Chicago grocery store chain Treasure Island Foods, which announced last month that it's closing its remaining seven stores, is being sued by its employees' union.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union filed the lawsuit in federal court Thursday, alleging the company violated a federal labor law.
The law in question is the "Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act," which requires companies to give written notice to employees 60 days before a closing or mass layoff.
The employees say they were told of the closure around Sept. 28, with the company set to shut its doors for good on Oct. 12. The lawsuit claims Treasure Island must pay employees back pay and benefits for 60 days.
A vocal group of non-union workers rallied outside the Treasure Island on Broadway Street in the city's Boystown neighborhood Monday to call on the company to pay their wages and health benefits in accordance with the law, though it's not clear if they would be protected by the union's negotiations or the provisions of the WARN Act.
Regardless, there was a feeling of betrayal among employees.
"Without notice, they let us go," said longtime employee Sandra Roman, adding, "I worked for this company for 22 years."
On social media, Treasure Island CEO and President Maria Kamberos wrote, "We are sorry it has had to come to this point and we know how detrimental this is to each and every one of you and your families. We have done everything we could to attempt to get the company on solid ground."
Kamberos cited ‘industry conditions’ as an explanation for going out of business. The family-owned company opened in 1963.
