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 […]
Unions
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 […]
B&N Workers Rally for Union Contract
On Thursday, Barnes & Noble employees rallied outside of its flagship store and corporate headquarters in Union Square to demand their first contract be reached by the end of the year. The employees of the unionized stores in NYC–Union Square, Park Slope, and the Upper West Side–are members of RWDSU, and were joined by workers from other unionized bookstores including The Strand and McNally Jackson. “The company’s refusal to pay a fair wage has thus far prevented the union from settling the first union contracts and getting union benefits, healthcare, and protection from store closure and relocation,” the union said […]
Unionized BN Employees Protest At Bloomington, IL Store
Unionized employees at Barnes & Noble in Bloomington, IL walked off the job site to protest in front of the store for seven hours on October 11 over contract negotiations with the company. The union is asking for fair wages, healthcare and union benefits, protection from store closures, and more. This is the first time a B&N union in the midwest has gone on strike. Employees said in a local news report that the store is understaffed and not keeping up with the state’s minimum wage requirements. Senior bookseller Thaddeus Stoklasa said, “We are walking off the job today to […]
OUP Eliminates Two US Departments, Including Union Members
According to a release from the Oxford University Press union, the publisher has eliminated two teams in the US, design and content transformation and standards. The layoffs affect 13 members of the union, which represents about 150 employees and ratified its first contract in August. The guild was notified of the layoffs on September 4, and were told by the company that the last working day for affected employees would be October 4. The union has filed a grievance, asserting that the layoffs violate the collective bargaining agreement, “which protects historic union work from being relocated out of the unit.” […]