We make Whole Foods run. It’s time they start to act like it.
Our work at Whole Foods is essential work, but it’s become less and less common for our company to give us the hours and wages to pay for our own essentials. That’s why we’re unionizing with the support of UFCW to fight for a better future at Whole Foods!
We just WON our union election in Philadelphia, and we’re talking with more and more of our coworkers to build a true movement at Whole Foods. We’re starting a new chapter at the company, standing up for everything we need to thrive, and turning Whole Foods into the company we know it can be!
UFCW represents 835,000 grocery store workers at major employers such as Kroger, Albertsons-Safeway, and Ahold Delhaize (Stop & Shop and Giant). We work with people in grocery stores all across the country to get them the wages and benefits they deserve — all backed by a union contract.
If you work at Whole Foods and want to join us in our mission to hold our company to a higher standard, fill out the form below! We’d love to chat about what things are like at your store.
Ready to Start a Union at your Whole Foods?
Hear from our members
Whole Foods Union News
January 27th, 2025 – Whole Foods Workers in Philadelphia WIN their Union Election
Via the New York Times: “Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia voted on Monday to become the first unionized store in Amazon’s grocery chain, opening a new front in the e-commerce giant’s efforts to fend off labor organizing in multiple segments of its business.”
“Those leading the union campaign hinted at a broader goal: to inspire a wave of organizing across the chain’s more than 500 grocery stores, adding to union drives among warehouse workers and delivery drivers that Amazon is already combating.”
“I expect others to follow, and that will increase the leverage that we have at the bargaining table,” said Ben Lovett, an employee at the Philadelphia store who has led the organizing. “We’ve shown them that it’s possible to organize at Amazon.”
We’re thrilled about what our victory means for workers in Philly and Whole Foods staff across the country. There are thousands of other Whole Foods associates ready to stand up for ourselves and make Whole Foods a great place to work again. We can’t wait to sit down with company leadership and start discussing our vision for better stores, and we’re encouraging all Whole Foods staff to connect with us to learn more about what we can accomplish together!
November 23rd, 2024 — Workers at Whole Foods in Philadelphia, PA file for their union election
“On November 22, Whole Foods Workers United officially declared its intention to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1776 and filed papers with the National Labor Relations Board.”
Workers say that “Prioritizing maximization of profit over all else has resulted in poor conditions for workers and lower quality products and services for customers.” ‘If nothing is done it will only continue to get worse. This affects everyone. Our fight is for all — not just for us as employees but for Whole Foods patrons and our local communities as well.”
Frequently Asked Questions about the Whole Foods Union
What is the value of unionizing my Whole Foods?
By starting a union at Whole Foods, we’ll be able to negotiate contracts that give us higher wages, better schedules, and a fair workload that doesn’t leave us burned out.
Having a union can also give us a voice in our stores. When we come together, we can establish a powerful collective voice that we can use to stand up for our needs. And, whenever there’s an issue that management won’t budge on, we’ll have a union representative ready to back us up!
What grocery store companies are unionized?
There’s a wide range of grocery companies that UFCW helps represent across the country! From national employers like Kroger, Albertsons-Safeway, and Ahold-Delhaize companies like Giant and Stop & Shop, to regional favorites like Raley’s, Piggly Wiggly, and ShopRite.
Workers at all of these companies have achieved incredible things with their unions, and we’re excited to add Whole Foods to the growing list of strong union grocers!
What have other grocery workers won with their unions?
With their unions, grocery workers across the country have won contracts that give them living wages, balanced schedules, affordable health insurance, and better working conditions across the board. They’ve raised the bar for the value of their work, and they’ve turned their grocery jobs into excellent careers.
We’re thrilled that we have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of other union grocery workers and start a new chapter here at Whole Foods. Fill out the form above to join us as we get our union off the ground!
What if I like working at Whole Foods? Will having a union change things?
We have seen over recent years that Whole Foods has no problem taking away things like hours and benefits that brought us to work here in the first place. With a union contract, they can’t do that without bargaining with us over those changes first.
And for the things that you don’t like about your store, you can propose a better system and negotiate your proposal with Whole Foods!
Essentially, there’s only room to grow upwards when you have a union. This is because you have the power to change what you want to change and protect the things you already like about your store. It’s the best of both worlds!
How can I unionize my Whole Foods Location?
The best way to start a union at your Whole Foods store is to fill out the form above and get in touch with a UFCW organizer! We’re here to answer any questions you have about the process of starting a union. And, as you begin, visit our Union 101 library where we lay out all the best info to help you and your coworkers get organized.