It’s the last day of July, and I’d like to take a moment to say thank you for all the ways you’ve supported our fight this month. So much has happened since I sent you our last monthly round-up:
- On July 1, we held a walkout in Hadley in support of fellow crew member Steve Andrade, who was terminated in retaliation for his union support. Community members and customers joined our picket (or refused to cross it!) as we spoke, marched, and chanted for Steve’s reinstatement.
- One week later, we asked our community to help keep up the pressure by calling the Hadley store to demand Steve’s reinstatement, and y’all did not disappoint! As soon as our email went out, the store got so many phone calls that management took the phones off the hook in frustration. Your calls make it clear that the community cares and wants to see Steve reinstated. This message was heard loud and clear by our employer, and it gave us a huge morale boost, too! Thank you.
- Just when we thought our Louisville local would finally be certified, as recommended by the NLRB Hearing Officers Report on the matter, Trader Joe’s threw another wrench into the process by filing exceptions to the report. These exceptions, while baseless, will delay certification and keep Louisville out of negotiations for an unknown amount of time.
- We launched our union merch program…and Trader Joe’s filed a lawsuit against us! Our merch lets folks everywhere show their support for Trader Joe’s United and spreads our message far and wide, so we see this lawsuit for what it really is: an attempt to silence our union. THANK YOU for supporting our mission with your merch orders (if you missed out, we’ve got pins, shirts, totes and more right here).
- The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Trader Joe’s, finding merit in numerous unfair labor practice charges that we’ve filed against Trader Joe’s. It was so validating to have the NLRB affirm what we’ve known all along: that Trader Joe’s is violating our rights as workers. Since Trader Joe’s continues to deny all charges, the case will proceed to a hearing in October, and we’re still awaiting complaints on many other charges we’ve filed.
- Finally, we celebrated! July 28 was the one year anniversary of our first union election win in Hadley, MA! What we’ve been able to accomplish as a completely worker-driven union in the past year has been absolutely incredible, and far beyond what we anticipated. Support and solidarity from people like you has made this year possible. It’s not just the donations–though those are crucial. It’s also the moral support when you send us a quick note of encouragement, it’s when you amplify our work on social media, show up to our rallies, or make a phone call. This work is challenging, and knowing that you have our back means the world to us. Thank you.
Seriously, there’s never a dull month at Trader Joe’s United. This list doesn’t even include all the day-to-day work that goes into running TJU at the national level and our four locals as well as organizing new stores–all between working our grocery shifts and caring for ourselves and our families.
We could not do this without you! Thank you for your part in this movement.
In Solidarity,
Maeg Yosef
Communications Director
Trader Joe’s United
Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement 
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