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This week, a labor union filed a charge against Menards, alleging that the retailer limits employees’ rights with “an unlawful and overbroad written employment agreement.”
The Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), Local 153, filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board, according to a document published by the political news site Politico.
The international union represents employees and independent contractors who work in administrative offices, insurance, higher education and other professional sectors. The Local 153 branch represents workers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
OPEIU “is targeting a company policy that docks managers’ pay 60 percent when workers under their supervision vote in a union,” Politico reports.
The Progressive magazine published a section of Menards’ employee agreement as follows:
“The Manager’s income shall be automatically reduced by sixty percent (60%) of what it would have been if a union of any type is recognized within your particular operation during the term of this Agreement. If a union wins an election during this time, your income will automatically be reduced by sixty percent (60%).”
The policy isn’t new. Publications including Forbes cite the company’s anti-union position and the agreement with manager-level employees in reports dating back to 2003.
