Another Trader Joe’s grocery store has formed a union, marking the fourth location in the company to do so within the past year. The newly formed union, Trader Joe’s United, secured a victory in an election held at the company’s Rockridge store in Oakland, California. The National Labor Relations Board conducted the ballot count, with workers voting 73 to 53 in favor of unionizing.
On the East Coast, the union narrowly lost an election at the company’s Essex Crossing store in New York City, resulting in a tie of 76 in favor and 76 against. In order to become the workers’ representative, a union must win 50% of the votes, plus one. The NLRB has yet to confirm the ballot tallies, and Trader Joe’s has not provided a comment. The company would have a week to challenge the results in Oakland.
If the results stand, this would bring the total number of stores that have unionized since last July to four, including locations in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Kentucky. Trader Joe’s has contested the results of the Kentucky vote, with a decision still pending from the labor board.
Trader Joe’s, a California-based company with over 500 stores across the U.S., had previously not had any union representation in its stores until the Trader Joe’s United campaign began in Hadley, Massachusetts. While unions are common among established grocers like Kroger and Albertsons, Trader Joe’s had remained union-free until recently.
Trader Joe’s United, an independent union not affiliated with a national union, celebrated the Oakland victory on Twitter. However, the organizing committee for the Essex Crossing store stated that the fight to unionize in New York City will continue, referencing a previous union loss at a store in Brooklyn.
The successful organizing efforts at Trader Joe’s began in early 2022, following the company’s decision to reduce retirement contributions for most employees. This move was seen by some workers as a departure from Trader Joe’s reputation as a good employer. Pro-union employees are advocating for higher wages, guaranteed benefits, and greater control over scheduling and safety protocols.
Trader Joe’s has opposed the unionization efforts, and the union has filed unfair labor practice charges alleging violations of workers’ rights. Managers at the New York and Oakland stores were reportedly encouraging workers to vote against unionization. The company has also accused union supporters of pressuring workers to vote for the union in Kentucky. The labor board has yet to rule on these cases.
In the past, a Trader Joe’s wine shop in New York City was about to go public with a union campaign, but the store was abruptly closed by the company. Trader Joe’s denied that the closure was related to workers organizing.
While Trader Joe’s has expressed concerns about the legal relationship that a union might bring, the company has stated that it will respect the results of any elections and bargain in good faith with its workers.
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