NLRB Finds Delta Twp Unfair Labor Practice Allegations Found. Chipotle

Chipotle in Ann Arbor | Laina G. Stebbins

Multiple allegations of unfair labor practices against a Lansing-area Chipotle store have been found to be true.

That’s according to a press release from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which says Elizabeth Kerwin, the agency’s Region 7-Detroit director, ruled that the allegation that the Delta Township Chipotle restaurant violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by telling employees that Chipotle couldn’t give them raises because they were union members, and that it unlawfully denied them raises because they were union members, was wrongful.

Kerwin also found that Chipotle unlawfully disciplined an employee because the employee engaged in union activity and to discourage others from engaging in union activity.

A request for comment was sent to Chipotle by Michigan Advancementbut has not yet been returned.

Although a determination of merits is not a final decision on the charges, it is considered a first step in the process of challenging allegations by the NLRB’s general counsel after investigating an unfair labor practice charge.

“If the parties fail to reach an agreement and a complaint is filed, a hearing will be scheduled with an NLRB administrative judge who may order full relief,” the statement said. “The administrative judge’s decision may then be appealed to the Board, which may in turn be appealed to the federal court of appeals.”

Kerwin has denied an allegation that Chipotle illegally withheld credit card tips, while an allegation that Chipotle illegally monitored workers is under investigation.

There are currently six Unfair labor practice lawsuits opened against the Delta Township Chipotle, whose workers voted for union representation in 2022, becoming the first restaurant in the country to do so. In fact, it remains the only Chipotle restaurant where the NLRB has held an election for union representation.