Unions

After striking in September and rejecting a tentative agreement in November, the Powell’s bookstore union voted to ratify a new contract with 93 percent of members voting yes. The new contract, which lasts for the next four years, promises wage increases that average approximately 28 percent over the life of the contract, expedited promotions for entry level workers, and decreased costs for healthcare claims. Notably, the contract also restores the paid time off accrual for any employee who was rehired after being laid off in 2020.

The Scholastic Union has reached a tentative agreement with management, they announced on social media. The new contract stipulates a minimum salary of $65,000, with standard wage increases and a $3,250 bonus on ratification. The union comprises 82 Scholastic magazine employees, represented by the NewsGuild of New York. The contract also includes a “health and safety provision” and a hybrid work clause that “secures [their] right to work remotely.” The union also avoided a management’s rights clause, which would give Scholastic “more expansive power to make unilateral decisions without bargaining with us.”

Employees at Barnes & Noble locations in San Jose, CA and Bloomington, IL have voted to form unions. Last week, workers unanimously voted to unionize at the Bloomington store, joining RWDSU. On Nov 8, 90 percent of eligible employees at the Almaden Plaza store in San Jose voted to form a union, joining UFCW Local 5. That makes five retail stores with unions in the US—including Hadley, MA; Union Square; and Park Slope, Brooklyn—as well as the campus store at Rutgers University, owned by Barnes & Noble Education.

The Powell’s Bookstore union rejected a contract proposal from management, after the union’s bargaining committee tentatively accepted it on October 19. When the agreement was put to a vote by the union membership on November 9, 62 percent of participants voted no due to dissatisfaction with the starting wage and pay increases. “While the Local 5 bargaining team endorsed a ‘yes’ vote, we are a democratic organization and the membership has the final say,” the union stated on social media. “The ILWU Local 5 bargaining team has reached out to the Powell’s team to resume bargaining ASAP, and to continue working […]

Members of the Scholastic Union, which is represented by the NewsGuild of New York, participated in a one-day work stoppage on Wednesday. According to a press release, they are protesting “the company’s refusal to pay its workers fair wages, specifically its rejection of the Scholastic Union’s proposal for annual raises.” The union’s contract expired in May 2022, and the NewsGuild reports that employees have been bargaining since last October. The union, which represents 82 employees, held an afternoon rally outside of the company’s New York City headquarters.

The National Book Foundation announced that it has rescinded Drew Barrymore’s invitation to host this year’s National Book Awards ceremony, after Barrymore’s show broke the WGA strike by resuming production. They write in a post on Twitter, “The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony. Our Commitment is to ensure that the focus of the […]