“When they fired me, they stressed repeatedly that I was a supervisor and not eligible to organize, and that they had lost their faith in my judgment as a supervisor,” LaBove said. LaBove said they initially reached out to the United Auto Workers union in August.
Chris LaBove, a warehouse lead who had worked at the retailer’s Brighton warehouse since 2009, said Newbury Comics fired them on Nov. 25, about a week after the company first indicated it had learned of the warehouse employees’ organizing efforts. This prompted the union, the United Auto Workers , to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board .
Ahead of a vote by Newbury Comics warehouse workers on whether to unionize, a national union has accused the local comic book and music store chain of union-busting tactics , including unlawfully firing a longtime employee for being a lead organizer.
In a news release, the UAW also said Newbury Comics sought to intimidate employees by expressing the company’s oppositional views on unionization at “captive-audience” meetings. LaBove, who learned about the meetings from current workers, alleged these meetings took place after the National Labor Relations Board ruled this practice, which involves pressuring employees to attend meetings under threat of discipline, unlawful on Nov. 13.
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Approximately 50 employees — responsible for receiving, packaging, shipping, delivery, and more at the retailer’s warehouse — will vote on joining the United Auto Workers union on Jan. 9, seeking more paid time off and higher wages, LaBove said. UAW Local 1596 represents thousands of warehouse, manufacturing, and service workers in eastern Massachusetts, including at bookstores and movie theaters.
In a statement, Jeffrey Hirsch and Kathleen Berney, two lawyers with Hirsch Roberts Weinstein who are representing Newbury Comics, said the company has cooperated with federal officials on the employees’ secret ballot election, which will be administered by the NLRB. They declined to comment on any personnel matters, saying they are confidential. They said the company held several voluntary informational sessions for workers, and some chose to attend, while a “significant number” decided not to, “which is their absolute right under federal law.”
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“Newbury Comics fully supports the lawful rights of its employees to engage in or to refrain from engaging in union organizing activities, as provided under the National Labor Relations Act,” the statement said. “We certainly believe that it is important for employees to learn about their rights under the National Labor Relations Act and understand about the advantages and disadvantages of collective bargaining.”
New comic books were displayed at Newbury Comics at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree in 2011. David L. Ryan
To many warehouse workers, unionization is a crucial step to advocate for pay raises, LaBove said, since wages have not risen at the same pace as the skyrocketing cost of living near the Brighton warehouse.
“A lot of people have gotten priced out of living close to work,” LaBove said. “I used to live a 10-minute walk [away], then a 15-minute bike ride, and now I live on the North Shore, because I just can’t afford to live in the area anymore.”
Workers are also pushing for more stability, LaBove said, as their hours are cut significantly during slow seasons.
Newbury Comics has closed some stores in recent years, including in Saugus and Marlborough, but still operates 31 locations across New England, including its namesake location on Newbury Street in Boston. The locally beloved retailer — whose slogan is “A wicked good time” — has repeatedly expanded what it sells in a rapidly changing and digitizing world, from comics to vinyl records to clothing, collectibles, and more.
LaBove, who worked at the company first as a general warehouse employee and then as a warehouse lead in various departments, said their termination was “extremely stressful” — and a complete shock. Throughout their 15 years at the company, they said, they never heard negative feedback about their work from their managers or had any disciplinary issues.
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“It’s unfortunate that I was let go,” said LaBove, who is now working in another warehouse part-time and searching for another job. “Despite identifying problems with the company, it’s like, nobody organizes a company that they don’t want to continue working at.”
Stella Tannenbaum can be reached at stella.tannenbaum@globe.com.