sulfurousacid

I'll be here when it all gets weird

  • he him

37, huge nerd, ace/aro 🔞minors dni🔞
I like weird porn die mad about it



cohostunionnews
@cohostunionnews

On September 19, 2022, the workers of Vital Climbing Gym went public with their union and two months later they unionized the Vital Manhattan location by 13-0. Ten months later, they're back! After a two month campaign they've just unionized the Brooklyn location by a vote of 43-8!

Vital management has previously made it pretty clear where they stand on unionization. Asked for comment during the first campaign in Manhattan, that location's manager told Hell Gate: "We don't think a union is good for VITAL, nor separately, the staff. And by opting for an election, the entire staff will have a voice in a decision that affects all of them." Neither the Manhattan nor Brooklyn locations saw Climbers United legally recognized until their respective union elections.

Workers, however, have felt pretty good reasons to unionize. The Manhattan location's workers found a big one in the lack of voice they had to management. One vignette Hell Gate picked up on that involved staff seating exemplifies this:

[...]VITAL renovated the Upper East Side gym in February 2022, removing the front desk. Goodwin still works there, but now he and his coworkers have been left without a designated place for staff to sit during their 6- or 7-hour shifts. When management presented the renovation plans to its employees before construction, workers repeatedly pointed out seating would be an issue.

VITAL went ahead with the renovations anyway, and despite numerous complaints by workers and promises by the company, staff still don't have a place to sit.

Employment status is another: most workers at Vital's gyms are part-timers—they have few benefits and pay that doesn't keep up with the cost of living, even though the gym's fees and membership run in the hundreds of dollars per year. There are pay disparities between both locations each is looking to overturn. And Brooklyn's workers, according to Brooklyn Paper, are particularly looking to overturn their part-time status and win better wages overall.


alyaza
@alyaza
This page's posts are visible only to users who are logged in.

You must log in to comment.