Climbing gyms are undergoing a minor unionization wave that I've covered previously on this account. In 2022 Climbers United successfully unionized a Vital Climbing Gym location in Manhattan and followed it up last year with unionizing another location in Brooklyn. Also last year came an announcement from Philadelphia that Workers United was unionizing The Cliffs Climbing (now apparently Movement Callowhill). I'm unsure what came of that effort unfortunately, but it does speak to the efforts going on in this space right now.
This week the wave continues with Touchstone Climbing, which is seeing five of its California locations (Pasadena, Hollywood, Burbank, Culver City, and Los Angeles) unionize. The bargaining unit proposed covers about 100 workers between these locations. Workers say the unionization effort began after a detailed threat against the Hollywood location was not disclosed by management, leading to an employee walkout. Employees also say that internal messaging channels were closed over continued discussion of the person who made the threat—that person would reappear at other locations of Touchstone.
Demands from the union are "guarantee[d] basic worker safety protections, a living wage, expanded paid sick leave, staff-led equity initiatives and improved opportunities for growth within the climbing and fitness industry."
