Portillo’s workers in Addison vote to unionize

Workers at a Portillo’s food preparation facility in Addison voted to unionize Thursday in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board.

The approximately 50 food service workers at the Oak Brook-based company’s suburban plant work preparing food, such as Italian beef and sweet peppers, for local Portillo’s restaurants. Other members of the new bargaining unit include sanitation, maintenance and shipping and receiving employees at the facility.

Employees voted 28 to 20 to join the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, confirmed Kayla Blado, a spokesperson for the NLRB.

The Addison facility is believed to be the first unionized Portillo’s location, according to Hank Hunsell, district representative for the Iron Workers International. In a statement, Hunsell said the union was “very excited about our new brother and sister Iron Workers!”

“With these results, we appreciate everyone’s participation in the election — and we will work through the next steps in the NLRB process and look forward to continuing to work with all of our Team Members,” Portillo’s said in a statement Thursday.

Both parties have one week to file objections to the election. If no objections are filed, the NLRB will certify the results and Portillo’s must begin bargaining with the union in good faith.

Arise Chicago, a workers’ center that the Portillo’s food service employees have been organizing with since 2021, has accused Portillo’s of “an onslaught of company intimidation, false claims, mandatory captive audience meetings, and retaliation.”

Since workers filed for the union election in March, the Iron Workers have filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB alleging misconduct including coercion, surveillance of workers and interrogation. Those charges remain under investigation.

In a statement provided through Arise, Roberto Martinez, a slicing-room employee at Portillo’s, said workers were tired of “broken promises.”

“In my 26 years at Portillo’s I have witnessed too many broken promises. We are ready for a change and now we will no longer have empty promises because management will have to put everything down in writing,” Martinez said.

Portillo’s said it was “proud of the competitive pay, career growth, development opportunities, and outstanding benefits — including health insurance, paid time off, a wellness program, learning resources, meal benefits, and reward and recognition programs — that we provide for our team members.”

Portillo’s did not comment specifically on the open unfair labor practice charges filed with the NLRB.

Portillo’s, which was founded in a trailer in a parking lot in Villa Park in 1963, went public in 2021. The fast-casual chain now has about 70 locations spread across 10 states.