Workers at Center City Whole Foods Market to Become 1st to Unionize under Amazon-owned grocery chain

Whole Foods Market, store sign and building entrance, Hudson Yards, New York City, New York, USA

Source: UCG / Getty

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

Employees at the Philadelphia store at 21st Street and Pennsylvania Avenue 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, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union 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.”

During the countries most pivotal times, store workers are expected to hustle during emergency situations, like holidays, or hours before a snowstorm hits when customers are trying to stock up on supplies.

“When the forecasters say there’s going to be snow, our members rise to the occasion. They go into sprint mode, they will work more hours and get more done,” said Young,

The union represents about 35,000 workers, in which 65% work in supermarkets. With the Amazon acquisition, the work culture of Amazon means its Whole Foods Market grocery store at 2101 Pennsylvania Ave. in Philadelphia is operated at a relentless pace all the time, Young said.

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.

Information from this article was sourced form CBS Philly, WHYY News.