A sewing machine company that closed its Massachusetts plant in 1981 has been ordered to rehire the entire work force and make up eight years of lost earnings for up to 190 employees, officials said.
Jubilant workers hailed the decision by the National Labor Relations Board as vindication of their claim that the company, Reece Corp. of Waltham, moved operations to Maine and overseas to escape a costly union contract."Maybe this will show people that unions hang on and defend people, we're not just dues collectors," said Vincent C. Ofria, president of the 2,000-member Local 1596 of the United Auto Workers, which represented the Reece employees.
It's not clear how much total back pay might be owed. The NLRB must hold a separate hearing to determine that.
Labor lawyers said the decision did not chart new legal ground but appeared to mark a shift from the NLRB's decisions under former President Reagan, when the board steadily strengthened management rights at the expense of unions.
Peter J. Abate, Reece's president and chief executive officer, said the company would appeal the order, which could cost it millions of dollars, in court.