Chipotle closes a Maine store, and workers say it’s because of a union drive.

Workers who applied for a union election in Chipotle, Augusta, Maine, have accused the company of trying to undermine their campaign by closing restaurants.

The company notified employees of the closing on Tuesday morning, hours before both sides were scheduled to attend a hearing at the National Labor Relations Commission on potential elections.

“We couldn’t have enough staff for this remote restaurant,” Laurie Shallow, CEO of the company, said in a statement. “We have decided to close the restaurant altogether because of these ongoing staffing challenges and there is no possibility of reopening in the foreseeable future,” added Shallow.

A lawyer representing the workers charged the Labor Relations Commission with alleging that the closure was an illegal act of retaliation.

“I call this Union Busting 101,” said Jeffrey Neil Young, a lawyer who often represents state unions. “This is a classic response. Employees decide to organize and employers say they close the store.”

The Labor Relations Commission will investigate the indictment and file a formal complaint if the accusation is found to be beneficial. At that point, the case is brought before an administrative law judge. Both sides were able to reach a settlement in advance.

In mid-June, several workers in the store quit their jobs to protest what they said was a dangerous situation due to lack of staff and inadequate training.

“Not properly trained to cook food poses many risks to both cooks and food eaters,” said Brandy McNice, a worker involved in strikes and union campaigns. Said. “You are worried about your knife skills using dangerous, hot and sharp equipment.”

Within a few days, Shallow said the company didn’t open the store to the public with the aim of improving staffing, including retaining two hiring specialists. During this time, workers continued to report to the store, where they were trained to help with cleaning, but often took only a few hours a week than their previous work.

On June 22, workers filed a petition to hold a union election. The Labor Relations Commission requires that at least 30% of workers show support before ordering it.

The hearing scheduled for Tuesday was aimed at considering discussions from both sides on the proposed elections. Chipotle argued in filings that elections should not proceed due to the lack of store staff and the lack of voting-qualified workers who fully represent the final workforce. ..

Workers’ representative lawyer Young said the closure could undermine organizational efforts at other stores in the chain. Lansing, Michigan.Where workers also applied for union elections, and New York City.

“The closure of the Augusta store signals Chipotle workers elsewhere who are involved in or considering early organizational promotion that organizing could lead to unemployment,” Young said. I am.

Closing the store “has nothing to do with union activity,” said Shallow, a Chipotle official, in a statement. According to the company, 13 of its approximately 3,000 locations have been closed in the last 18 months due to staffing issues, performance, lease agreements and other business reasons.Mostly Closing It seems that he came in the first half of last year.

Cipotre has provided Augusta workers with a four-week severance pay based on the last two weeks of working hours. This is usually lower than it was before the restaurant was open to the public. According to the company, it has not been proposed to place workers elsewhere in Maine, with the closest location being about an hour away.

McNice said she and her colleagues are planning to fight to reopen the store. “Now no one has rescued,” she said.

Chipotle is one of several employers in the service industry, and its workers have sought to form unions over the past year. Approximately 200 company-owned Starbucks locations have voted for the union since last fall, as well as workers at the Amazon warehouse on Staten Island, the REI store in Manhattan, and the Apple store in Maryland.

The Labor Relations Commission has officially accused Starbucks of closing certain stores in retaliation for union organizations. The company denied the accusation.

Last week, Starbucks said it would close 16 stores added Due to safety concerns such as crime, it has been reflected in the incident report for the past year. A union representing newly joined Starbucks workers has filed charges of unfair labor practices and closed stores to undermine organizational activities and avoid negotiations with union members. Blame.