Trader Joe’s Threatened Workers Ahead Of Union Vote, Feds Allege
HuffPost
Labor board officials have accused the grocer of using illegal tactics to sway workers against unionizing.
Prosecutors at the National Labor Relations Board say Trader Joe’s illegally interrogated workers and threatened to take away their pay raises when they were trying to form a union last year.
The alleged threats came in the run-up to a January 2023 election at a Louisville, Kentucky, store where workers voted in favor of joining a new union, Trader Joe’s United. The company has challenged the election results by claiming the union illegally influenced the vote.
But according to the complaint filed Monday, prosecutors say it was Trader Joe’s that committed “unfair labor practices” meant to sway workers against unionizing.
The complaint states that an assistant store manager threatened workers with the loss of their raises as well as “a loss of flexibility with taking days off and scheduling work” if they voted for the union. It also alleges the company forced workers to “participate in one-on-one conversations” meant to hurt the union’s support.
The labor board will hold a trial on the allegations if officials can’t reach a settlement with Trader Joe’s.
