District Court Judge Thomas K. Moore issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday afternoon, stopping the Department of Labor from conducting any hearings this week under the Wrongful Discharge Act.
The order will be in force until Monday, April 12, when a hearing is scheduled on the preliminary injunction.
Moore's order was in response to a motion filed Monday in District Court by the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association and the St. Croix Hotel Association. The three organizations sought to stop the Department of Labor from resuming wrongful-discharge hearings, saying that the federal rights of their members were being violated. (See story below: "Business Groups File to Stop Discharge Cases").
Moore said in Tuesday's order that "….it appears to this Court that (acting Labor Commissioner Eleuteria Roberts) is about to engage in conduct that would violate Plaintiffs' and their members' federally protected rights under the National Labor Relations Act…."
Monday's hearing will be held at 10 a.m. at the District Court.