Whole Foods Market Stands By Its Objections to Unionize Philadelphia Store
A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) report has presented a slight setback to Whole Foods Market’s efforts to overturn a unionization vote at its Philadelphia supermarket.
Workers at the flagship Whole Foods store in Philadelphia made headlines back in January when they voted to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776, forming the first union for the Amazon-owned supermarket chain. The vote concluded with 130 workers choosing to join UFCW and 100 workers against the move.
But, as reported by Bloomberg, Whole Foods has argued that the January result should be overturned, alleging the union made promises and provided free election day car rides that prevented a fair election, and that a ruling by the agency’s Democratic members deprived the company of its rights. The union has denied wrongdoing.
A NLRB regional hearing officer rejected Whole Foods' arguments on May 1. Hearing Officer Deena E. Kobel affirmed that the January election was conducted fairly and legally. The decision, which recommends that NLRB move forward with certification, is subject to appeal.
Whole Foods Market sent the following statement to Progressive Grocer: “This is a preliminary report, not a ruling on the objections we’ve filed, and we remain confident that our objections will ultimately be upheld as the full process plays out.”
The majority of the employees at the Philadelphia store voted to unionize for better compensation and working conditions.
UFCW 1776 represents nearly 35,000 workers in a wide array of array of sectors, including retail, health care, food processing and packaging, gaming, and manufacturing.
Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market serves customers in more than 530 stores across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Parent company Amazon is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Both Whole Foods and Amazon were named among PG’s Retailers of the Century and its Most Sustainable Grocers list.
