Working People15 Mar 2025

Show us the ropes: How Touchstone Climbing Gym workers unionized five locations

This week, we're staying in Southern California, where the workers of Touchstone Climbing Gym in Los Angeles have been negotiating their first contract with their employer. Touchstone Climbing, a regional climbing gym with over a dozen locations in California, experienced a wave of unionization in its Los Angeles locations early last year. The successful campaign with Workers United created a wall-to-wall union at each of the company's five locations in the Los Angeles area. Members of the LA-based gym are often themselves union members, and the response from the climbing community has been overwhelmingly positive.

However, workers have been navigating a frustrating negotiation in order to reach an agreement on a first contract. Chief among workers' demands is better communications, higher safety standards, and better pay.

With me today to discuss their unionization, and their negotiations are Ryan Barkauskas, PT desk staff at The Post in Pasadena and Jess Kim, Former Desk Staff at the Post in Pasadena, now FT Workers United organizer.

Additional links/info:

Touchstone Workers United Instagram
Climbing Business Journal - "Touchstone Workers United Win Union Election - First Southern California Climbing Gyms to Unionize"
Eaton Fire Gofundme for Sam, 10+ year Yoga Instructor
Eaton Fire Gofundme for Martell, Front Desk Worker at The Post in Pasadena

Permanent links below…

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The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

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Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song

Studio Production: Mel Buer
Post-Production: Jules Taylor

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