Patagonia’s SoHo store in Manhattan is stepping into the labor spotlight, with workers saying they have filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board and are seeking to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. If successful, the move would make the SoHo location the first unionized Patagonia shop in the eastern United States.
Petition and turnout
According to RWDSU, a group of SoHo employees notified store management before submitting their petition to the National Labor Relations Board. As reported by WNYLaborToday, the filing covers roughly 30 full and part time customer experience guides, team leads and warehouse leads, who would seek a first contract if they win representation.
Workers say benefits were cut
Organizers say the union push took shape after what they describe as the loss of long standing paid time off, including the store’s traditional week long winter break, along with cuts to certain health care benefits, the removal of tuition reimbursement and fewer professional development opportunities. “Patagonia tells the world we should ‘save our home planet,’ but we need to make sure our own workplace is sustainable for the people who run it,” a team member told WNYLaborToday.
Patagonia responds and worker accounts
In coverage by GearJunkie, a SoHo employee described a “slow erosion of benefits” that pushed staff toward organizing. Patagonia, in a brief statement to the outlet, said it respects employees’ right to vote and is working to “understand the concerns” of the team. GearJunkie also reports that Patagonia highlighted a New York starting wage of $28.25 an hour and said the company “covers the full monthly healthcare premium” for full and part time workers from day one.
How this fits a larger trend
The SoHo petition lands in the middle of a broader wave of organizing in outdoor retail. Workers at a Patagonia store in Reno voted in March 2024 to unionize with UFCW Local 711, a win that organizers say has encouraged other locations to consider similar campaigns. UFCW reported that victory, which unions now hold up as a blueprint for organizing other Patagonia shops.
What happens next
Workers have asked Patagonia to voluntarily recognize RWDSU so contract talks could begin without a fight, but the union says it filed the NLRB petition to keep the option of a formal election on the table if the company declines. According to RWDSU, the labor board will now set a schedule for the case and any eventual vote, while organizers continue outreach among staff at the SoHo store.
