Aug 12, 2022 - Economy

Trader Joe's store in Minneapolis votes to unionize

Herb Scribner

A signage on a shopping cart at the Trader Joe's store. — Signage on a shopping cart at the Trader Joe's store. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trader Joe's workers in downtown Minneapolis on Friday voted to unionize, marking the second victory for Trader Joe's United in less than three weeks, HuffPost reports.

The big picture: A Massachusetts Trader Joe's became the first store to unionize at the end of July. These victories come as employees at other major national retailers — including Starbucks and Amazon — have voted to unionize in recent months.

Driving the news: Trader Joe's workers on Friday voted 55-5 to join the Trader Joe's United union, calling on the retail chain to create a contract with the store, per the HuffPost.

Sarah Beth Ryther, who helped lead the union efforts in Minneapolis, said that workers are hoping to receive better wages while also keeping workers safe, according to the Minnesota Reformer.
“In many ways, Trader Joe’s is a really good place to work,” Ryther told the nonprofit news outlet. “But there are a lot of problems that we would like to address and we think a union would help us do that.”

What's next: A Trader Joe's store in Boulder, Colorado, has filed for a union election, too, according to the Washington Post.

Trader Joe's has more than 530 locations nationwide, CNBC reports.

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Trader Joe's store in Minneapolis votes to unionize

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