Melissa Atkins Weighs in on Whole Foods Union Battle Against Amazon

In the January 29, 2025, Bloomberg’s article, “Whole Foods Union Faces Tough Task to Secure Contract With Amazon,” Melissa Atkins, a labor and employment partner at Obermayer, discussed the challenges facing Philadelphia’s Whole Foods employees after voting to join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. Their biggest hurdle is getting Amazon, Whole Foods’ parent company, to negotiate a contract. Amazon has a history of delaying union negotiations, as seen with the Amazon Labor Union in Staten Island, which voted to unionize nearly three years ago but still has no contract. While U.S. law requires employers to negotiate in “good faith,” it does not impose penalties for delays.

“There’s no timeline for you to get a contract fully negotiated,” said Melissa. “All you have to do is come to the table.”

The grocery union hopes to leverage community support, something Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse workers didn’t have. Supermarket employees build relationships with customers, unlike warehouse workers who remain unseen. Additionally, Philadelphia is a union-friendly city, and stalling negotiations could be bad for business, at least in one location.

Read the full article here.