NLRB Issues Complaint Against Trader Joe’s, Says Company Removed Pro-Union Literature at Unionized Minneapolis Location

According to a new complaint issued by the National Labor Relations Board, Trader Joe’s violated worker’s rights by removing pro-union literature from the break room at the company’s Minneapolis location, which voted to join Trader Joe’s United last August.

Trader Joe’s United is an independent labor union of Trader Joe’s workers that formed last year after a Trader Joe’s in Hadley, MA voted to unionize in July 2022. The Minneapolis store unionized just two weeks later, with stores in Louisville, KY and Oakland, CA voting to join TJU in January 2023 and April 2023, respectively.

The NLRB complaint, based on an unfair labor practice filed by the union in November, states that management removed union literature from the Minneapolis breakroom in late October and early November of last year.

Additionally, the complaint states that management imposed “an overly broad prohibition on solicitation and distribution of literature” by posting a notice to workers that nothing other than company notices could be placed in the breakroom.

The complaint goes on to describe these actions by the employer as “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees.”

The NLRB issues a complaint when the Board finds merit to a charge. Since Trader Joe’s did not settle in this case, it will proceed to a hearing which is scheduled for October 24, 2023 in Minneapolis.

Trader Joe’s United released the following statement regarding the complaint:

“While we’re disappointed that Trader Joe’s wouldn’t agree to settle in this case, we are thrilled to be making progress on this and the countless other unfair labor practice charges we’ve filed against our employer. This is just the beginning of holding Trader Joe’s accountable for the many instances in which they’ve violated our rights as workers, and we’re looking forward to the hearing in October.”