Two Dallas-area men arrested in Louisiana union protest

by Brian Allen of Best Southwest Citizen

Two Dallas-area union organizers were arrested for their part in a conflict with management of Rouses supermarkets, a chain with stores in Louisiana and Mississippi. Organizers from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union went to Louisiana’s 31 Rouses stores to distribute information on forming a union.

A union spokesman told the Thibodaux Daily Comet that many of the meetings took place without incident and even saw union reps welcomed by management. As one might imagine, a Rouses spokesperson had a completely different take. The chain counters that union reps were deceptive, sneaking through back doors and misrepresenting themselves as being from Rouse.

Rudolph Anderson, 59, of Lancaster, and Mark Niezgoda, 50, of Rowlett, were two of three men arrest for staying after they were told to leave.