New charges come only a month after Labor Board settlement against the company for previous discrimination
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (March 13, 2025) – Today, United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 Union, which represents employees at MOM’s Organic Market in College Park, Md., announced it has filed unfair labor practice charges against the company for ongoing discrimination against employees supportive of the union.
Today’s news comes only a month after the union reported a $17,302.67 settlement against MOM’s for similar anti-union discrimination when the company wrongfully denied pay increases to 74 victims for hours worked on weekends and holidays after the store unionized.
The charges accuse MOM’s management of using selective enforcement to target six employees openly supportive of the union with disciplinary actions, including firing three workers. The union shop steward and bargaining committee member was also targeted with discipline. She was previously the subject of selective discipline after flyering customers outside of the store on her off time and the National Labor Relations Board later overturned the discipline after determining it was unlawful discrimination.
“When I came to work at MOM’s, I was pleasantly surprised to find out my coworkers had formed a union,” said Kyle Parker, who has worked at the College Park location for one year. “At every other job I’ve had, ‘union’ has been treated like a dirty word. Unfortunately, MOM’s is no different – while other bosses try to bust the union from the jump, MOM’s corporate takes more of a smile in your face and stomp on your shoe kind of approach.”
“Discrimination against employees for union activity is not only wrong, it’s illegal,” said Mark Federici, President of UFCW Local 400. “Despite previous charges for similar behavior, it’s clear that this company has not learned its lesson. We won’t stand for any employer violating our members’ rights and we intend to hold MOM’s accountable for every instance of unlawful discrimination against these workers. We once again call on MOM’s to focus on respecting the decision of workers to unionize and negotiate a contract in good faith that reflects their hard work and value to the company.”
The College Park workers voted to unionize in December 2022, and in a second election in November they resoundingly voted down an effort to decertify the union at the store. The workers are currently in negotiations with the company for their first union contract.
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United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 represents 35,000 members working in the grocery, retail, health care, food processing, service and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. www.ufcw400.org