The unionization movement has spread to Portillo’s, but not to its restaurants.
Forklift operators and other workers at the fast-food company’s warehouse in the Chicago suburb of Addison voted 28-20 Thursday to form an affiliate of the Ironworkers Union. The facility supports the chain’s thriving direct-to-consumer business, which ships kits for preparing Portillo’s signature Italian beef at home. It also packs and ships the specialties of other restaurant brands concentrated in the Chicago area.
The staff of the Addison facility has been looking into representation by the Ironworkers Union since 2021. With more of a focus on industrial and construction workers, the union is not known to represent any restaurants.
Thursday’s vote did not involve any of Portillo’s 72 restaurants.
None of Portillo’s other support facilities are believed to be unionized.
Organization of the Addison warehouse comes as unions are enjoying significant success in penetrating service industries, including the restaurant business. About 300 units of Starbucks are now union shops, as are a number of regional coffee chains, five stores within the Burgerville regional burger chain and a lone Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Various labor groups have also blazed inroads into such retail operations as Trader Joe’s. Organization drives have also focused on Amazon and REI.
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