Posted on Sun, Mar. 07, 2010

A Southern California union has returned to the Arroyo Grande Village to unfurl a protest banner across the street from Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab, several days after local unions and community members packed the business in a show of support.

“I’m tired of this,” said Owner Greg Steinberger. “I don’t know what it’s going to take for them to give it up.”

Camarillo-based Carpenters Local 150 has been posted across the street from the Arroyo Grande shop in the Village since October.

The union, and its affiliate, the Los Angeles-based Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, will not return phone calls seeking comment by The Tribune.

The union claims the labor dispute was launched because nonunion carpenters are being used to construct interior improvements at Doc Burnstein’s second location at the Santa Maria Town Center mall.

However, the mall, not Steinberger, is paying for the renovations.

On Feb. 26, the Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 30 trade unions in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, footed the bill for 1,231 scoops of ice cream as a show of support for the business.