UFCW Local 1500 voices displeasure with Target

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 once again took issue with Target Corp. after the mega store released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report in June without mentioning any of the federal laws Target was found in May to have violated.

The charges stem from a union vote that was held at the Valley Stream Target store on June 17, 2011, and the months that preceded it. Employees of the store said they were threatened by management to not unionize, amongst other charges. The vote yielded a 137 to 85 result against unionizing.

On May 18, Judge Steven Davis of the National Labor Relations Board, ruled that Target intimidated employees by use of illegal interrogation and distribution of a leaflet that insinuated the store could be closed if employees unionized, in addition to other violations. The trial began on Feb. 1.

Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said Target is appealing the NLRB judge’s ruling. “Target is disappointed in the NLRB judge’s ruling, and we respectfully disagree with the judge’s decision,” she said. “We firmly believe Target followed all laws throughout the union’s campaign at its Valley Stream store and that the process leading up to the June 2011 election was fair and legal, resulting in a strong rejection of unionization by our team members at the Valley Stream store.”

There will be a second vote in the coming months to determine if employees would like to unionize after the Valley Stream Target is open for business once again. Currently, the location is under construction and will reopen its doors later this year. Target officials said plans for the renovation began in 2010 and are unrelated to the recent charges filed.

“Target’s failure to mention or even acknowledge the need for change in their annual Corporate Responsibility Report exposes a serious disconnect with their employees, ignorance of the seriousness of the charges against them and an overall inability to recognize reality,” said Pat Purcell, a spokesman for UFCW Local 1500, in a statement last week.