60: A Union for Yoga Teachers
A large group of yoga teachers at YogaWorks in New York City is working together to create a labor union that would be the first of its kind. (!) This is what they have to say about it,
“We are Yoga and Mindful Fitness Educators. We’re coming together to have a voice in our industry, raise industry standards and create a more equitable and sustainable profession for all. Our goal is for employees, students, and businesses to thrive.”
I’m excited to share their work, stories, hopes, and goals with you all. This is a big deal. In Episode #56 (Avoiding Burnout: Self Care, Boundaries + Daily Routines) one of the first things I said was that as a culture we don’t really value care work and making a living as a yoga teacher (and staying healthy and sane yourself) can be really tough. That episode focused on the daily rhythms of life and what yoga teachers can do to keep their wells full. I’m excited in this episode to talk about the wider world we inhabit and how we can work to create a new culture, one that values the kind of work yoga teachers do.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Markella Los, Toya Williford, and Julie Dohrman and we’ll talk all about:
the inception of the Unionize Yoga campaign
when it became clear that a union was what was needed
how unionizing will help all the teachers at YogaWorks (and beyond)
how unionizing helps the studio and the industry as a whole
some of the biggest union myths out there (and we’ll correct the record)