Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia just made history by voting to form a union.
This is the first time employees at the Amazon-owned grocery store have successfully unionized.
The store, located in Center City, had 130 workers vote in favor of joining the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776, while 100 voted against it.
Consequently, Whole Foods, and ultimately Amazon, will now have to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions with the union.
Amazon, which bought Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion, has always been against unions, fighting off their efforts at its warehouses, grocery stores, and delivery services.
The company says it already offers good pay and benefits, so workers don’t need a union.
On the contrary, many employees at the Philadelphia store disagree, saying wages aren’t enough, health insurance is too expensive, and work schedules are tough.
It was early last year when the effort to unionize started.
By the summer, workers had teamed up with UFCW Local 1776, and by November, they asked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a vote.
Some employees have worked at Whole Foods for years, yet they still struggle to pay rent and support their families.
They hope the union will help them get better wages, cheaper healthcare, and more predictable work schedules.
But Whole Foods didn’t make things easy.
Leading up to the vote, workers say the company gave out free snacks and repainted break rooms to improve morale.
The union also accused Whole Foods of firing a pro-union worker and holding back a company-wide pay raise from the Philadelphia store.
Whole Foods claims it didn’t raise wages because it didn’t want to influence the vote, but the union argues this was a way to punish workers for organizing.
After the vote, Whole Foods said it was disappointed but still committed to providing better wages, benefits, and career opportunities.
While the company offers a 401(k) retirement plan and mental health support, it hasn’t shared how much its workers actually make.
Some job postings show store employees earn at least $16 per hour, but workers say it’s still not enough to keep up with the ost of living––a part of a bigger movement at Amazon.
In 2022, warehouse workers in Staten Island, New York, won a union vote, becoming the first Amazon warehouse in the U.S. to do so.
However, Amazon has refused to negotiate a contract with them and has even taken legal action against the NLRB.
Amazon delivery drivers in states like California, New York, and Georgia have also been organizing, and another Amazon warehouse in North Carolina is set to vote on unionizing next month.
Winning the vote is just the beginning for Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia, and the next step is negotiating a contract, which won’t be easy.
UFCW Local 1776 president Wendell Young IV said the fight is far from over, and they are ready to push for a strong contract that benefits workers.
Whole Foods may try to delay negotiations or make things difficult, but the union is prepared to fight for what workers need.
This victory could encourage employees at other Whole Foods locations to organize as well.
If more stores follow Philadelphia’s example, Amazon might have to rethink its stance on unions.
For now, all eyes are on the Philadelphia workers as they move forward in their fight for better wages and conditions.
Their success has already sent a strong message that even inside Amazon’s massive corporate empire, workers can come together and demand change.
