Trader Joe’s Workers in Hadley, MA Walk Out Over Retaliatory Firing of Coworker

Yesterday, crew members at the Hadley, MA Trader Joe’s walked out in protest of the unfair firing of fellow crew member Steve Andrade.

Trader Joe’s terminated Andrade, a long term employee and vocal union supporter, on June 8, 2023. 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 Andrade, the basis for the firing was his 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.

“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 Andrade. “My termination did not come out of any true safety concern. 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.”

During yesterday’s walkout led by Trader Joe’s United President Jamie Edwards, who is also an employee at the Hadley location, workers on shift walked out promptly at 4 pm yesterday. They were joined by numerous off-shift coworkers and community members. After approximately 40 minutes of speeches, chants, and picketing, on-duty crew members returned to work.

“We see through [Trader Joe’s] official story. We know this is retaliation against someone who was seeking to have a say in his workplace,” said Edwards, addressing the crowd at the walkout. “That's why we're here today. To stand by our coworker and union brother. And to tell

Trader Joe’s that we will happily take them to war for any of the people that work in this building.”

The walk out follows several other union actions in support of Andrade, including an in-store petition, a public petition, and an ongoing public letter writing campaign that has sent over 20,000 letters to Trader Joe’s corporate demanding Andrade’s reinstatement.

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.

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 voted to join Trader Joe’s United since then: Minneapolis, MN; Louisville, KY; and Oakland, CA.