The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Edina-based Regis Corporation.
The board is charging the hair salon company with several illegal actions to fight unionization efforts among some 56,000 hair stylists and other employees.
Marlin Osthus of the NLRB says Regis pressured virtually all employees to sign agreements that would seemingly revoke and invalidate any union authorization cards they had signed.
"We think the agreements are illegal and it was illegal for Regis to even request employees to sign the agreements," Osthus said.
The NLRB says some employees were told they would be fired if they didn't sign the agreements. Others were told they would be blacklisted in the industry if they signed union cards.
Regis declined to comment on the charges.
The NLRB is seeking a judicial order requiring Regis to admit to illegal actions and to stop them. Regis has over 12,700 company-owned or franchised salons worldwide.
Regis' corporate and franchised locations operate under concepts such as Supercuts, Sassoon Salon, Regis Salons, MasterCuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, Cool Cuts 4 Kids and Hair Club for Men and Women.