HarperCollins union, which is made up of more than 250 employees, announced that they will strike for one day on July 20. The union has been negotiating since December for “higher pay, improved family leave benefits, a greater commitment to diversifying staff, and stronger union protection.” Union chairperson and senior production editor in Children’s Books Laura Harshberger said, “Thousands of supporters in the publishing industry joined our members in signing a petition to the company urging them to settle a fair contract. We have no choice but to escalate our action by setting this one-day strike.” A representative for HarperCollins […]
Unions
HarperCollins Union Votes to Authorize a Strike
The HarperCollins Union announced that their over 250 members have voted by 99 percent to authorize a strike if the publisher “does not agree to a fair contract.” The union is asking for “higher pay, improved family leave benefits, a greater commitment to diversifying staff, and stronger union protection.” The union also charges that “many employees cite pressure to work extra hours without additional compensation.” Harper was the last of the big five publishers to raise minimum salaries to $45,000 last year, in an agreement with the union. The contract, as amended and extended during the pandemic, expired at the […]
Pen America Union Wins Voluntary Recognition
Pen America United, the Pen America employees’ union, has been officially recognized by management and now moves on to negotiate a contract. In a Medium post, the union wrote that they demanded voluntary recognition on December 9 and have been negotiating since. “We want to work towards a Pen that commits to providing fair and equitable compensation, including clear and consistent policies around salary minimums, increases, and promotions,” they wrote. “A Pen that adequately addresses the root causes of burnout and secondary trauma, and promotes an organizational culture of transparency, equity, and responsiveness.” Pen America had an annual income of $12.3 million […]
Bookselling: P&T Knitwear Bookstore; Book Soup Union
A new bookstore, P&T Knitwear, will open on Orchard Street NYC Memorial Day weekend. The 3,000 square foot store will “will carry titles for children, teens, and adults spanning all genres, plus there will be a particular focus on fiction and nonfiction highlighting New York City.” In an Instagram post, workers at Book Soup in West Hollywood announced their intent to unionize, seeking “fair wages, adequate staffing, disability access, and democratic decision making in the workplace.” They have partnered with the Communication Workers of America and “are hoping that our employers at [Vroman’s Bookstore] will voluntarily recognize us.”
Duke Once Again Appeals DUP Union
Duke University has filed yet another appeal challenging the Duke University Press Union election, the union said on Twitter. The union was certified in March, and this marks the third time the university has contested the organization with the National Labor Relations Board. According to the union, they remain certified and members hold union rights during the appeals process, unless the NLRB issues a stay or reverses course to uphold the university’s arguments. The union wrote on Twitter, “This is an appeal to what is essentially the Supreme Court of labor disputes—making the same arguments that the NLRB has rejected […]
Duke University Press Union Certified
A year after employees announced their intent to organize, the Duke University Press union has been certified. The union announced on Twitter that the National Labor Relations Board denied the university’s appeal of an October decision overruling the university’s objections to the election. The union joins the The NewsGuild-CWA’s Washington-Baltimore Local 32035.