Trader Joe’s employees scored mixed results this week in their organizing bid, with workers at a store in California voting in favor of union representation but falling just shy of doing so at a location in New York.
Workers at the Trader Joe’s in Oakland, Calif., voted 73-53 in favor of being represented by the independent union Trader Joe’s United, while employees at a store in New York City deadlocked 76-76 in their election, marking a union loss, according to tallies conducted Thursday by the National Labor Relations Board.
A union must receive more than 50% of the votes to win a representation election, per NLRB rules.
The Oakland tally marks the fourth victory for Trader Joe’s United, after wins last year at stores in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Kentucky. The union lost another election at a store in New York City in October.
Trader Joe’s challenged the results at the store in Louisville, Ky., shortly after the election. The company’s objections are still being litigated before the NLRB Regional Director.
As workers across the country continue their unionization push, the grocery store chain has received scrutiny from employees and the NLRB for its response to those efforts. The NLRB has 56 open unfair labor practice charges against Trader Joe’s, agency spokesperson Kayla Blado said in an emailed statement.
An agency administrative judge ruled last month that the company illegally fired a worker in Houston who raised concerns about conditions at the nonunion store.
Representatives for the union and the company didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest election results.
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