Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
On Monday, workers at a Philadelphia Whole Foods Market voted to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776, making them the first union store in Amazon’s grocery chain.
The e-commerce giant has owned Whole Foods since 2017. Since taking over, Amazon has rolled back numerous worker benefits, cut staffing and changed things like attendance policies for the worse. As expected, this campaign was faced with numerous instances of anti-union retaliation and intimidation tactics, forcing UFCW to file unfair labor practice charges against the grocer. Full- and part-time staff cite the need for livable wages, affordable health care and better retirement packages as key motivators for organizing. But members of Whole Foods Workers United also hope their story of taking on a union-busting behemoth—and winning—will also inspire their counterparts at hundreds of locations across the country.
“I expect others to follow, and that will increase the leverage that we have at the bargaining table,” said Ben Lovett, a member of Whole Foods Workers United. “We’ve shown them that it’s possible to organize at Amazon.”
“This fight is far from over, but today’s victory is an important step forward,” said Wendell Young, president of 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.”