PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia took a victory lap on Tuesday a day after their historic vote to unionize, they acknowledged that getting a contract is likely to be a difficult fight.
Workers at the Spring Garden Whole Foods agreed to join a union by 30 votes on Monday. Leah Girmay says she was nervous as she watched the vote count.
“I was scared. If we lost, it would feel like a loss for workers in the whole country,” she said. “So when we won, it felt better than I could even imagine.”
Employee Audrey Ta says she felt euphoric.
“It was just an amazing feeling. I could call it a historic win for the first unionized Whole Foods, ever,” said Ta.
But on Tuesday, the workers were clear-eyed about the hurdles that remain.
Whole Foods says it’s disappointed in the results but will maintain a positive environment in the store.
The store is the first in the chain to unionize and only the second Amazon workforce to organize. And Amazon has refused to negotiate with that other workforce.
United Food and Commercial Workers President Wendell Young, who now represents the Whole Foods employees, says the company tried hard to defeat the union, using tactics he believes are illegal, such as forced attendance at meetings with an anti-union message. He’s filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board and expects to file more.
“We don’t expect the company to do the right thing,” says Young. He expects similar tactics and resistance to meeting for contract talks but hopes for different results.
“We are going to fight with them, and I can tell you from the calls from the entire labor movement, here and abroad, they’re going to have one hell of a group fighting in their corner with them.”
Young credited Philadelphia’s pro-labor stance.
“This community really responded well. Elected officials, community groups, customers coming in, and saying, ‘You know, you need to vote for yourself. Don’t believe what the company’s telling you.’”
He says other Whole Foods stores workers have reached out to explore unionizing.
Meanwhile, Ta says pro-union employees will work to win over those who voted against the union.
“I believe if we all stand together, we can achieve something real big,” she said.