Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia become the 1st to unionize

Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia voted to unionize on Monday, becoming the first group of employees to pull off a labor win at the Amazon-owned grocery store chain.

Employees cast 130 votes — or about 57% of the ballots cast — in favor of joining a local chapter of The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union for the purposes of collective bargaining. According to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election, 100 workers rejected the motion.

“This fight is far from over, but today’s victory is an important step forward,” said Wendell Young IV, the president of UFCW Local 1776. “We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers’ needs and priorities.”

The results mark the first successful entry of organized labor into Amazon’s grocery business, which includes Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh and the Amazon Go convenience stores. Amazon, which purchased Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion, has tried to fend off organizing efforts in its stores as well as by delivery drivers and warehouse workers.

Nearly three years ago, Amazon warehouse workers in the New York City borough of Staten Island voted to be represented in labor negotiations by a fledgling union that has since affiliated with the Teamsters. But Amazon has refused to come to the bargaining table.

Employees at the Whole Foods store, located in the center of Philadelphia, started organizing early last year, Young said. They teamed up with UFCW Local 1776 in the late summer, and in November petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold an official election.

The local union said the store workers hoped a successful vote would help them secure higher wages, more affordable health care coverage, child care support, greater work-life balance and better working conditions.

In a statement after the votes were counted Monday night, Whole Foods said it “is proud to offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and career advancement opportunities to all Team Members.”

“We are disappointed by the outcome of this election, but we are committed to maintaining a positive working environment in our Philly Center City store,” the company added.

The company said it provides store employees with a competitive average hourly wage and other benefits, such as 401(k) plans and “on-demand” mental health support. It did not disclose its average hourly rate, but some online job postings show store employees can earn $16 per hour or higher.

After the union filed the election petition, workers at the Philadelphia store were given free snacks, and the company repainted their break rooms, according to Young.

Earlier this month, UFCW Local 1776 filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB against the company, accusing it of firing one worker in retaliation for union activities and alleging that supervisors told employees they would get paid more if they rejected the union bid. Whole Foods disputed the worker was fired in retaliation.

The union has also accused Whole Foods of withholding region-wide wage increases from employees at the Philadelphia store because of the union activities.

The company acknowledges it did not offer wage increases to workers at the store, even though it did so at a number of other stores as part of a quarterly review. Whole Foods maintains it would have been illegal to make wage adjustments in the lead-up to the union election, an argument Young disputed.

The company said it was delaying the pay bumps until after the election to avoid the appearance of trying to influence the vote with raises.

Seattle-based Amazon has resisted union organizing efforts by its workers. Amazon delivery drivers went on strike in a handful of U.S. cities before Christmas to exert pressure on the the company to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina are scheduled to vote next month on whether they want to be represented by an upstart union called Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment.

The retail giant has challenged the structure of the National Labor Relations Board in court. Amazon accused the federal agency of tampering in the 2022 union election at the Staten Island warehouse, in part by bringing a lawsuit against the company to reinstate a fired organizer close to when voting began.