Union plans lawsuit against LV cleaner

By Liz Benston (contact)

Monday, July 14, 2003 | 11:37 a.m.

The Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) said it expected to file a lawsuit in federal court today against Al Phillips the Cleaner Inc., a large retail and wholesale dry cleaning service in Las Vegas.

The action, filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, will seek a court order compelling Al Phillips to comply with an agreement recently struck with workers, the union said at a news conference this morning.

Some workers walked off their jobs but agreed to return after UNITE negotiated an agreement with the company that it would recognize the union when it demonstrated that a majority of workers wanted union representation, UNITE organizers said.

The action follows an attempt by the union to organize the company's roughly 250 workers using a "card check" procedure, which lets workers sign a petition and is different from a secret ballot vote. The union claims it has signatures from about 80 percent of employees who are in favor of union representation. A similar number of workers have walked off the job in protest, organizers say.

Al Phillips officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the suit.

UNITE also filed two unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Al Phillips this month.

The first claim alleges that Al Phillips interrogated workers, threatened them with termination or discipline for union activity and "created the impression that employees' union activities were under surveillance."

The second claim alleges "coercive statements including threats" and claims employees were disciplined and their work schedules changed because of their support for the union.

Over the past several days, workers have maintained a picket line in front of the company's central Las Vegas plant at W. Ali Baba Lane as well as a roving picket at several stores. About 15 people have protested retail stores in shifts, while about 30 to 40 people have picketed the plant, UNITE organizers say.

Only a minority of workers have protested the company, a company official said.

"Al Phillips is uncertain what the recent union activity is about and we do not believe that the small number of protesters represents the desires of our employees," Lee Rose, vice president of Al Phillips, said in a statement Friday.

The company owns some 15 retail stores and also dry cleans uniforms for several major casino resorts.

"We think the important issue of representation should be decided through the secret ballot election process of the NLRB," Lee said. The company "continues to provide its customers with the highest level of professional service," he continued.

UNITE protests have disrupted same-day dry cleaning service at some retail stores and has also hurt the company's uniform cleaning business for Las Vegas resorts, said Griselda Mariscal, an organizer for UNITE in Las Vegas.

"We do not believe Al Phillips respects the workers enough to respect an election," she said. "They have shown us that they don't respect what the majority of workers say."

Rose could not be reached for further comment.