FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, March 5 2024
CONTACT: Maria DiPasquale, mdipasquale@rwdsu.org, 201-396-1021
RETAIL WORKERS BRING THE FIGHT FOR RETAIL WORKER SAFETY TO ALBANY
Retail Workers, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, Members and Leadership of RWDSU Local Unions, Bill Sponsors Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Karines Reyes and Champions of The Retail Worker Safety Act Addressed Increasing Retail Violence and Harassment In New York
(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - Today, retail workers, members and leaders of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) gathered with their allies in the state capitol to call on New York state legislators to pass the Retail Worker Safety Act (S.8358/A. 8947) in the 2024 budget. Retail workers shared their firsthand accounts of retail violence on the job, and demonstrated broad support for the Retail Worker Safety Act among their coworkers with legislators across the capitol. They also shared their concerns during a press conference: video, which can be used by media for reporting and found on RWDSU’s Facebook page additional images and videos for media use can also be found here, and additional information about the bill can be found at rwdsu.org/retailworkersafety.
“Every day, we hear stories of workplace violence and harassment from our members, and it’s unacceptable,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “Employers can, and should, do more to protect their employees. That’s why we’re proudly championing the Retail Worker Safety Act, which requires that retail employers take full responsibility to protect their workers from violence. Completing a risk assessment of the workplace and putting a violence prevention plan into place are common-sense solutions that will keep both retail workers and the customers they serve safe. Retail workers should not go to work every day in fear. Let’s tackle the issue of retail workplace safety in a comprehensive way and pass the Retail Worker Safety Act now!”
“We are being presented with a false choice: we do not need to choose between protecting goods from retail theft and protecting workers. The basic premise of the Retail Worker Safety Act is that workplaces should have a plan. Employers and workers should think about a course of action in advance, in the hopes that they will never have to use it,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos, chair of the Senate Labor Committee.
“New York retail workers and customers are demanding relief from retail theft,” said Assembly Member Karines Reyes, R.N., Chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Workplace Safety. “This challenge is deeper than the changes that are being made to display shelves and cases, but one that is central to worker safety. I am proud to sponsor the Retail Worker Safety Act, with Senator Ramos and the workers of the RWDSU, to ensure that employers are doing all in their power to keep their employees and customers safe. This pivotal bill would require employers to assess and report the risks in their workplaces, while mandating that they put in place a violence prevention plan to protect their workers. These steps are necessary to comprehensively reduce violence against workers and customers, which should be addressed in the final enacted state budget.
“As a retail worker in New York City, I have been harassed, threatened and intimidated numerous times, simply for doing my job. And my employer has never once checked in to see if I was ok after an incident, offered time off to recover emotionally, or made changes in my workplace to make my job safer. This is why we need the Retail Worker Safety Act: it will force employers to take my safety, and the safety of my coworkers, seriously,” said Sherry Perkov, retail worker at a large luxury retailer, New York City and RWDSU member.
“Retail workers’ lives should be valued...as human beings, there is only one of each of us. We do not come off a factory conveyor belt like much of the merchandise. I’m proud to be a member of Local 1102, RWDSU. As workers at a unionized workplace, we demanded several protections in the union contract that all retail workers should have, but sadly don’t. For example, our contract requires that we receive training in de-escalation techniques. We are also allowed a self-defense class. One paid for by the employer if we choose to do so. And if there is a threatening customer, we can shut the store down if we feel unsafe in getting that customer to leave. I don't believe, I know that all workers deserve these protections. And that is why I support the Retail Worker Safety Act,” said LeNair Xavier, a boutique retail worker in New York City and member of RWDSU Local 1102.
“I have worked in the grocery industry for over 35 years, and I have seen my fair share of shoplifters and customer harassment. Companies are not doing enough to train workers on how to handle difficult situations with customers beyond telling a manager. We don’t know what to do in situations where we can’t get a manager – that’s why we need to pass the Retail Worker Safety Act. Nobody wants to go to work expecting to be assaulted by a customer or experience an active shooter, but they should know what to do if the unthinkable happens,” said Edwin Quezada, grocery store worker and 36-year member of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.
Retail workers gather with RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum in the Capitol ahead of the Press Conference
RWDSU conducted a survey of our members related to workplace violence and found the following:
Over 80% of respondents are worried about an active shooter coming into their workplace
Nearly ⅔ of respondents experienced verbal harassment or intimidating conduct from a customer, co-worker, or manager within the last year.
Only 7% of respondents agreed with the following statement: My employer has made changes in the workplace after a violent incident in order to make my work safer.
Nearly ¾ of respondents would feel safer if they received regular training on how to be safe in the workplace, including understanding the risks, how to reduce those risks and what to do in the event violence occurs.
Based on these findings, as well as the reality of mass shootings in retail settings and the increase in daily violence, it is clear that we have reached a crisis point in this industry and it’s the time to act. The Retail Worker Safety Act provides a comprehensive solution based on extensive interviews with retail workers on the frontlines. The legislation will require employers to create a risk evaluation of their workplace; develop a workplace violence prevention plan; provide ongoing safety trainings for workers; document any violent workplace incidents; and reevaluate the store violence prevention plan annually. The RWDSU is working alongside bill sponsors Senate Labor Chair Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Karines Reyes, Chair of the Subcommittee on Workplace Safety, to get this important bill passed in 2024.
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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 atwww.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.