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ATLANTA – Newly unionized Massage Envy workers in Stockbridge, Ga., made history today as they held their first-ever day of collective bargaining for their first union contract. The workers won their union this May, and are the first in the nation to successfully unionize at Massage Envy. Their contract is believed to be the first union contract at any Massage Envy location in the U.S.
Massage therapists face a myriad of workplace challenges, including health and safety challenges, serious risk for workplace injuries, and unpaid labor for time spent working outside of the massage room, making the need for union representation and contract urgent. The Stockbridge Massage Envy workers joined the 16,000-member powerhouse Printing Packaging & Production Workers Union of North America (IAM/PPPWU), an affiliate of the 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers).
“IAM/PPPWU is incredibly proud of the courage and tenacity of our Stockbridge Massage Envy members for standing up together to take their workplace safety, wages, and working conditions into their own hands and ensure that their jobs are sustainable, safe, and fair,” said Israel Castro, International President of IAM/PPPWU. “Every massage therapist – and every working person – deserves a union contract that ensures they will be safe at work and able to earn enough to live with dignity. Our union could not be more proud to represent Massage Envy workers, and we look forward to securing the first-in-the-nation union contract for them.”
“When we leave work, our bodies should not be aching with pain that makes it impossible to enjoy our lives,” said Nerissa Delacroix, a six-year massage therapist at Massage Envy in Stockbridge. “We deserve working conditions that allow our bodies to recover from repetitive, strenuous movement; protections from sexual harassment at work; fair policies that recognize the full contribution of our labor in preparation for and after every service; and wages and benefits we can support our families on. All workers deserve a union, and by standing together, we can change our industry to ensure jobs within it are just and sustainable.”
