Dive Brief:
- Three Barnes & Noble stores ratified their union contracts, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union announced March 6 — “the first union contracts for any Barnes & Noble workers in the nation,” per RWDSU.
- The RWDSU, which represents many other bookstore employees in the city, now covers more than 200 workers across three Barnes & Noble stores in New York City: the Union Square Flagship, West 82nd Street, and Park Slope locations.
- In addition to higher wages and union healthcare coverage, safety was a main concern presented by the workers.
Dive Insight:
Like in many union-led negotiations, Barnes & Noble workers asked for better total rewards. Now, the minimum starting wage for new hires at the three New York stores will be between $23 and $25 per hour. Workers also are now covered by RWDSU healthcare.
Health concerns, especially where they intersect with safety, were also top of mind. Workers now will have access to back braces, wrist guards, and anti-slip mats for the café area. There will also be stools at every Barnes & Noble information desk and cash register for workers to be seated if they choose.
Employees working late-night inventory shifts will now have access to paid auto transport. Likewise, workers will now have a safety committee, de-escalation trainings, and “a clear process of banning customers who harass or behave inappropriately towards workers.”
Job security and pay security were also included in the union contract.
Beyond concerns specific to Barnes & Noble, the RWDSU highlighted the utility of the Retail Worker Safety Act, which requires New York-based employers to create a violence prevention plan, provide de-escalation and active shooter training, and implement silent response buttons at work.
“United in their fight for increased safety in their stores, it was [Barnes & Noble workers’] voices among others across our union that won increased protections for everyone in the industry through the Retail Worker Safety Act,” said Stuart Appelbaum, RWDSU president. “Today, we can finally say those safety protections are codified in their union contracts, which also include industry standard setting wage increases, union healthcare, and more.”
Overall, RWDSU sees the act “as a floor” for worker well-being, stating that the union gains “go well beyond the law” but can be “a standard retailers across the industry can look to as to how to better protect workers.”
Following the New York City locations, Barnes & Noble workers in Bloomington, Illinois, also voted to ratify their contract on Monday. According to a social media post from the union, several Barnes & Noble stores are organized in various states, including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
