Chipotle to pay $240,000 after closing store that tried to unionize


Chipotle Mexican Grill announced Monday that it will pay a $240,000 settlement to ex-employees of one of its Maine restaurants after it closed the location when employees tried to unionize.
The Mexican fast-food chain announced in 2022 that it was permanently shuttering the store in Augusta, Maine, after the employees there filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold union elections. The NLRB said that this closure was illegal, and sued Chipotle.
Following months of negotiations, the Maine AFL-CIO announced the nearly quarter-million-dollar settlement, which also included a number of conditions for the company. This includes posting notices in 40 stores across New England admitting they broke the law, and not continuing with any more union-busting efforts. The store also said any ex-employees would get preferential treatment if they re-applied.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Each ex-employee of the store will receive between $5,800 and more than $21,000 from the settlement, CNN reports, based on pay rates, hours worked, and salaries.
The settlement is "a win for food service workers across the country," Brandi McNease, a former Augusta Chipotle employee, said through the AFL-CIO. It "sends a message to corporations that shutting down a store and blackballing workers didn't work for Chipotle and it won't work for them either."
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Chipotle said it had settled the lawsuit "not because we did anything wrong, but because the time, energy, and cost to litigate would have far outweighed the settlement agreement."
Chipotle added that it "respects our employees' rights to organize under the National Labor Relations Act" and is "committed to ensuring a fair and just work environment that provides opportunities to all."
There are currently at least 10 other open labor practice cases against Chipotle, AP reports.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - free trade, judicial pushback, and more
By The Week US
-
5 educational cartoons about the Harvard pushback
Cartoons Artists take on academic freedom, institutional resistance, and more
By The Week US
-
One-pan black chickpeas with baharat and orange recipe
The Week Recommends This one-pan dish offers bold flavours, low effort and minimum clean up
By The Week UK
-
'It makes absolutely no sense'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
'This is not an unusual story'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
The Resistance: Is it finally taking off?
Feature Mass protests erupted across all 50 states during the 'Hands Off!' demonstrations against the Trump administration
By The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US