A major labor battle is heating up in Orange County after United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Local 324) filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge against Mother’s Market & Kitchen. The charge, filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleges that the manager at the Huntington Beach location wrongfully terminated a prominent union organizer in retaliation for her activism.
This development escalates a high-stakes unionization drive across seven of the grocery chain’s 12 locations in Southern California.
The Catalyst: Allegations of Retaliation
The union’s complaint centers on Alexis Bartucca, a juice bar worker and active union supporter. According to workers, the store’s general manager publicly yelled at Bartucca, causing a disruption in front of customers. After Bartucca expressed fear over the manager’s aggressive behavior, she was called into a private office and subsequently fired days later.
“It feels like an insult to injury to be fired after coming out in support of a union,” Bartucca stated, adding that she does not intend to back down…