In one of the first successful organizing campaigns in a major private-sector gym, personal trainers at Toronto GoodLife Fitness institutions have voted to unionize.

Around 650 Toronto personal trainers will join Workers United Canada Council (WUCC) seeking better pay, among other things. Meanwhile, about 450 fitness instructors in the wider-GTA voted against unionization.

As previously reported by the Star, the fitness sector is one of the new frontiers of precarious work — a recent Ministry of Labour inspection blitz found that numerous gyms, including GoodLife Fitness, had infractions under the Employment Standards Act. The company said it had taken measures to correct the issues.

“We feel really good, we’re really happy that personal trainers have decided to exercise their right in forming a union and improve their working conditions,” said Navjeet Sidhu of WUCC.

Jane Riddell, GoodLife's chief operating officer, told the Star she was disappointed in vote results announced Thursday, but respected trainers' right to unionize. She said GoodLife worked hard to ensure employees “feel valued and respected.”

“We’re far from perfect but I think we work really hard to get better every day. I recognize that we can’t build a great business without great people — we’ve known that for a long time — and we know good people don’t grow on trees.”

GoodLife has said its instructor pay is “on par” with other gyms and that compensation is based on education, experience, training and certifications, and regional differences.

Major concerns for trainers included salary deductions made by GoodLife for time spent recruiting clients, and lack of protection under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, according to Sidhu. Fitness institutions are exempt from mandatory WSIB coverage, but can voluntarily sign up, he said.

In a separate vote, 450 fitness instructors in the wider-GTA cast their ballots against unionization. Sidhu said the WUCC drive had originally focused on City of Toronto GoodLifes, and that the union had “a way to go in terms of reaching out to GTA gyms.”

“We’re a little disappointed the instructors voted no this time, but we hope next year we can re-file and they’ll see the benefits of forming a union.”

Those benefits, Sidhu said, are even more important in a world where jobs are increasingly temporary, part-time, and precarious.

“I think it really speaks to what’s happening overall in terms of realities workers are facing these days. Unions are recognizing the changing nature of work, and GoodLife is just one aspect of how work is today,” he said.

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“I think we need to not shy away from those challenges as unions. It’s difficult — we’re used to a factory floor, 35 hours a week full-time. But that’s not the reality anymore and we need to start adjusting.”

Correction — July 8, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version to correct the number of personal trainers who will be joining WUCC. The previous version stated that it was 300.