The New York Times highlighted the recent rise in union-busting by major companies, and Trader Joe’s is among them:
A spokesperson for Trader Joe’s told the New York Times that “the company had never disciplined an employee for seeking to unionize but that unionizing efforts didn’t exempt an employee from job responsibilities.”
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead of allowing the free and fair elections they promised their workers, Trader Joe’s hired a union-busting law firm and has been fighting us every step of the way.
Trader Joe’s crew members across unionizing locations have been disciplined for organizing and union support—but since Trader Joe’s can’t fire people outright for union activity, they’ve been inconsistently applying the rules as a way to indirectly discipline workers. And we have proof:
- A main organizer was written up recently for forgetting to punch out at the end of the shift & a union supporter was written up for using an available computer to punch out instead of the punch clock—two very minor and common mistakes.
- Multiple crew members in Hadley were sent home and lost wages for wearing union pins even though that right is protected under the NLRB.
- Crew members in Oakland were written up for “being seen to drink what appeared to be” champagne in the parking lot after their winning vote count. They were out of uniform and off the clock at the time.
These small infractions add up, and Trader Joe’s is using the threat of discipline to discourage workers from supporting the union. We can’t let these intimidation tactics keep crew members from fighting for the better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions we deserve.
In solidarity,
Maeg Yosef
Trader Joe’s United
Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement 
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