Picketing at Steve's

A Middlesex Superior Court judge Tuesday lifted an order prohibiting employees of Steve's Ice Cream in Somerville from picketing the store, Scott Lewis, attorney for the striking employees, said Wednesday.

The order also had levied a $100,000 damages payment on the employees, Thomas Hayes '65, a Steve's employee, said Wednesday.

The strikers respected the order until its removal, but resumed picketing, Hayes said yesterday.

Only panels made up of three judges may issue restraining orders in labor cases, Hayes said. A single judge issued the order against the Steve's picketers.

"They have no right to strike," Joseph Crugnale, one of Steve's owners, said Wednesday. "It's a ridiculous situation," he added.

The immediate issue between management and employees is recognition of the "Steve's Ice Cream Employees' Movement" as the representative of a majority of Steve's workers, Hayes said.

Hayes said Crugnale originally recognized the group, but Crugnale denied having done so.

The employees have charged the owners with harassing an employee, failing to bargain in good faith and trying to deal with individual employees after agreeing to bargain collectively. Crugnale refused to comment on these charges.

The employees filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission on Tuesday, David Grunebaum, counsel to the commission, said Wednesday. The commission has taken no action yet, he said.