An Orange County Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday requiring management at Anaheim’s Honda Center to retain more than 400 food workers who were laid off and replaced at the end of June.
Judge Frederick Horn is requiring that Anaheim Arena Management retain the laid-off employees and schedule work for them before it has any employees serve food and beverages, according to the order.
It was issued in response to a lawsuit by the workers and their union, Unite Here Local 11, alleging that the company is violating a new state law that requires public arenas like the Honda Center to offer jobs to food workers who are laid-off and replaced, so long as their work is satisfactory.
The order is in effect until a Sept. 11 hearing, which Anaheim Arena Management said it’s looking forward to.
“Today’s ruling allows us to maintain the momentum toward building a top level food service operation and we look forward to a full hearing of the merits of the case,” Jay Scott, company vice president of human resources, declared in a statement. “Our goal remains to create the industry’s best and most inspired food and beverage team which will provide our guests with the highest level of service.”
Horn’s order is the latest development in an ongoing saga over the workers.
The food service employees were laid off after management of the city-owned arena decided not to renew its contract with its concession operator, Aramark Corp., in order to bring the service in-house.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.