Covid-19 pandemic ramps up Trader Joe’s union drive
For years, the workers at Trader Joe’s have been agitating, quietly and slowly, for a union. They wanted more working hours, so they could qualify for benefits like health insurance. Transgender employees wanted pronoun pins. And they wanted more transparency and consistency from their managers. Then the coronavirus hit, which added urgency to their demands—including higher wages, better sick leave policies, and more safety equipment. When going to work is a question of life or death, could the stakes be any higher for organizing? “This is the perfect time for us,” a longtime employee tells The New York Times.
