In late 2023, the staff at Touchstone Climbing gyms in California began the process to unionize. In this story Common Climber interviews ​members of the organizing team, including Jess Kimm (she/her), Nick Chang (he/him), and Jordan Mueck (he/him), to learn more about the whys and hows of this process. Sometimes unionization is done at a single location, however, in this case the staff are organizing across all 5 southern California  Touchstone Climbing gyms.

The first climbing gym unionization occurred at Movement climbing gym in Crystal City in 2022 (see that Common Climber story to learn more about the basics of unionization). Since then several other climbing gym unionizations occurred in 2023, including Climber's United at Vital Climbing gyms in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York and Vertical Endeavors with six locations in Minnesota and Illinois. 

Social Media:
Instagram: @touchstoneworkersunited
Twitter/X: @TSworkersunited ​

STORY UPDATE - PRESS RELEASE: On March 11, 2024 the National Labor Relations Board agents counted ballots from Touchstone’s union election. The union organizing committee is thrilled to share that the union has won the election! All five Touchstone gym locations in Southern California: The Post (Pasadena), Hollywood Boulders (Hollywood), Verdigo Boulders (Burbank), Cliffs of ID (Culver City), and LA Boulders (DTLA) are now the first Southern California climbing gyms to have unionized. Workers will move ahead with forming a bargaining committee for negotiation as the certification process continues. The organizing committee recognizes that the work does not stop here, and we are excited to have workers elect representatives for the committee. Further, we are excited to have a seat at the table with management and to build a better company together. We hope this inspires other workers that a grassroots movement like this is both achievable and rewarding.

An unresolved workplace violence threat initiated this unionization process, but it also goes beyond that to fair pay and worker benefits. Is there an initial package of demands that was filed and is being negotiated? What specific demands are outlined in that package? have you received a response from Touchstone?

Right now, we have only filed for an election. We have a growing list of demands from employees, which we plan to bring to the bargaining table. They center on safety, equity, inclusion, and empowerment for workers. 

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Tell us more about the organizing committee - who are they, what do they do at the gym, and how long have they worked at Touchstone

We are a diverse group of Touchstone employees, from a variety of positions within the company, who share the goal of creating a more safe and equitable workplace. We have a range of experience within our gyms and feel passionate about having our voices finally heard. In addition to their work, members of our Organizing Committee co-lead community affinity groups, like Queer Crush and ParaCliffHangers, to diversify and unite the climbing community. 

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Team Organizers 

Jess Kim

Jess Kim (she/her) has worked at The Post in Pasadena for a little over a year. She’s a co-lead for the SoCal chapter of ParaCliffHangers and has been climbing since 2014. Delighted by helping others have fun safely indoors and out, she also highly encourages eating as many pastries as you can. When she’s not at the gym, she’s playing outside, doing comedy, or reading in a nook somewhere! If you see her at the gym, please show her a picture of your dog.
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“The climbing community thrives as it diversifies. It’s important that both employees and gym members feel safe mentally and physically in the gym. I support a Touchstone union so that we can ensure that these climbing gyms are accessible, welcoming, and equitable!” 

Nick Chang

There is no environment too small or too ‘mom and pop’ for worker
advocacy. We cannot drink in anti-union propaganda echoed throughout the lengthy history of conflict between unions and corporations, for we have only complacency to lose and a voice to be gained.”

Nick Chang (he/him) has been working at the Southern California
Touchstone Climbing gyms since 2016!

He’s worked at every single gym down here at one point or another, and while he started out working at
Cliffs of Id, he considers LA Boulders his truest home.

Through the trials and tribulations of LA. B’s 10 year tenure, Nick Chang will never give up on making LA.B a better place for staff, members, and community. It’s why he believes that the next step in bringing fairness and equity to LA.B is through establishing a union and through giving voice and advocacy to the staff and the community.

Nick is also working on his Master’s degree in School Counseling, where he hopes to one day bring advocacy, equity, and justice to our youths, schools, and communities. He plays video games, reads books, and is a
human rights enthusiast. One day, he’ll be able to do a full front and side split.

Jordan Mueck

Jordan Mueck (he/him) has been working for Touchstone at Cliffs of Id since May of 2021. He loves the sense of community he gets from the gym and, since moving from Australia to LA, has found a home amongst the city’s thriving climbing scene.
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“Cliffs will always hold a special place in my heart. All my best friends either work here or are members. That’s why it’s important for me to be part of a Touchstone worker’s union and to have a voice in the company so that we can work with them to create a progressive and equitable environment that allows us to give back to the community we love.” 

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Why unionize instead of leaving?

Because we love our community. They’re our belay partners and our boulder bros. We’ve watched them go from day passes to memberships and we've been there for their first V5. These gyms mean something to us, and we want to make them better. We believe that the result will be a better company for members, staff, and our corporate investors.
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We also believe in the need for progressive, systemic change across the climbing and fitness industry as a whole. The existing business model can exploit frontline workers without fair compensation for the unique contributions we offer. What better place to change this industry dynamic than in our own workplace?  ​

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Have you gotten feedback from gym members? What is their response been?
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Overwhelmingly positive. We have such a strong connection with our members and community , and they’ve been cheering us on all the way. It’s amazing how much feeling supported and seen at your workplace can help and inspire you to do your best work.

​In particular, we’ve seen an outpouring of support among community-led affinity groups. It’s clear that a workers’ campaign for safety, equity, inclusion, and empowerment uniquely resonates with folks who have been most sidelined by the mainstream climbing industry. ​

The Post staff Jabari Kindle and Elise Antablian practice climbing new routes after hours. (Photo Credit: Jess Kim)

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The Post staff members Elise Antablian and Jess Kim on the roof of the gym to change out Ring camera batteries. (Photo Credit: Elise Antablian)

Desk staff Ryan Barkauskas holds an “Out of Order” sign for the bathrooms at The Post in Pasadena, California. (Photo Credit: Jess Kim)

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Have you communicated with the people who established the first climbing gym union in the U.S. at Movement in Crystal City, Virginia? If so, how did they help with the process?
 
We began chatting with the fine folks at Movement Crystal City directly after sending in our voluntary recognition. They, and other employees from gyms that have had elections or are bargaining, have been a terrific resource for knowledge-sharing, openness, and mental support. They’ve connected us to workers at other gyms and been a lot of fun to interact with on social media. 

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Have you connected with other workers in other fields who have gone through the unionization process?

We haven’t connected with workers in other fields who have been through unionization. However, being local to Los Angeles, many of our coworkers are already members of entertainment unions and are familiar with the benefits of union membership. 

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What has the experience been like - where does it fall in the spectrum between stressful, scary, and empowering? What kind of support do you have? 

There is a huge stress that comes with standing up to those with more power than you. 

Staff members at the Post pose in their Halloween outfits.

Touchstone's silence after filing, followed by staff meetings with the CEO and their now daily flyering, lets us know that they're not exactly thrilled with our decision. But despite this worry, we would say the dominant feeling heading into this vote is one of pride. We are so proud of our coworkers for coming together and saying we deserve the respect of having our voices heard. And if they haven’t heard us already, we’ll let our votes speak for us. 
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Those feelings - stressful, scary, and empowering - aren’t mutually exclusive! Stressfully empowered probably sums it up best.

Witnessing the solidarity of coworkers and community members has been a distinctly empowering experience. For so long in this industry, we have
felt profoundly disconnected from decision-making authority in our workplace. We’ve raised concerns, offered constructive suggestions, and petitioned for necessary changes, only to be reminded of how ultimately powerless we are in the existing business model. To be engaged in constructing a robust, grassroots, democratic dynamic in which workers have a meaningful say in determining our own conditions is a great feeling. 

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Staff members, Josh Taylor, Ryan Barkauskas, Jess Kim, and Jenna Carpenter from The Post, pose in Joshua Tree, California.

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Where do you stand in the unionization process and what are your next steps? 

We collected union interest cards and submitted a voluntary recognition letter to Touchstone, which received no acknowledgement. We then filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board, and our election will be March 6th and 7th 2024!

Our next steps are self-care and mutual support up to the election. Many of our affinity groups, like Queer Crush, Lagartijas, ParaCliffHangers, and Escalemos, are hosting solidarity events for us, and we’re very active on social media to get the word out to gym members. We’re also hosting weekly open Q+A sessions for employees and building a list of contract demands.
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After an election result of more than 50% ”yes” votes for a union, we would then create a bargaining team and set dates with Touchstone management to build a new work contract. ​

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​This unionization is going to be across all 5 Touchstone gyms in California. Does that complicate things at all? Do you have the employee support across all five gyms? (Is there an option to just unionize at one gym? If so, what made you decide to do all 5?)

Each Touchstone gym is unique and diverse, but the respect and recognition we are fighting for is universal. The problems within this company come from the very top and affect staff at every level. The organizing began as a collective movement and includes a variety of staff not limited to a single gym or its employees. Staff work across multiple gyms, and the needs of setters, maintenance, facilities, and janitorial staff vastly differ from those of coaches, fitness and yoga instructors, desk, and safety staff. However, we are all united in our desire to improve our workplaces, and this desire is what keeps communication flowing among us.​

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Climbing gyms began as small, locally owned, community-oriented places. Have they lost their soul from corporatization?

As long as they are staffed by local, passionate climbers who care about the climbing community and their members, we don’t think so. But we believe that the only way to maintain that is through working with the company’s owners and managers to provide their staff with a safe and equitable environment that allows both personal and professional growth. The staff build the community, and if you want great staff who take pride in their workplace you need to support and listen to them. 

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You have gotten some media attention from the LA Times, is there any other notable attention/coverage you have received?

Climbing Business Journal has mentioned us a few times, and we’ve done several interviews for press that will be coming out over the next few weeks. ​

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Any last thoughts or information you’d like to include?

We’d like to thank you and all the publications that have reached out to help amplify our message. We were inspired by the stories you told and hope to inspire others with what we are about to achieve.
Please encourage people to follow us on social media to stay up to date on the campaign and support!

Youth Competition Coach George Tang and staff member, Jess Kim, practice on the speed wall at the Post (Photo Credit: Jess Kim)