Doc Burnstein's owner and supporters say union protest went too far

Posted: Jan 7, 2010 8:52 PM by Danielle Lerner
Updated: Jan 7, 2010 8:52 PM

Tensions run high as a labor dispute at a local sweet shop turns sour. The owner of Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab wants his supporters to stop demonstrating against a Camarillo-based union.

Representatives of Carpenters Local 150 have been picketing the Arroyo Grande store since October. They say the company should have used union workers to build its newest location in the Santa Maria Town Center mall.

The owner says things went too far Tuesday when one of his supporters was pushed by a union representative.That supporter called police and filed a report, but no arrests were made.

The owner of Doc Burnstein's appreciates the community support, but says he does not want anyone to feel threatened. As owner Greg Steinberger serves customers inside his store, union representatives continue their two month-long protest across the street.

However, now Steinberger and some of his supporters say the picketing has gotten out of hand. "They were trying to get people agitated, they had another person with a video camera that they would pull out when someone got in a heated discussion," said Steinberger.

"I've got guys on either side of me and they take the banner and drape it across me and start pushing me back with the banner," said Patty Welsh, a Doc Burnstein's supporter.

The union did not comment on the incident, but its fliers claim the company building the store's newest location at the Santa Maria Town Center Mall does not meet area labor standards.

Steinberger says his business is not to blame since the Town Center hired the contractor. He says it's not up to him to tell the mall who to hire. "I honestly don't feel like that's my right, I'm not paying for the business to be done," said Steinberger.

So as the picketing continues, so does the hope for a peaceful resolution. "We don't want to engage in anything that makes our customers or our community feel like they're at risk," said Steinberger.

"Let's come to some agreement and let's end this thing in a nice, honest way you know, but to do this, again it's silliness," said Welsh.

United Wall Systems is doing the work at the Santa Maria location. The company says it does follow area labor standards and says the union's claims against it are simply not true.

Supporters of Doc Burnstein's began picketing against the union about two weeks ago.