Fabric-maker Bradford ordered by U.S. District Court to negotiate with union

PROVIDENCE – U.S. District Judge Mary M. Lisi has ordered camouflage-fabrics manufacturer Bradford Printing & Finishing LLC to “bargain in good faith” with the union representing its employees when they worked for Bradford’s predecessor, Bradford Dyeing Association.
The injunction was granted on June 29 and stands pending a final decision by the National Labor Relations Board on Bradford’s alleged violations of federal labor law, according to a news release from the board.
The case dates back to January 2009, when Bradford opened its doors shortly after its predecessor shut down, leaving more than 100 employees out of work. Bradford began operating with a production and maintenance work force of approximately 35 production employees, virtually all of whom had worked for Bradford Dyeing Association, where they were represented by UNITE-HERE. Upon opening, Bradford established an in-house labor organization, known as the Guiding Coalition, and told employees they did not need UNITE-HERE because they had the Guiding Coalition to represent them, the release said.
In March 2010, an NLRB administrative law judge ruled that Bradford had committed unfair labor practices by establishing and dominating the Guiding Coalition and by refusing to bargain with UNITE-HERE. Bradford has appealed the decision. •