Whole Foods workers in Pennsylvania have voted to unionize, marking a big win for the workforce. Workers at the Amazon-owned grocery chain held a vote to join a local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union recently, and despite Amazon’s anti-union stance, they were able to secure a 57% majority totaling 130 votes that the group cast.
Around 100 workers rejected the decision to join but they were unable to stop those who were committed to establishing the union. This marks Whole Foods’ first union win and could lead to a bigger push to unionize at other locations as well.
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Philadelphian Whole Foods Workers Unionize Despite the Resistance
Organization efforts at the Whole Foods store are said to have begun last year, after which workers moved to join the UFCW Local 1776 to represent their rights. In November, the Philadelphia Whole Foods union efforts resulted in a petition with the National Labor Relations Board with regard to holding an election. The results of the vote were declared on Monday, with the flagship store in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood confirming that they had succeeded in meeting their goal.
In a statement to CNN, the union’s local chapter called the vote “a significant victory in their fight for fair wages, improved benefits, and a safer, more supportive workplace.” The statement explained that “the workers faced anti-union pressure and intimidation from Amazon in the lead-up to the vote.”
Whole Foods’ own statement on the results of the vote showcased the company’s disappointment at the results, but it does not appear that the organization plans on contenting the results of the vote for now.
Whole Foods’ Unionization Attempts Were Allegedly Fraught With Challenges
In the lead-up to the vote, a few workers took to social media to claim that the organization was engaging in union-busting activities and discouraging workers from organizing without addressing the concerns that lay at the heart of the vote. The UFCW even went so far as to file charges with the NLRB to put an end to the discrimination and threats that workers were allegedly facing in their attempts to unionize.
“We work hard and have a lot of passion for what we do. 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.”
—UFCW Local 1776 statement following the original petition of union elections filed with the NLRB
US reps from Pennsylvania were reported to have sent a letter to the CEOs of Whole Foods and Amazon over their concerns that workers were facing obstructions in their legal rights to attempt to unionize.
What’s Next for Whole Foods and Amazon?
Whole Foods may have managed to form its first union in 2025, but there are more roadblocks ahead. The results of the vote still have to be certified by the NLRB, giving Amazon a chance to challenge the results until they are made official.
“This fight is far from over, but today’s victory is an important step forward,” Wendell Young IV, the president of UFCW Local 1776, was quoted as saying by AP News. “We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers’ needs and priorities.”
Now that the Whole Foods workers have voted to unionize, they will likely have a lengthy wait period ahead of them before they are able to negotiate any new contracts with the organization in terms of pay, benefits, health care, and other considerations.
Amazon, which acquired Whole Foods in 2017, has been repeatedly accused of being anti-union and of blocking workers from any organization’s efforts. The organization has frequently been at odds with the NLRB, even deeming it as an “unconstitutional” institution. Delivery and warehouse workers at the company have struggled to establish their own union presence over the years, with Staten Island workers being the first to overcome the hurdles and unionize in 2022.
Unfortunately, the workers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have been unable to secure a contract with the organization since then. The determined workers went on strike in December to protest the circumstances, but no contracts have been announced.
Over the last year, there have been multiple union-led movements for better benefits and wages, and it appears that trend is expected to continue with the Whole Foods workers’ union victory in 2025.
