Trader Joe’s in Hadley, MA Fires Union Supporter; Union Files Charges With NLRB

This past Thursday, Trader Joe’s terminated a long term employee and vocal union supporter at its Hadley, MA location. Trader Joe’s United, the independent union representing employees at the store, filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board in response.

According to the termination paperwork given to Stephen Andrade, the fired crew member, the basis for the firing was Andrade’s failure to remove a small powertool from the store’s premises after he was initially asked to do so by management in October, 2022. 

The power tool in question, a jigsaw, did not belong to Andrade, and predated the beginning of his tenure at the store. Andrade was a member of the store’s art team which creates the unique handmade signage that Trader Joe’s is known for. In the past, the jigsaw was used by store artists to create signs, but had not been utilized by the art team since well before October, 2022. According to Andrade, the saw was used multiple times by management between the time he was asked to remove it and his termination.

“We believe this baseless firing is a blatant act of retaliation, and we call on Trader Joe’s to do the right thing: reinstate Steve immediately,” said Maeg Yosef, a Hadley employee and union spokesperson.

The Hadley store was the first Trader Joe’s in the country to unionize, winning their election on July 28, 2022. Three more stores have joined Trader Joe’s United since then: Minneapolis, MN; Louisville, KY; and Oakland, CA.

Since June of last year, Trader Joe’s United has filed numerous unfair labor practice charges at the Hadley store, accusing management of violations including captive audiences meetings, retaliation, making unlawful statements, and failing to bargain in good faith. The NLRB has yet to make a ruling on these charges, though the Board has issued a complaint against Trader Joe’s on a charge filed in Minneapolis after management removed union literature from the store’s break room.

“I believe my firing was retaliatory, for two reasons: I’ve demonstrated a willingness to actually discuss work problems with management, and I am and have been vocal in my support of our union,” said Steve Andrade, the terminated employee. “My termination did not come out of any true safety concern. One only has to look at the number of injury reports at the store recently to realize that there are far more dangerous safety hazards in a grocery store than an unused, unpowered jigsaw. This was a fabricated, deliberate decision to take away my livelihood and my family’s health care. Trader Joe’s needs to be held accountable for this.”