Bargaining Begins with Trader Joe's Union

Bargaining committee members from two Trader Joe's stores that have voted to unionize are starting bargaining talks with the company. But a Trader Joe's store in Brooklyn, N.Y., recently voted against unionizing. We've gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online.

Successful Organizing This Summer

This summer, Trader Joe's workers in Hadley, Mass., voted to unionize. Employees at a Trader Joe's in Minneapolis soon thereafter voted to join the union. Staying on the job throughout the pandemic as essential workers led Trader Joe's employees to seek better wages, benefits and employee safety, according to one union organizer in Hadley.

The company did not respond to a request for comment on the talks with the union.

(Winsight Grocery Business)

401(k) Contributions Halved

The movement for unionization reportedly may have been partly due to Trader Joe's reducing 401(k) contributions in half from 10 percent to 5 percent for workers with less than 10 years of service.

(Quartz)

Trader Joe's Statement

With regard to the vote at the Minneapolis store, Trader Joe's spokeswoman Nakia Rohde said, "While we are concerned about how this new rigid legal relationship will impact Trader Joe's culture, we are prepared to immediately begin discussions with their collective bargaining representative to negotiate a contract."

(The New York Times) and (SHRM Online)

Union Rejected in New York City

Employees at a Trader Joe's store in Brooklyn, N.Y., recently voted against unionizing, the National Labor Relations Board announced Oct. 27. "We are grateful that our crew members trust us to continue to do the work of listening and responding to their needs, as we always have," Rohde said in a statement.

The result raises questions about whether the uptick in union activity over the past year has slowed.

(The New York Times)