Trader Joe’s workers vote yes to a union in California

A fourth story may be joining Trader Joe's United after a successful union vote. 

According to Huffpost, Trader Joe’s workers at the Rockbridge store in Oakland, Calif., voted to unionize by a 73-53 count. There now could be four Trader Joe’s that have employees who are members of Trader Joe’s United. However, those at the Essex Crossing Trader Joe’s in New York City failed to get the 50% plus one to form a union. The vote was a tie at 76-76. This was the second time an attempt to unionize at a NYC store failed over the last few months.

“We had endless conversations with our coworkers. We sent countless texts and phone calls, and gathered together to celebrate and connect about the future we wanted to see at work,” Trader Joe’s United tweeted after the NYC vote. “But the reality is, the barriers to working people winning against corporations in this country are huge.”

Trader Joe’s now has a week to challenge the vote in Oakland. The Monrovia, Calif.-based retailer has contested the union approval in Kentucky, but the National Labor Relations Board has not released a decision yet.

Back in 2022, Trader Joe’s announced it was cutting retirement contributions, and that is when the calls to unionize began. Those who want the solidarity are demanding better wages, guaranteed benefits and more oversight over scheduling and safety protocols.

Related:Trader Joe's widening price gap with Whole Foods: Analyst