New charges include allegations that management engaged in bad faith bargaining, threatened and coerced workers, unlawfully withheld information, and more. The new charges follow a series of outstanding charges against the corporation stemming from events at New York, Chicago, and Virginia locations
May 7, 2026 — Movement Gyms is again facing federal charges before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as attorneys representing unionized workers today filed a series of new Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against the company. The new ULPs include a range of allegations of anti-union practices, including charges that the company threatened and interrogated workers in Maryland, made unlawful changes to working conditions and withheld information in New York, and engaged in a nationwide pattern of bad-faith bargaining in ongoing contract negotiations at the company’s unionized gyms.
Central to today’s filings is a national “surface bargaining” charge covering an alleged pattern of conduct at Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park (Chicago), Callowhill (Philadelphia), Gowanus (New York), LIC (New York), Harlem (New York), and Crystal City (Virginia). In the charging document, attorneys for the workers claim that management has been engaging in performative bargaining without the intention of reaching an agreement.
Movement had already faced multiple ULPs alleging violations of federal labor law at facilities in Virginia, New York, and Chicago. Workers at gyms in Arlington, Brooklyn, and Chicago previously filed charges over the company repeatedly failing to follow federal labor laws requiring employers to bargain with the union before making significant changes to the working conditions of unionized employees. Movement will also soon appear before an Administrative Law Judge over 2023 charges that management at the company’s Crystal City facility in Arlington, VA unlawfully withheld raises, invited workers to quit rather than organize with the union, and otherwise engaged in a pattern of coercive practices designed to stifle workers’ exercise of their federal right to organize.
A December 15, 2025 Denver Post investigation detailed additional ULP charges filed over allegations that Movement management interfered with and coerced employees during union activity. Workers say the latest filings demonstrate that these practices have continued and expanded across additional gyms.
More than 500 workers at 10 Movement gyms have already unionized with Workers United, citing unpredictable scheduling, high turnover, and pay that does not match the responsibility of operating facilities where safety is paramount. Workers say these issues are not isolated, but reflect broader patterns across the company as it has grown within a rapidly expanding, investment-driven fitness industry.
Workers across Movement gyms have raised concerns about inadequate staffing, inconsistent training, excessive heat and ventilation issues, and maintenance problems that impact both worker safety and the experience of climbers. As organizing efforts have grown, workers say management has responded with resistance, including actions that form the basis of the latest ULP charges.
Movement Gyms, headquartered in Colorado, is the largest climbing gym operator in the United States, with dozens of facilities nationwide and backing by private equity investors. As the company has expanded rapidly alongside the growth of indoor climbing, workers say workplace standards have not kept pace with the demands of operating complex facilities where safety is critical.
Workers and supporters have also launched DearAnneWorley.org, a public campaign calling on CEO Anne-Worley Moelter to engage directly with workers and their Union and bargain in good faith. The site documents worker experiences, safety concerns, and growing calls for accountability from company leadership.
Workers say the alleged conduct stands in sharp contrast to the values of the climbing community, which has long emphasized mutual trust, inclusivity, and collective responsibility for safety. They argue that intimidation, retaliation, and disregard for worker concerns undermine both workplace standards and the broader culture that climbing depends on.
SUMMARY OF ULP CHARGES FILED TODAY AGAINST MOVEMENT GYMS
Nationwide
Workers and union attorneys allege that the company has been engaging in “surface bargaining,” merely performing the act of contract negotiations without any genuine intentions of reaching an agreement.
New York – Long Island City
Movement LIC
11-11 44th Dr, Long Island City, NY 11101
Workers allege that the company refused to provide a substantive response to the union’s Request for Information (RFI) with questions about the broken HVAC system at Movement LIC. This charge comes after workers and customers alike raised complaints during a winter in which temperatures inside the gym repeatedly dipped into the 50s Fahrenheit, in violation of NYC regulations.
New York – Gowanus and Harlem
Movement Gowanus
242 Butler St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Movement Harlem
256 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
During Winter 2025 – 2026, management at these two New York City gyms allegedly required minimally trained front desk staff to teach introductory climbing classes, reducing hours for trained instructors. Workers say this practice raises concerns about both safety standards and the erosion of skilled instructor roles.
The changes at Harlem and Gowanus are part of a pattern of Movement repeatedly failing to bargain before significantly altering the working conditions of unionized employees, a practice barred by federal labor law. The company is already facing pending ULP charges over previous unilateral changes at gyms in Brooklyn, Chicago, and Arlington, VA.
“Once employees choose a union, federal law requires their employer to maintain their terms and conditions of employment while the collective bargaining process runs its course,” said attorney Robert Cervone, who represents the union in negotiations with Movement. “When employers change those terms and conditions before the process is concluded, they’re violating the law and disrespecting their employees’ right to have a voice in the workplace.”
Maryland – Timonium
Movement Timonium
1930 Greenspring Dr, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093
Workers report multiple instances of unlawful anti-union conduct at Movement Timonium. In December 2025, on separate occasions, Gym Director Mia Hernandez interrogated two different employees about their union involvement. Hernandez also implied a promise of benefits without a union by soliciting grievances from one of the workers, a practice barred by the NLRA. In the same month, Assistant Gym Director Emily Alcaraz tried to dissuade a worker from organizing by threatening that managers would have to be more strict with employees if they unionized.
– – –
“We are tired of Movement repeatedly refusing to come to the table in good faith and blaming the union for stalled negotiations,” said Molly Rosenshein, a front desk worker at Movement Harlem. “The charges we filed today reveal the company for what they are: union-busters.”
“Coercion, stalling, refusing to bargain in good faith, this is how Movement has dealt with our union for years now,” said Jacklyn Cheung, a climbing instructor at Movement Gowanus. “The climbing community really prizes trust and authenticity. Making a show of good faith bargaining while you’re actually stalling and trying to break the union couldn’t be more out of line with those values.”
“Workers at Movement Gyms are exercising their legal right to organize and speak out about safety and working conditions, and they deserve respect — not interference,” said Lynne Fox, President of Workers United. “These allegations point to a troubling pattern of behavior that runs counter to both the law and the values Movement claims to uphold.”
The filings come as workers continue to escalate their campaign, including public actions and disruptions aimed at drawing attention to working conditions and pressuring company leadership to engage in meaningful negotiations.
Workers are calling on Movement Gyms to respect federally protected organizing rights, end coercive anti-union practices, ensure proper training and safe staffing standards, and engage in good-faith dialogue with employees.
Media Contact:
WorkersUnited@617MediaGroup.
# # #
About Workers United
Workers United is a union representing tens of thousands of workers across the United States and Canada in industries including retail, manufacturing, and food service. An affiliate of SEIU, Workers United is committed to building worker power through organizing, collective bargaining, and advocacy for fair wages, safe working conditions, and dignity on the job.
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
