Chipotle Mexican Grill will pay $240,000 to former workers of an Augusta, Maine, restaurant to resolve claims that it closed the site as part of alleged union busting. Chipotle has denied any wrongdoing. We've gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.

Company's Stance on NLRB Complaint

The restaurant was closed last July after workers tried to organize. At the time, the company said the closure was due to difficulty finding staff. But the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint alleging that the closing was intended to defeat union organizing.

"We settled this case not because we did anything wrong, but because the time, energy and cost to litigate would have far outweighed the settlement agreement," the company said in a statement on March 27. "We respect our employees' rights to organize under the National Labor Relations Act."

(CNN)

Union's Position

The settlement "isn't just a victory for Chipotle United. It's a win for food service workers across the country. 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," said Brandi McNease, a former Augusta Chipotle worker and lead Chipotle United organizer, in a statement. "Now that we've won this battle, we'll keep fighting. Every service employee deserves the right to safe working conditions and fair wages to support our families and this movement won't stop until we get them. We are...

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