Hillsboro, Oregon – On January 5, 2023, UFCW Local 555 was notified that the NLRB is charging New Seasons with having committed multiple Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) leading up to the election, and that those ULPs should be grounds for overturning the election. A hearing has been scheduled for April 18, 2023, to process the NLRB charge against New Seasons. UFCW Local 555 hopes the NLRB will be successful in holding New Seasons accountable for the improper and unlawful attack on workers’ rights to organize.
“While we were disappointed with the initial results of the election, we said at its conclusion that the fight was not over. The ballot count was affected by the unfair labor practices the company committed in the election process. New Seasons must be held accountable for threatening and lying to workers; failure to do so undermines both these workers and the principle that workers deserve rights in their workplace. The company’s behavior leading up to the election highlights the reason why their employees need a union.” – Dan Clay, UFCW Local 555 Union President
New Seasons workers at Orenco Station reached out to UFCW Local 555 in early 2022 for assistance in organizing a union at their workplace, following a buy-out by foreign investors. They were driven to organize by concerns of changes to the company’s culture and business ethics impacting both their working conditions and the wellbeing of the neighborhoods they serve. The workers were granted an NLRB election on September 1, 2022, with the organizing effort failing to meet a majority, due to the aforementioned company interference.