February 05, 2015
The restaurant Au Bon Pain and its Philadelphia Airport location are accused of improperly pressuring employees against joining a union, according to a press release by UNITE HERE, a labor union on Thursday.
The complaint, issued by the National Labor Relations Board, contains allegations that the company “has been discriminating in regard to the hire or tenure or conditions of employment of its employees, thereby discouraging membership in a labor organization."
“I was in tears after Au Bon Pain CEO Sue Morelli called us into a captive audience meeting," Nacira Mellaz, a cashier with the company who works in the Philadelphia Airport, said in a statement sent out by the union. "Here was the CEO of Au Bon Pain, who I never in my life thought I would meet, promising to fix all our troubles, when what she really cared about was trying to get us to stop organizing.
“We felt bullied, insulted and frustrated. Now, it's reassuring to know the government agrees with us and is taking Au Bon Pain to trial.”
Au Bon Pain did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some labor rights activists have pressured the company to raise its wages. According to a press release by UNITE HERE, Au Bon Pain disciplined employees who tried to convince others to form a union.
"As a long-time advocate for our city's airport workers, I am troubled by these charges," Philadelphia Councilman Kenyatta Johnson said in a statement.
The complaint asks Au Bon Pain to respond to the accusations and schedules a hearing for April.
