BUENA PARK, Calif.—Usually, LEGO is associated with physically building things up, but in this case, workers are accusing the company of tearing down their chances of getting union representation. Employees at the Downtown Disney LEGO store are claiming that the company is using illegal union-busting tactics and violating their rights.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324, the union supporting LEGO Store workers’ unionization efforts in Downtown Disney, announced on Friday, Dec. 5, that it has filed an unfair labor practice charge against LEGO. The union alleges that LEGO has unlawfully restricted employees from discussing unionization at work and “heightened its enforcement of work rules in response to the workers’ organizing activities.”
Two months ago, workers publicly announced their effort to unionize the flagship LEGO Store. Since that time, employees, referred to as “Brick Specialists” in LEGO corporate-speak, have reported that the company has attempted to undermine support for forming a union. A so-called “labor educator” has shown up at the store to lobby employees against the union. The UFCW alleges that this person refuses to tell workers their last name or who they are employed by. This individual is said to be attempting to meet with workers at the store one by one, working in “apparent coordination with store managers.”
This comes on top of reports that LEGO has flown numerous company managers in from out of state to work in the store, despite workers’ complaints that they themselves are blocked from working more than 27 hours per week.
Brick Specialist Melissa Gonzalez expressed her frustration with LEGO’s behavior. “We started organizing because we felt like the low pay, lack of benefits, and understaffing [were] a fixable problem, and with all the union members around us at the Disney Resort, we just wanted equal treatment,” she said. “I asked for a voice on the job, not a target on my back.”
This isn’t the first time LEGO has come under fire for alleged union-busting. In 2023, when ride technician engineers at Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif., filed for a union election to join International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), District Lodge 947, workers there reported that LEGO sent in “union avoidance consultants” and held regular one-on-one and group meetings in an effort to isolate pro-union workers who pushed back on anti-union claims.
The company also went as far as hiring the law firm Littler Mendelson, which, according to LaborLab, has an infamous reputation for union-busting, often representing employers in labor disputes, lawsuits, and other union matters. The firm has previously worked for large corporate giants such as Google and Amazon.
“We hoped LEGO would’ve respected our right to unionize, as they claimed they’d do, but the way they have responded to us has made me lose faith in a company I really loved,” said Connor Vescelus, a brick specialist. “The union-buster is clearly here to divide and confuse us, and I thought LEGO was better than that.”
In a statement given to KTLA 5, LEGO denies the allegations, stating, “We vigorously deny the charge and will cooperate fully with the NLRB going forward. At the LEGO Group, we are committed to creating a culture of teamwork and belonging across all locations.“
Yet, despite the company’s noted business principles, workers on the ground say they are experiencing actions that are not aligned with the company’s words.
“LEGO would rather spend money on a labor consultant and union-busting law firm than respect our right to form a union,” said Roy Silva, a brick specialist, in a statement released by the UFCW. “But we aren’t going to give up. We want to see real change in this store, and they should have invested that money in us instead.”
The unfair labor practice charge now awaits action from the National Labor Relations Board.
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