The Chipotle on West Saginaw Highway in Lansing is now the first unionized branch of the chain in the country after a Thursday vote.
The branch’s employees filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, on July 5.
Lansing-area Chipotle becomes first in nation to unionize
Organizers at the Chipotle on West Saginaw Highway pose in front of the store – Courtesy of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
The affirmative vote to join Teamsters Local 243 comes amid a wave of unionization efforts in chain establishments in Lansing and across the country. In June, three Lansing-area Starbucks locations voted to unionize.
A lawyer representing the Teamsters told the Lansing State Journal the branch’s next steps will be to iron out their contract needs and present a request to Chipotle.
In a Thursday statement from the Teamsters, multiple employees said they were happy with the vote’s outcome.
“Today’s victory is an amazing moment for our team that has worked so hard and spent many months organizing,” said crew member Samantha Smith in the statement. “We set out to show that our generation can make substantial change in this world and improve our working conditions by taking action collectively.”
The State News has not independently spoken to the unionizers.
The NLRB has documented 13 other Chipotle locations in the midst of unionization efforts, all in New York and Maine.
READ MORE
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
