US probing Ralphs hiring locked out workers
If true, this could prove very costly for Ralphs.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles is looking into allegations that Ralphs supermarket managers have illegally hired locked-out union workers under false names and Social Security numbers, according to federal law enforcement sources.
It isn’t illegal for a striker to cross a picket line, but under a lockout, an employer can’t selectively hire back workers.
A finding against Ralphs could expose the chain to liability for back pay for all of its approximately 20,000 locked-out workers or make it more likely for them to receive state unemployment benefits.