Ronald Rhoades and his fellow welders formed a union in October of last year, worried about unsafe rigging, crowding and other conditions at the shop in Morton, Illinois, where they built tractor decks. 

But by early 2022, the group of about 20 were out of their jobs. 

The company, G&D Integrated, had closed the factory, saying it had suddenly lost its decade-old contract with a Japanese company, workers said. The welders saw another motive: retaliation for the union effort. 

“They’ve been building these decks for over 10 years,” said Rhoades, 46. “And then two months after we organize, they’re taking everything away from us.”

The welders filed complaints about the closure to the National Labor Relations Board, part of a sharp increase this year in worker grievances alleging retaliatory shutdowns and other illegal anti-union activity. Overall the numbers are still small, but organizers say store closings are one way companies have tried to tamp down union drives amid post-pandemic worker frustration and rising economic pressure.