A majority of workers at a flagship Whole Foods store in Philadelphia voted to unionize on Monday, becoming the first in the Amazon-owned grocery chain to snatch a labor victory.
Workers voted 130-100 for union representation at the Center City in Philadelphia, representing about 57% of the total votes cast, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
Workers at the store, which is located in the Spring Garden neighborhood and employs around 300 people, had filed to hold a union election in November 2024, the first since Amazon acquired the business for $13.7 billion in 2017.
“We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers’ needs and priorities,” Wendell Young IV, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, which is a local chapter of the union, said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Whole Foods said it was disappointed by the outcome of this vote, saying they “offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and career advancement opportunities.”
“We are committed to maintaining a positive working environment in our Philly Center City store”, a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement.
The successful union vote comes amid a growing wave of labor activism across Amazon’s operations.
In recent years, Amazon has faced mounting pressure from employees advocating for better wages and safer working conditions.
The company has resisted union efforts, arguing that its workers already receive competitive compensation and that unions could disrupt workplace dynamics.
Whole Foods workers filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in November.
UFCW and some employees alleged that Whole Foods management engaged in aggressive anti-union tactics following the filing, prompting the union to lodge unfair labor practice complaints with the NLRB.
Amazon’s resistance to organized labor has led to legal battles.
The company has been accused of violating federal labor laws in several cases and has pushed back against allegations of union-busting activities.
Last year, Amazon joined companies like SpaceX and Trader Joe’s in questioning the constitutionality of the NLRB.
The Philadelphia Whole Foods store is the first to successfully unionize since Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of the grocery chain.
A prior unionization effort at a Whole Foods store in Madison, Wisconsin, succeeded in 2002 but was dissolved by employees the following year.
Beyond Whole Foods, Amazon has seen other unionization efforts gain traction.
Workers at a Staten Island warehouse formed Amazon’s first union in 2022 but have faced challenges in negotiating a contract.
Meanwhile, employees at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina are preparing for a union vote next month.
With this latest victory, labor organizers see momentum building for workers across Amazon and its subsidiaries.
The Philadelphia Whole Foods employees will now look to secure a contract that addresses their concerns and sets a precedent for other locations.
With Post Wires
