Will Whole Foods Market in Philly go union?

Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia announced Friday that they have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union Local 1776.

An “overwhelming majority of workers” at the Amazon-owned grocery chain voted in favor of the move, UFCW 1776 said in a press release.

“No one should have to beg for fair compensation and better working conditions while working for one of the most profitable organic grocers in the world,” the union said, adding, “As (Whole Foods CEO) Jason Buechel, (Amazon CEO) Jeff Bezos, and other major Amazon shareholders’ pockets grow deeper, team members struggle to afford rent, healthcare, childcare, and other basic necessities.” 

Whole Foods Market released the following statement to Supermarket News: “At Whole Foods Market, we remain committed to listening to our team members, making changes based on their feedback, and treating all of our team members fairly in a safe, inclusive working environment, while providing our team members with career advancement opportunities, great benefits, and market competitive compensation. Whole Foods Market recognizes the rights of our team members to make an informed decision on whether union representation is right for them. We agree with the overwhelming majority of our team members who value our open door policy and our ability to quickly respond to the needs of our workforce.”

Whole Foods workers said the union effort aims to be a “beacon of hope for every Whole Foods and Amazon worker.”

“Some of us have been with Whole Foods for decades. But, no matter how long we’ve been with the company, we should all be recognized and compensated fairly for our work. Lifting, stocking shelves, and bending repetitively, all while standing for hours, is physically demanding. The speed with which we are pushed to work increases every day. It is becoming impossible to balance our health, our safety, and our desire to satisfy and delight our customers with the company’s thirst for profits,” Whole Foods workers said in the press release.  

No specifics were given on compensation or other benefits workers will call for if the union moves forward.