There are signs of tension around pay in boutique fitness. One current example is at nation franchise CorePower Yoga (over 200 studios), where instructors and members of the Studio Experience Team (SET) have announced a strike beginning February 1, citing concerns related to instructor pay and studio cleanliness.
There is even a petition going around that is addressed directly to CorePower Yoga CEO Niki Leondakis.
Credit: @beanienyc
Instructor compensation at CorePower Yoga is widely reported to be low relative to the revenue generated per class, particularly for newer instructors and depending on location. Studio cleaning and front desk work are handled either by the instructor or by SET, a program that offers discounted or membership alongside hourly pay.
More broadly, the situation has brought attention onto an industry pattern: as fitness brands scale and pricing increases, labor systems for instructors and studio staff often change far more slowly. There is a lot of chatter on social media where instructors are speaking openly and comparing wages, noting huge differences across studios in the same geographic location, often noticing that locally owned studios pay better than national franchises. In the fitness and wellness industry, questions around pay, stability, and long-term career sustainability for professionals remain unresolved.
See below for the exact list of demands made by CPY employees to end the strike.
Credit: r/CorePowerYogaTeachers
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