Staples has been accused of firing a worker for backing a union drive at its Brunswick store.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers alleges that Staples management fired the worker who was a “strong union supporter” on Sept. 1, the union said Friday.
The union filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday.
That comes after a dozen workers at the Staples store on Cook’s Corner in Brunswick became the retailer’s first location to push for union recognition, submitting a petition for recognition on June 27.
The workers are seeking to unionize under District 4 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
“Staples is trying to press the ‘easy button’ by simply firing any employee who exercises their right to form a union,” IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan said Friday. “The IAM stands by these brave Staples workers in Brunswick who are standing up for democracy on the job. We will use every resource available to fight this illegal firing and deliver justice for Staples workers.”
A Staples spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment early Friday afternoon.
The Staples union drive is the latest in a string of organization efforts springing up across Maine. Since 2021, there have been successful union drives among workers at the Orono Town Office, Biddeford Starbucks, the Portland Museum of Art, Maine Medical Center in Portland and the Bangor Daily News.
Despite those wins, efforts have petered out or failed at the Chipotle in Augusta, Little Dog Coffee Shop in Brunswick, Shalom House in Portland, the Starbucks on Middle Street in Portland and Bates College in Lewiston.
