Dive Brief:
- Whole Foods Market filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday asking it to “set aside” the results of an election held by workers last week at one of its Philadelphia stores.
- The grocer claims the UFCW Local 1776, which workers voted in favor of joining on Jan. 27, “interfered with our Team Members’ right to a fair vote,” according to a statement Whole Foods emailed to Grocery Dive.
- UFCW Local 1776 is calling the specialty grocer’s objections an “attempt to delay the bargaining process and undermine workers’ rights,” according to a press release from the local union.
Dive Insight:
Whole Foods’ filing with the NLRB raises five objections against UFCW Local 1776, accusing the local union of depriving voters of a free and fair election and conducting proceedings under an “unconstitutional scheme.”
The grocer’s allegations in the filing include:
- the absence of a required NLRB quorum,
- the NLRB restrained Whole Foods “from lawfully communicating facts, opinions, experience and viewpoints on unionization to its Team Members on paid time in required meetings,”
- the UFCW unlawfully promised a 30% pay increase to take effect a day after the election if the store workers voted in favor of the union,
- the UFCW unlawfully provided free transportation to store employees on the day of the election, and
- the UFCW unlawfully intimidated workers who openly spoke out against unionization efforts.
UFCW Local 1776 claims that any union misconduct accusations are “unfounded” and counters that it was Whole Foods that engaged in “coercion and intimidation, even going as far as firing team members for supporting the union.”
“We fully expected Whole Foods to try to stall this process. Amazon has a well-documented history of using baseless objections to undermine the rights of workers seeking representation, and this case is no different,” UFCW Local 1776 President Wendell Young IV said in a statement.
He continued: “There is nothing legally preventing the company from recognizing the union and bargaining right now. Instead of playing legal games, Whole Foods should come to the table and negotiate in good faith.”
Whole Foods staffers who supported the union efforts were met with significant pushback from Amazon and Whole Foods leading up to the election, and Whole Foods is currently facing allegations of unfair labor practices, the UFCW said in a statement after the release of the election results.
Following the election results, Whole Foods said in emailed comments to Grocery Dive it was “disappointed” by the outcome and complied with all legal requirements throughout the unionization process.
