Trader Joe’s Shirked Bargaining Duties, Labor Board Judge Says

Trader Joe’s violated federal labor law by refusing to begin contract negotiations with a workers’ union in Kentucky, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled.

Trader Joe’s East Inc. must bargain with Trader Joe’s United, which represents Louisville store employees, said NLRB Administrative Law Judge Sarah Karpinen in a Friday decision.

The grocer, which saw a spur of organizing activity at several locations nationwide starting in 2022, challenged the January 2023 Louisville election up to the full NLRB after the regional director overruled its objections and certified the bargaining unit in January 2024.

Trader Joe’s argued that it is ...