Workers at Catapult, Counterpoint, Soft Skull, and Hawthorne Books have formed a union with UAW Local 2110, the same union that represents Harper Collins and Abrams. The Catapult Workers Collective includes approximately 20 staffers in editorial, design, marketing, publicity, production, rights, and operations and has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a vote. The employees wish to guarantee job security, wages, greater transparency from management, according to a release. “The goal of our union is to protect the wages and benefits of our workplace, to affirm the dignity and value of our labor, and to advance just and sustainable practices […]
Unions
Harper Collins Union Ratifies New Contract; Secures Highest Starting Pay in Publishing
The Harper Collins Union, part of UAW Local 2110, has ratified a new contract, which mandates a starting salary of $52,500, for a 35-hour week—the highest in the industry. All covered employees will get annual pay increases, and time and a half for overtime. Notably employees “at the beginning of their careers” can work up to three hours of overtime per week without prior approval. With that overtime included, that effectively “brings the lowest annual compensation” for junior employees to $57,000 for a 38-hour week, the union notes. Starting pay will increase every year up to $55,200 in 2028. Employees […]
Used Bookstore Owner Sells Property After Unionization
McKay’s, a group of five used bookstores in Tennessee and North Carolina, will close its Knoxville location in May after 40 years in business, Knox News reports. The Knoxville store is the only one with a union, part of Communications Workers of America, and has been negotiating its contract with management since forming in November 2022. McKay’s sold the Knoxville property to a hotel developer for $4.25 million. CWA has asked the National Labor Relations Board to file an injunction against the sale, asserting that the closure is retaliation against the union. Owner Sam Jacobson rejects that idea, claiming that […]
Powell’s Has “Final Round” of Layoffs, Plans New Investments
Powell’s Books announced that it had completed what it called a “final round of layoffs,” which have cut its staff by about 20 percent over the last year. The company did not indicate how many jobs were eliminated in this round. ILWU Local 5 representative Myka Dubay told Willamette Week that within the past year Powell’s has laid off 40 union employees and approximately 20 people in management. “These decisions have been extremely difficult, and we recognize their impact on our employees,” Powell’s owner and president Emily Powell said in a release. “With this final round complete, our focus shifts […]
Quirk Lays Off Union Staff, Pauses Editorial Operations
Quirk Books has begun a six-month pause on acquiring new books due to “marketplace and operational challenges.” As a result, the company laid off several staff members, including seven members of the union that won voluntary recognition in June—part of an exodus of staff members that began with president and publisher Jhanteigh Kupihea’s resignation at the end of 2024 and leaves the company at nearly half the staff they had at the beginning of the year. “Quirk has been facing marketplace and operational challenges for the past few years, and are in the first stage of implementing a strategic plan […]
Center for Fiction Union Wins Voluntary Recognition
The Center for Fiction has recognized its workers’ union after a supermajority of eligible employees filed for election with the RWDSU. The union will cover approximately 25 positions, including booksellers, baristas, administrative assistants, event production coordinators, development and grants assistants, and more. According to a release, they are “seeking to resolve a range of workplace issues, but are focused on having a seat at the table and a voice in decision-making, scheduling, job descriptions, and policy at The Center.” The union will now begin bargaining with management over a contract.