Trader Joe's objects to Louisville store's union vote, claiming 'fear and coercion'
Trader Joe's has taken a stand against a January vote by workers at the store's Louisville branch in favor of forming a union.
According to an objection filed on Feb. 1 with the National Labor Relations Board, the company has alleged local organizers had created "an atmosphere of fear and coercion and interfered with the laboratory conditions necessary to conduct a free and fair election."
Employees at the Louisville store voted 48-36 on Jan. 27 in favor of unionizing to be part of the Trader Joe's United, the guild that represents employees.
In its filing, according to the union release, Trader Joe's claimed "union agents" harassed and intimidated eligible voters while they were working by "berating and denigrating crew members who disagreed with the union ... instructing eligible voters who did not support the union's organizing efforts to transfer out of the store ... discouraging eligible voters from exercising their protected right to express their views on unionization ... (and) repeatedly making unwelcome, intrusive, harassing, and intimidating comments to eligible voters."
More:Tax cuts, gambling and medical marijuana: Kentucky legislature returns with big bills on tap
The Louisville Trader Joe's vote makes it the third location to unionize, behind stores in Hadley, Massachusetts, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to the release. Workers at both stores, part of a national grocery chain, unionized during the summer of 2022.
“It’s interesting that the company is claiming that we tainted the ‘laboratory’ conditions of the election when we have several unfair labor practice charges on file against Trader Joe’s for coercion, intimidation, threats, and surveillance in the weeks leading up to our election,” said Connor Hovey, organizer and employee. “We also think it’s interesting that a company with such a progressive image is going to such lengths to delay the results of a fair, democratic process.”
Trader Joe's did not reply with a comment after multiple attempts to reach their media representatives as recently as Monday.
More headlines:One Park North plan by Cherokee Park in Louisville nears final approval
The Louisville Trader Joe's employees initially moved to unionize in September 2022, with organizers pushing for better salaries and benefits packages with an accountability system and more effective time off work.
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Trader Joe's Louisville union vote faces pushback from grocery company
