Workers at VITAL Climbing Gyms Unionize

Two VITAL Climbing Gyms in New York City have filed this week to unionize with Climbers United. If they win their election, they’ll form the 2nd & 3rd unionized rock gyms in the U.S. Movement Climbing outside of D.C. won a union earlier this year.

Workers decided to unionize to have a say in pay and working conditions. VITAL recently renovated one of their gyms with no input from staff. When workers returned, there was nowhere to sit during their shifts. LGBTQ+ workers at VITAL also say that they weren’t consulted about Pride events, had to fight tooth and nail to get pronoun pins, and continue to have pride flags taken down around the gym.

"A union will give us a seat at the table so we can have a say in our working conditions," the union said in a statement on Twitter. "As the people who know our gym and our members best, we believe that a union will strengthen our community and create a better VITAL for everyone. Stay tuned for more!" Follow @ClimbersUnited on Twitter.