Prosecutors from the National Labor Relations Board have filed a complaint against Trader Joe’s, accusing the company of engaging in illegal acts of retaliation against pro-union workers. The complaint alleges that managers at a Trader Joe’s store in Massachusetts punished workers who attempted to wear union pins by ending their shifts and threatening to worsen their working conditions. Additionally, the managers provided workers with false and misleading information about the union. Trader Joe’s has not yet responded to the complaint.
The alleged violations occurred at the Hadley, Massachusetts store, which last year became the first Trader Joe’s location to unionize. Since then, three other stores in Minnesota, California, and Kentucky have also unionized, although Trader Joe’s has disputed the results of the Kentucky union election.
The allegations against Trader Joe’s were first brought forward by the newly formed workers’ union, Trader Joe’s United. The complaint from the labor board confirms the validity of the union’s claims and, if not settled, the allegations will be addressed in a trial.
The labor board’s regional director stated that Trader Joe’s retaliated against workers for their involvement in the union effort and aimed to discourage collective bargaining. The case highlights Trader Joe’s dress code policies, which the regional director deemed discriminatory due to their overly broad nature. The company’s dress code prohibits employees from adorning their clothing with any logos, statements, or symbols not approved by management, potentially impeding workers from displaying their union support through pins or other insignia.
The complaint also accuses Trader Joe’s of providing workers with inaccurate information about the union and bargaining process. The company is urged to retract these misleading statements and inform its employees nationwide of the correction.
This complaint is not the first filed against Trader Joe’s by the labor board. In a separate case in May, the company was accused of illegally removing union literature from a Minneapolis store break room, thereby interfering with employees’ rights to organize.
Furthermore, Trader Joe’s recently threatened legal action against Trader Joe’s United over merchandise sold on the union’s online store. The company argues that T-shirts, mugs, and tote bags featuring the “Trader Joe’s United” text and logo violate its trademarks, potentially causing consumer confusion and diluting its brand. The union’s lawyers have dismissed these claims as baseless and part of the company’s ongoing attack against labor.
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