept some. The labor contract has been a big deal down here.