Philadelphia has a long history of labor organizing—the city’s shoemakers formed the first union in the United States in 1794, the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers. So it’s no surprise that on January 27th 2025, workers at Whole Foods Center City, Philadelphia continued that legacy and voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1776, making history as the first unionized store in the Amazon-owned grocery chain. In early February, we spoke with three of the newly unionized workers—Mase Vaney, Ed Dupree, and Khy Adams—about their experiences at Whole Foods, what this victory means for them and their coworkers, and the fight ahead.