First Ascent staff launch union drive

Before First Ascent opened its Avondale location in 2015, there were few if any dedicated climbing gyms in Chicago. The climbing scene was less accessible; it was difficult to break into if you weren’t already traveling and climbing outdoors on your own.

Now with four Chicago gyms, First Ascent has built a reputation as a social hub for newcomers, who are welcomed with an array of weekly meetups for solo climbers and perks that let members bring first-time guests for free.

“There’s a reason that this gym is called First Ascent,” says Fauna Stumpf, who has worked at the Uptown location since 2021. “Its primary clientele are people who don’t climb.”

Whether a novice or a seasoned pro, falling and hurting yourself is a normal risk that comes with the sport. “I’ve had people come in on their first day and break their ankles clean,” Stumpf says. 

First Ascent’s gyms are focused on bouldering, which involves following paths of varying difficulties up walls of ten to 20 feet without using rope. But the Avondale location also offers top roping, where climbers can scale walls up to 60 feet high. First-time climbers regularly scale this distance off the ground. But workers who spoke with me said understaffing can make it difficult to respond to potential safety risks or help new climbers.

Stumpf is part of a bloc of employees across First Ascent’s four Chicago gyms that is pushing for a union. Workers are seeking improved pay and scheduling, staffing standards, professional development, and increased safety training. The group took their union campaign public with the support of 70 percent of workers in a February 5 letter to management requesting voluntary recognition, but the company declined. Workers are now waiting for the National Labor Relations Board to schedule an election.

In an email, owners Jon Shepard and Dan Bartz write that staff have said they don’t want a union because leadership has a reputation of solving problems directly with staff, and it doesn’t make sense to pay dues for something they believe they already have. They say the majority of staff who signed on to the effort work fewer than one shift per week and have been with the company for less than two years.

Shepard and Bartz say safety is their top priority and that their gyms are staffed and workers are trained according to industry standards. “When staff have voiced areas to improve our standards, we have a strong history of listening and making adjustments that address those concerns,” they write. “Injuries are very rare at First Ascent. We review every injury report thoroughly, though there’s only been a handful of rope climbing injuries since we opened in 2015.”

First Ascent isn’t the first climbing gym to unionize. Two north-side locations of Movement, a national chain, unionized last year with the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board (CMRJB) of Workers United, the same union that is now working with First Ascent. According to CMRJB, 23 climbing gyms across the country have formed or are organizing unions, 18 of which are with Workers United. 

Many of First Ascent’s employees work in hospitality, the gyms’ lowest-paid roles. The job encompasses everything from checking in guests to responding to emergencies. Hospitality staff work all hours, but the union feels they’re also listened to the least. Hospitality staff are trained to perform emergency rope rescues in teams of two, but workers recall periods of a few months at Avondale where only one staffer worked the closing shift. 

Because there is no legal agency enforcing industry-wide safety standards in climbing gyms, staff members carry the burden of safety for new climbers. Even competent climbers can injure themselves during a routine session. Hospitality workers hope a union can help ensure the gyms have enough staff for shift chores while also keeping climbers safe. 

Shepard and Bartz write that the Avondale location hasn’t had an open shift in more than a year. “During that period when we had one staff member working the closing shift, that decision was made based on customer visitation. We were seeing little to no gym usage during the closing shifts.”

Staffing issues at First Ascent are exacerbated by low pay, workers say. Many employees work multiple jobs or receive government assistance. Stumpf works 28 hours per week and makes $17.50 an hour. Like many employees, Stumpf couldn’t afford a membership without the free one offered to employees. They moved into low-income housing last year—a studio that costs $945 per month. “I manage. I break even,” they say. “I’ve got a few thousand dollars saved so I can afford to not worry about my groceries. But still, it’s really bleak.”

Farbota Lynn, an employee at the Avondale location, calls themself a “shift vulture” because they’re always looking for more work. “I just pick up everything I can because this is my primary source of income,” they say.  

Lynn says they feel their passion for climbing is “being taken advantage of” and hopes a union can help ensure enough steady hours to make a living wage. They say management cuts hours during the gym’s slow season in the summer. Despite promises to bring them back in the fall, Lynn says that hasn’t happened. “We have generally felt understaffed [more and more] when it comes back to our busy season each year as they keep cutting hours.”

“Several of us are on food stamps,” they say. “I don’t think that the same people who are responsible for the safety of their community should be running on just passion.” 

Understaffing impacts more than just safety. “Ever noticed how dirty a bouldering gym is? It’s disgusting,” Stumpf says. “It’s covered in chalk. It’s covered in shoe rubber. There is hair and skin all over the place constantly.” After workers raised the issue with management in their union effort, the company agreed to create designated cleaning shifts. 

Above all, workers say, a union will give them a sense that their concerns are being thoroughly considered and addressed. Stumpf says they and others don’t want to bring concerns through the proper channels because “nothing happens,” and they’ve seen workers receive unequal treatment depending on their job title and gym location. They also fear retaliation because they’ve seen management fire workers without warning.

“Within the company, their word is law,” Stumpf says of the owners. “They have the final say. There isn’t accountability for their actions. . . .  It’s not like they’re going to lose their jobs for following a procedure wrong.”

Shepard and Bartz, the owners, claim they’ve never fired an employee without warning except for severe policy violations like sexual harassment and time theft. They say that First Ascent and other small businesses have been “impacted by rising costs.”

“It’s a difficult question to decide how to spread limited company resources,” they write. “We believe these questions are best handled between staff and leadership directly, and we have a strong track record using that approach.”

In the meantime, First Ascent workers are looking to other unionized climbing gyms for tips as they move forward. Stumpf is in a Discord server with staff from at least 20 other gyms across the country. 

Lynn says they hope to work with the company to improve the experience for everyone. “I don’t want to bargain them into a position where they’re hurting,” they say. “I don’t plan to go into this in bad faith . . . but I think there must be a way for them to prioritize us a little more.”