Update 5/16 11:19 am: In a statement this week, the cooperative society's director of communications, Allan Reetz, told NHPR that the organization has "and will continue to follow the mandates of the National Labor Relations Act. While we will continue to treat employees of the Co-op with courtesy and respect, we are hopeful that union organizers will, as well."
The original story follows:
A national labor union is taking a dispute with a group of New Hampshire food cooperatives to a federal agency.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union says it filed charges Friday with the National Labor Relations Board.
The filing says the Hanover-Lebanon Cooperative Society interfered with workers’ rights when it fired two longtime employees in June 2014. The employees and their supporters have claimed the firings came after they complained about working conditions and told coworkers they had met with union representatives.
Co-op officials were not immediately available for comment on the union filing, but in responding to a lawsuit by the former employees, the general manager of the co-op said last year the firings were not prompted by any union activity.
