West Harlem & Upper East Side

Following VITAL’s acquisition of the Steep Rock gyms in early 2021, workers were left feeling like we no longer had any input on the direction of the gyms and community that we knew best from our years of service. Renovations occurred without our input, our LGBTQ+ workers felt ignored, and we lost a sense of ownership and pride that we felt with our former company. So we decided to secure our seat at the table by joining with Workers United and filing in September 2022 to form the country’s second climbing gym union: Climbers United.

After one or two fumbles from management and a few captive audience meetings, we organized a successful 13-0 vote and VITAL recognized our union. We bargained in good faith and voted to approve the country’s first climbing gym union contract in February 2024.

VITAL Brooklyn

Following the example of the Manhattan gyms, workers at VITAL Brooklyn decided to file for a union election in May of 2023. We decided that unionizing was the best way to secure the rights we’ve earned by making VITAL the thriving community it’s become; rights like living wage, fair disciplinary action from management, and a more equitable workplace.

We voted 43-8 to join Climbers United in July of 2023 and ratified our first contract in December of 2024.

The Future

Workers at all three unionized VITAL climbing gyms continue to build, organize, and support each other. When we enter contract renegotiation, we look forward to improving conditions for ourselves so that we can continue to serve and support the gyms’ communities. If you’d like to support us, please visit our Contact page and sign up for occasional updates and calls to action.