The staff of Good Vibrations, a Bay Area chain of sex-positive adult toy retailers, unanimously agreed to a union contract. The agreement comes over a year after the effort to join a union began.
The Bay Area Reporter previously reported in early 2023 that workers at the chain had unionized. Now, the three-year contract “delivers significant improvements in wages, job security, and health and safety protections for all covered employees,” according to a news release from United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 5.
“This is a powerful step forward – not just for workers at Good Vibrations, but for all workers in queer-owned spaces who believe you can run a values-driven business and respect workers’ rights at the same time,” stated Jim Araby, a spokesperson for the union. “This contract proves that community-rooted businesses and unions can work together to build fairer, safer, and more sustainable workplaces.”
Asked via email what significant improvements the contract contains, Araby stated that there’s a wage increase ranging from 8% to 24% over the three years.
“The range is large because the goal was to bring a standard pay scale to all workers across the company,” he stated.
Vacation time began accruing immediately after ratification for use after a year. Workers can earn up to four weeks of vacation after five years, and 120 hours of sick time, according to the agreement.
Workers are also no longer considered at-will employees, and just cause is required for termination or discipline. There’s also a clear grievance process to challenge discipline considered unfair.
“Discipline stays on your record for less time, and flexible attendance policies provide clarity,” Araby stated.
A labor-management committee was created to discuss health and safety protocols.
The contract was ratified April 17. Araby said neither a union rep nor a Good Vibrations employee would be available for comment, but the UFCW release contains a quote from bargaining committee member Sarah Wilder, who stated, “We are proud to have reached this agreement together. We love where we work, and this contract shows that we can have both a progressive mission and a strong union.”
The B.A.R. previously reported that one of the reasons workers wanted to join a union was due to the COVID pandemic.
"The workers were originally motivated to organize after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated on-the-job safety issues," UFCW stated in a December 2023 release announcing the election effort. "The fight has since expanded to center better wages, job security, and improved health and safety practices in all areas of the workplace."
Good Vibrations has three San Francisco locations in addition to stores in Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, and Santa Cruz. There are between 35 and 40 employees. A different labor group, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, organized Babeland, a similar sex-positive adult toy store in Manhattan, in 2016.
Good Vibrations didn’t return a request for comment for this report.
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