NLRB Rules on Some Issues in Palermo Case

A regional office of The National Labor Relations Board has ruled on some issues in the dispute involving workers who are trying form a union at Palermo’s pizza in Milwaukee.Both sides are claiminga slice of victory.

Dozens of workers, many of them Latinos,have been on strike at the Milwaukee maker of frozen pizzas. The case is being watched nationally, as a barometer of labor rights for recent immigrants. Supporters of the workers filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, in part claiming that the company manipulated a federalimmigration audit to retaliate against those who want a union. But the NLRB office in Milwaukee says there’s no evidence of manipulation.Palermo’s spokesman Chris Dresselhuys welcomes that decision.

A lawyer for the Palermo’s workers says the decision on the immigration audit will be appealed to the NLRB in Washington. Attorney Richard Saks says the board has also made some rulings helping the strikers.And, he says the NLRB also ruled that the company spied on the workers trying to unionize.The federal panel says about a half -dozen employees will illegally terminated, and those workers are entitled to reinstatement and back pay.Saks says he expects about 75 Palermos’ workers will remain on strike.