FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
BARNES & NOBLE WORKERS AT THE UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK STORE VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY TO JOIN THE RWDSU
Win Follows Two Unanimous Wins at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers at Rutgers University and at Barnes & Noble in Hadley, Massachusetts, and Follows the Union Election Filing by Workers at Barnes & Noble’s Park Slope, Brooklyn Store
Win also follows an Unbroken Streak of Union Bookstore Wins with RWDSU Including Independent Booksellers McNally Jackson, Greenlight and Book Culture
(NEW YORK, NY) – Tonight, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), announced that, by an overwhelming vote of 97% in favor of the union, workers at Barnes & Noble’s Flagship Union Square store have voted to join the RWDSU. Building upon last month’s unanimous wins by workers at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers at Rutgers University with RWDSU and by Barnes & Noble workers in Hadley, Massachusetts with UFCW Local 1459. Today’s win also comes amid a longstanding streak of wins by the RWDSU at independent booksellers in the New York area, including McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, Greenlight Bookstore and Book Culture. As well as the union election petition of workers at Barnes & Noble’s Park Slope, Brooklyn store.
Workers at the store face continued safety issues amid the rebound of the pandemic, including workplace harassment, substandard pay for the industry below that of independent booksellers, unstable scheduling practices, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management. Issues they’re looking to address in their first contract negotiations.
“I am so proud of my coworkers and excited to move forward as a unionized bookstore and a member of RWDSU. We still have work ahead of ourselves, but today we have shown how dedicated we are to improving our store for ourselves and each other. We are ready to create a better workplace and a better future for Barnes & Noble employees,” said Jessica Sepple, 28 (She/Her), Senior Bookseller at the Barnes & Noble Flagship Union Square store.
“Winning this election means cafe workers will finally have a fair chance to bargain for a wage that appropriately reflects the rigorous level of work we perform during each shift. Time and time again, Barnes and Noble has treated their baristas like secondary employees to their booksellers. Many do not understand the level of work that is required to run their cafes. Now, we have a chance to safely advocate for what we need in order to create a safer and healthier work environment,” said Victoria Sedita, (She/Her) 27, Senior Barista at the Barnes & Noble Flagship Union Square store.
“It’s a disappointment that humane wages & employment safety are subjects that Barnes & Noble has hesitated to offer from the beginning of employment. Any worker at Barnes & Noble, at any level or any position, deserves courtesy. This union ensures our financial security, employment safety, & justified respect that we should have been granted from the start,” said Paige Lyerly, 23 (She/Her), Bookseller at the Barnes & Noble Flagship Union Square store.
“Together, with their colleagues in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and just across the water in Brooklyn, Barnes & Noble workers in Union Square have sent a message all across the nation – the bookstore industry can and must treat workers with dignity and respect. Workers at this store not only organized and won their union voice, but they did so with management literally above their heads in the corporate headquarters, which is housed just above the store in the same building. In doing so, they set an example for Barnes & Noble workers across the country of the change that is possible in the industry; and we are incredibly proud to welcome the workers at Barnes & Noble’s Flagship Union Square store into the RWDSU officially today,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
The vote to unionize workers at Barnes & Noble Flagship Union Square store was conducted by an in-person secret ballot vote on-site at the store on June 7, 2023, overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The RWDSU will represent over 100 workers at the store in contract negotiations, which will commence this year. The workers in the proposed bargaining units include Booksellers, Baristas, Cashiers, and all non-supervisory employees at the store.
Information about the current public campaigns, news of new announcements and information for workers seeking to organize at their store can be found by following @BNWorkers on Twitter and @BarnesandNobleUnion on Instagram.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.