Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia are voting on whether to form the first union in the Amazon-owned chain. The company is pushing back.

Workers at a Pennsylvania Whole Foods store voted on Monday to unionize, forming the first union in the organic grocery chain owned by Amazon.

The union win, at a Philadelphia store where workers are seeking higher wages, comes as Amazon is also fighting organizing efforts among some warehouse employees and delivery drivers.

The Amazon-owned grocery store brand says it's 'disappointed' in the employees' plan to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Pennsylvania voted to unionize on Monday, becoming the first group of employees to pull off a labor win at the Amazon-owned grocery store chain.

(THE CONVERSATION) Whole Foods workers at the Philadelphia flagship store in the city’s Art Museum area voted to unionize on Jan. 27, 2025. They are the first store in the Amazon-owned grocery chain to do so.

Now, a battle lies ahead when working out the first contract between Whole Foods and the unionized workers. "This is going to be the longest uphill battle of our lives, but this is not just for us. This is for the people who come behind us and for the people who have been here," said Khy Adams, a Whole Foods employee.

The unionization vote comes despite a “barrage of union-busting techniques, intimidation, threats, coercion” and wrongful firings, UFCW Local 1776 President Wendell Young IV said in an interview.

In his expanded role, Buechel will oversee Amazon's roster of grocers, including Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go and other grocery partnerships, as the division looks for ways to boost revenue. He will keep his role as CEO of Austin-based Whole Foods.

The Treasure Coast has been attracting increasingly more development over the last couple of years, bringing more national chain stores, restaurants and gas stations to the area. But residents on social media have expressed their desire for even more variety.

Workers voted 130-100 for union representation at the Center City in Philadelphia, representing about 57% of the total votes cast, according to the National Labor Relations Board. "We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers' needs and priorities,