In a new complaint, federal Labor Department officials allege that Trader Joe’s closed its New York City wine store in 2022 to thwart union organizing efforts.
The National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel argues that the grocer’s decision to close the store amounts to unlawful retaliation and that Trader Joe’s must reopen the store and compensate affected employees for all lost wages.
The Jan. 12 complaint also accuses Trader Joe’s of illegally “interrogating” pro-union workers and threatening to cut off benefits if they joined a union, according to an NLRB spokesman.
Trader Joe’s denied at the time that union efforts played a role in the decision, but workers interviewed by HuffPost saw no other logical explanation.
The United Food and Commercial Workers union, which organized the store, said in a statement Thursday:that the complaint brings workers “closer to getting the justice they deserve.”
“Trader Joe’s is shamelessly and illegally engaging in union busting to instill fear and workplace voice in Trader Joe’s workers across the region,” the union said.
Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The UFCW filed unfair labor practice charges against Trader Joe’s after the wine store abruptly closed in the summer of 2022. The NLRB General Counsel’s decision to file a complaint against the company means board officials have launched an investigation and upheld the union’s claim that the closure was retaliatory.
If the general counsel cannot reach an agreement with Trader Joe’s, the case will be heard before an administrative law judge.
Trader Joe’s closed its New York wine store in the summer of 2022, just as workers were about to launch a union campaign.
The law prohibits companies from closing a store just because workers there are trying to organize. But even if authorities can prove that the closure was retaliatory, in practice it is extremely difficult to force a company to reopen a store. Such cases often take years to resolve.
Trader Joe’s has denied that union efforts played a role in the decision to close the wine shop, but workers interviewed by HuffPost saw no other explanation.
“They hope this will stop other workers from doing what we did,” said Robert “Rab” Bradlea, who had worked at Trader Joe’s for five years at the time.
“This is intended to completely stop union efforts before they can begin,” said another worker, Jonathan Reuning.
At the time, union supporters believed they had 22 “yes” votes among the 30 or so they believed would be eligible to vote in a union election. They had not yet petitioned the NLRB for a vote, but their campaign was only days away from making its public appearance.
Trader Joe’s shamelessly and illegally engaged in union busting to instill fear in Trader Joe’s workers throughout the region.United Food and Commercial Workers Union
When employees were informed of the closure, management told an internal HR portal that it was “time for us to look for another location” for the wine business.
Trader Joe’s has faced unionization efforts from both the UFCW and a new union, Trader Joe’s United, which has been organizing four stores since July 2022.
In addition to the latest complaint, board members have also accused the company of punishing pro-union workers, spreading “false and misleading” information about union efforts and illegally firing a union leader. fan in a store in Massachusetts. These charges are currently being heard in court.
There were also disputes in court between the company and its employees.
In July, Trader Joe’s sued the Trader Joe’s United union in federal court, claiming the union was infringing on the company’s trademark rights with its name and logo. But last week, a judge issued a savage dismissal of the company’s lawsuit, dismissing the case in its entirety and saying the company’s lawyers nearly deserved a penalty for their lawsuit.
