Hillel Aron

(CN) — Trader Joe’s trademark lawsuit against a union that represents a smattering of its employees is back on the menu after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday found that a district judge improperly dismissed the action.

Founded in 1967, Trader Joe’s is a tiki-themed supermarket with more than 600 stores in the U.S. and a fervent cult following. Now owned by a German company, most of its products are made by the company itself, making them cheaper to consumers. Store employees are organized along nautical themes — the manager of the store is called “the captain,” and the other employees are called “crew members.”

In 2022, crew members unionized in the small town of Hadley, Massachusetts, founding Trader Joe’s United. Crews in three other stores have since followed

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