First Avenue workers have ratified a contract more than a year after moving to unionize.

The three-year contract — which covers 230 service and event staff across the club's seven venues — includes pay raises, improved scheduling and training as well as safety policies and protections for LGBTQ workers, according to a news release Tuesday from Unite Here Local 17.

"I've watched a lot of my best friends leave the club because the job wasn't sustainable or they didn't feel respected, but this contract makes a lot of steps to change that," First Avenue event staffer Kyle Tappe said in a statement. "I've been pinching money at the end of the month for as long as I can remember, and the raises will make things significantly easier for me."

Raises will vary by role and tenure, with non-tipped workers — who comprise the bulk of employees — receiving pay bumps between 25% and 55% during the life of the contract. The contract also requires management to set employees' schedules two weeks in advance, provide consistent training and worker safety protocols and respect workers' stated names and pronouns.

Minneapolis-based First Avenue Productions includes First Avenue, 7th St. Entry, the Fitzgerald Theater, the Palace Theatre, the Turf Club, Fine Line and the Depot Tavern.

Workers notified management in November 2023 of their intent to unionize, citing low pay, inconsistent training and short-notice scheduling among their top concerns. President and CEO Dayna Frank said the next day the company would voluntarily recognize the union. The yearlong bargaining process was typical for a first-time contract, according to Unite Here.

"This agreement reflects the commitment we made to these employees when we voluntarily recognized the union — ensuring we continue to be a rewarding and fun place to work, while providing the best entertainment and live music to fans," the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Unite Here represents workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and stadiums, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs across Minnesota. The hospitality union has launched a wave of labor organizing among service workers at well-known Minneapolis venues in recent years, including Ann Kim's now-shuttered Kim's restaurant and Daniel del Prado's Colita restaurant and Café Cerés.

"For all venue workers in the Twin Cities, now is the time for you to unionize your workplace," Sheigh Freeberg, Unite Here's secretary treasurer, said in a statement. "First Ave. workers won more for themselves, and you can, too."