(DailyEmailNews.com) – Although workers lost a union vote in April 2023, the Harris-Biden Administration’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is trying to force Trader Joe’s to engage in mandatory union bargaining.
The NLRB’s aggressive approach underscores the fight against anti-union stances in major corporations.
Workers at the Trader Joe’s store on the Lower East Side are central to this labor dispute.
The NLRB’s general counsel is demanding mandatory bargaining with Trader Joe’s United, claiming unfair labor practices like threats and negative treatment towards union supporters.
This means the company could be forced to negotiate even without a new union election.
The case draws attention to the broader trend of unionization efforts within major U.S. companies.
In 2022, workers at the Trader Joe’s in downtown Minneapolis were the second in the country to unionize, but the chain has not agreed to a first bargaining agreement.
The grocery chain is defending itself by questioning the constitutionality of the NLRB, a New Deal institution established to protect workers’ rights.
The grocery chain’s argument against the NLRB could potentially reach the U.S. Supreme Court, which currently holds a conservative supermajority.
This is not the first time Trader Joe’s has faced scrutiny. The company has been accused of not bargaining in good faith, rejecting proposals and requiring workers to sacrifice wages for attending bargaining sessions.
“This isn’t just an attack to bust Trader Joe’s United, I think this is an attempt by right-wing billionaires and Morgan Lewis and Trader Joe’s and Elon Musk to destroy the American labor movement,” said union Trader Joe’s United attorney Seth Goldstein. “American labor should wake up.”
The NLRB’s complaints are not limited to just one store. There are allegations from multiple locations citing inconsistent performance reviews, cut retirement benefits, inadequate time off and safety concerns.
Workers have also complained about pressure to attend anti-union meetings and the banning of union literature in break rooms.
This recent push by the NLRB follows similar unionization movements at companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Apple.
The board’s Manhattan office has made allegations against Trader Joe’s managers for discouraging Lower East Side workers from unionizing in one-on-one meetings and through other aggressive tactics.
The labor dispute has brought forward not just local incidents but also broader implications.
If the allegations against Trader Joe’s are proven in a hearing, the NLRB could require negotiations under the new “Cemex” standard.
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