The employees at the Hadley, MA Trader Joe’s store voted 45 to 31 in favor of forming a union under the independent Trader Joe’s United Organization.  This action follows a trend with Starbuck’s, Amazon, Apple and REI workers voting to unionize in specific facilities.  Observers note the enigma of companies facing unionization having a record of generous benefits and competitive wage rates.

It is understood that the United Food and Commercial Workers Union is filing a petition for a union election for a Trader Joe’s store in Boulder, CO and employees at a Minneapolis store have petitioned to form their union.

In response to the request to unionize, chairman and CEO of Trader Joe’s Dan Bane promised, “If 30 percent of the Crew Members in any store that want to have a union vote, we will proceed.”

Workers have cited wages, health benefits and risk associated with COVID as motivation to form unions to allow collective bargaining on these issues.