Employees at Good Vibrations, the Bay Area adult entertainment chain, are making a bid to unionize. According to a report by SFist, workers filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board in a move to join the UFCW Local 5. The union claims workers are seeking "better wages, more job security, and improved health and safety measures" - a response to challenges that they say were exacerbated by the pandemic.

The unionization efforts involve about 40 employees from Good Vibrations locations in Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, Palo Alto, and Santa Cruz. If Good Vibrations management does not to swiftly recognize the labor union, workers are prepared to vote to officially certify the union. This process, as reported by the SFGate, typically takes place about six to eight weeks following the filing.

The push for unionization follows a historical precedent within the company's parent corporation, Barnaby Ltd., which also owns Babeland - a sex shop chain wherein workers successfully unionized in 2016. Babeland's union efforts led to a contract establishing health benefits, wage increases, and safety protocols. This example may provide a framework for Good Vibrations' current campaign as per information provided by UFCW Local 5.

In light of recent labor movements, the action taken by Good Vibrations workers is a part of a broader pattern of unionization efforts. The San Francisco Standard recalls 2023's "hot labor summer" - a surge of union participation with approximately 300,000 workers causing work stoppages. Jim Araby, spokesperson for UFCW Local 5, told the San Francisco Standard, "This generation of workers particularly in the Bay Area saying the economic picture looks bleak and the only solution is labor."

Response from Good Vibrations or Barnaby Ltd. was not available at the time of reporting. Nonetheless, the efforts by Good Vibrations’ workers may to significantly alter employment conditions within the adult retail sector in the Bay Area, echoing similar movements across various industries nationwide.