Trader Joe’s United
About Us
Who We Are
Trader Joe’s United is an independent labor union 100% founded and powered by us, Trader Joe’s workers. All of TJU’s leadership roles are filled by Trader Joe’s crew members. We are bagging groceries and stocking shelves while building a movement, writing contract proposals, and helping other stores organize. It’s not just a catchphrase–we literally are the union.
Why We Organized
Trader Joe’s has long had a reputation for being a “progressive” employer, but in the last decade we’ve seen TJ’s shift from a workplace that is truly an outlier in the industry–with incredible pay, benefits, and atmosphere–to a company with increasing turnover, declining benefits, and stagnating wages.
The pandemic put those changes into stark relief as “essential” workers everywhere, including Trader Joe’s crew members, risked their health in order to bring home a paycheck.
These two changes–the company’s internal changes and the pandemic–made it clear that Trader Joe’s workers needed a say in our workplace, and as a union we will have that voice. By unionizing, we hoped to bring Trader Joe’s back into alignment with its own core values, which had made it a great place to work and shop in the first place.
A Brief History of Trader Joe’s United
The Trader Joe’s United union wave began in Hadley, a small town in Western Massachusetts. On July 28th, 2022, the crew at that store accomplished something no one else had done before. They unionized the first Trader Joe’s, and in the process created Trader Joe’s United.
So far, Trader Joe’s United has four locals under its umbrella.
After the Hadley win, the Minneapolis store organized with TJU in August of 2022, and the Louisville, KY store voted to join TJU in January 2023.
Most recently, the Rockridge store in Oakland, CA won their union election 73-53. The Essex Crossing store in NYC fell just short of joining TJU in a 76-76 tie vote.
What’s Next for Trader Joe’s United
Crew members from all unionized stores are working together to negotiate a first contract with Trader Joe’s. Bargaining is a process that requires patience, work, and dedication–together we are determined to keep going until we get a contract that improves our lives and working conditions.
Along with bargaining, we are organizing stores from coast to coast! Since we announced the Hadley campaign in May of 2022, we’ve heard from hundreds of crew members across the country eager to unionize their stores, and we are helping many of them organize right now.
Ready to join the movement and organize your store? We can help you every step of the way. Fill out this form to get in touch with one of our organizers.
