U.S. News

Workers at a Whole Foods in Philadelphia are on track to be the first in company history to be represented by a labor union after a majority voted Monday to join the local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, 130 workers voted to be represented by UFCW, while 100 voted against, out of nearly 300 eligible employees. Now, said NLRB's Teddy Quinn, "The employer must begin bargaining in good faith with the union."

The development comes two months after a majority of workers at the sprawling, flagship location signed cards expressing interest in collectively bargaining. The election was facilitated by the National Labor Relations Board, which under former President Joe Biden adopted a rule expediting such votes, limiting the time employers have to engage in anti-union advocacy; before the vote, workers had accused Whole Foods and its parent company, Amazon, of having turned union-busting into a "science," claiming employees were retaliated against for organizing.