Labor Relations and Employment Law
Representing Management Since 1962
| RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
HUDSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- On April 4, 2005, the National Labor Relations Board located in Boston certified the results of a union representation election conducted at the Hudson, New Hampshire distribution center of Lepage Bakeries. Teamsters Union Local 633 of New Hampshire sought to represent the 19 sales associates employed by Lepage Bakeries at this distribution center. The Sales Associates rejected Teamster representation by the overwhelming margin of 17 to 2. This is the second attempt in the past three years that the Teamsters union has staged to organize these sales associates. Lepage Bakeries was represented by Peter Bennett and Rick Finberg of The Bennett Law Firm of Portland, Maine, a firm that has specialized in assisting management throughout New England in dealing with union issues for over forty years. Peter Bennett noted that the Teamsters Union “in this case used very aggressive organizing tactics, more aggressive than usual. It was not uncommon for union officials to show up at employees’ homes in order to try to persuade them to support the union. The Union also showed up at a Company meeting with a squad of union supporters in hopes of disrupting it.” Lepage Bakeries’ campaign was based on fact and education. The Bennett Law Firm presented the Lepage Associates with the history of the Teamsters Union and this Local in particular so that the employees could judge for themselves whether unionization was right for them. Rick Finberg stated: “a prominent issue during this campaign was the consolidation and bankruptcies that have plagued the bread industry compared with the success and growth of Lepage Bakeries.” While most associates initially were interested in the union, this education process convinced an overwhelming majority who had signed cards not to support the union. The Union in this matter was represented by Richard Laughton and Jeffrey Padallero. For more information, contact Peter Bennett at (207) 831-9999 or
Rick Finberg at (207) 650-5418 |