After three Barnes & Noble locations in NYC finalized the chain’s first union contracts last week, the union at the Bloomfield, IL store ratified their contract as well. Workers at all four stores are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The contract provides union healthcare coverage, safety provisions, and pay and job security.
Unions
B&N Workers in NYC Ratify Union Contracts
Workers at three Barnes & Noble locations in New York ratified their union contracts with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), the first such contracts for the nation’s largest bookstore chain. The contracts cover more than 200 workers at the Union Square flagship store, West 82nd Street, and Park Slope. The contracts include wage increases (bringing the starting wage from $18 to $19), union healthcare, safety equipment and language, layoff protections, job and pay security, and more. The contracts have slight variations for each store, RWDSU said in a release. “The ratification of this contract represents three years […]
News Updates: Kiran Desai’s Novel, Obama’s Reading, Mel Robbins’ Latest, and A BN Picket
Kiran Desai‘s long-awaited novel THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY will be published on September 23, 2025 by PRH’s Hogarth imprint. The deal for the book was first announced in fall 2010, a year after Desai won the Booker Prize for THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS. At the time, the book was expected for publication in 2013. It was acquired for Knopf, by the late Sonny Mehta and former editorial director Robin Desser. David Ebershoff edited for Hogarth, and the novel weighs in at 656 pages. Separately, former president Barack Obama announced his 10 favorite books of 2024. On Tuesday, December […]
Strand Union And Management Reach Tentative Agreement
The Strand Union has reached a tentative agreement with management, ending the strike that began on December 7. The union posted online, “We won a $5.90/hr increase over 4 years, meaning ~30% raises for the membership.” They added, “Strike and picketing is over while the members discuss and vote on the TA. Thank you to everyone who came out to support!” The union was asking for new employees to get $.50 over minimum wage when they are hired and a $.50 raise after 9 months. Additionally, they wanted current employees to get a $2/hr raise in the first year, and […]
The Strand Union Strikes
Unionized booksellers at The Strand in New York went on strike starting Saturday, December 7. The union has been negotiating for a new contract since August and authorized a strike in November. The current contract expired on Thanksgiving, November 28 and the approximately 90 unionized employees have been working without a contract ever since. According to UAW Local 2179 representative Will Bobrowski, the parties will go back to the bargaining table at 10:30 AM today (Monday). The union is currently not picketing in front of the store, but is ready to go back to the picket line at any time […]
The Strand Union Votes to Authorize Strike
The Strand union, part of UAW Local 2179, has voted to authorize a strike as they bargain for a new contract. Seventy-two percent of members participated, with 92 percent of the bloc voting yes. According to UAW Local 2179 vice president Will Bobrowski, who previously worked at the store, the union has been bargaining since August and has extended their contract three times. The current contract applies through Thanksgiving (when the store is closed) and, notably, does not cover Black Friday. The union does not have plans for a walkout at this time, but Bobrowski told PL that workers are […]