Employees at a Philadelphia Whole Foods made history as the first Amazon-owned grocery chain to unionize following a Monday vote.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) cited a 130-100 vote of workers at a Whole Foods in Center City in Philadelphia, noting 57 percent of ballots favored the measure.
“Whole Foods and its parent company, Amazon, have long resisted unionization efforts, but this election shows that workers’ determination and unity can triumph,” Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said in a statement.
“Companies must remember that grocery workers play an essential role by helping families put food on their tables. It is their hard work that keeps shelves stocked, groceries bagged, and customers coming back” he added.
Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion seven years ago. Laborers at the Philadelphia branch first filed to hold a union election in November 2024.
Whole Foods said it was “disappointed” by the recent election.
“We are disappointed by the outcome of this election, but we are committed to maintaining a positive working environment in our Philly Center City store,” the company said in a statement to The Hill.
Amazon received a complaint from the NLRB in October over an ongoing battle with Teamsters regarding delivery drivers employed by a third party company who previously voted to unionize.
The next month, Amazon workers went on strike amid raging Cyber Monday sales and the Christmas holiday creating a standoff with the e-commerce company.
Updated at 1:22 p.m. EST
