The vote was 45 to 31. And, with that, the Trader Joes in Hadley, just outside Springfield, becomes
the only one in the country with a union. What led to this result? Trader Joe
workers cite factors including safety concerns related to the pandemic and pay.
The $16 an hour Hadley workers make is just $1.75 above the state's minimum
wage. One union organizer saysthere has been a trend for the past ten years of a
chipping away of benefits at Trader Joes. The company disputes that, saying Trader
Joe's pay, benefits and working conditions are already top shelf.
