FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
CONTACT: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
RETAIL WORKERS CALL FOR URGENT PASSAGE OF RETAIL WORKER SAFETY ACT
Retail Workers Address Increasing Retail Violence and Harassment Across New York State
Growing Calls For Action Come Amid Workplace Violence Awareness Month and Just Days Before Labor Movement Commemorates Lives Lost During Worker Memorial Day
(NEW YORK, NEW YORK) - Today, members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), joined by retail workers from across New York state, gathered on zoom to share stories and issues of retail violence in their workplaces with the media. Workers came together in the middle of Workplace Violence Awareness month to call for action on a critical piece of legislation that would provide significant protections for retail workers, the Retail Worker Safety Act S. 8358A / A. 8947A. The Act requires corporate retail employers to perform a formal risk assessment of workplaces and provide workers with specific safety training. For the retail workers toiling on the front lines, retail violence is a growing workplace issue that must be addressed. More information about the Retail Worker Safety Act can be found at: rwdsu.org/retailworkersafety. A recording of the virtual press conference can be viewed and is available for media use here, along with a list of all the worker spokespeople who bravely shared their incredible stories.
“The safety of our workers at Barnes & Noble USQ is put into question every time we clock in to work. We face daily harassment in various forms with little to no recourse to keep ourselves protected. Worker safety is a main reason our store unionized and it’s why we must pass the RWSA,” said Bear Spiegel, (He/Him), Bookseller at Barnes & Noble in Union Square, New York City, which was organized with the RWDSU in 2023 and is currently in negotiations for their first union contract.
“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, (He/Him) Produce Manager at Stop & Shop in Long Island, New York and member of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.
“Today, you've heard directly from retail workers why common sense safety measures like the ones the Retail Worker Safety Act would implement are so critical to the basic protection of the people we interact with every day,” said Stuart Appelbaum, (He/Him) 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 championing this critical law, which requires that retail employers take full responsibility to protect their workers from violence. 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!”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have designated April as Workplace Violence Awareness Month. Workplace violence is especially heightened in the New York retail sector where stores remain understaffed, and workers have limited safety mechanisms to keep themselves safe from often violent theft, harassment, and abusive and frustrated customers. The commonsense measures put forth in the Retail Worker Safety Act would go a long way to protecting thousands of retail workers across New York every day. Passing this critical legislation would immediately respond to a growing safety need we hear about in the news, but more importantly, one impacting New Yorkers who work where we shop every day. There is no reason retail workers should worry about going home to their families each shift and the Retail Worker Safety Act would start to change that.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
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.
Only 7% of workers report their employer has made changes in the workplace after a violent incident in order to make their work safer.
57% of workers have experienced verbal harassment or intimidating conduct from a customer, co-worker, or manager within the last year.
Over half of workers surveyed have received no training on how to deal with shoplifters.
72% of workers would feel safer if they received regular training on how to be safe in the workplace, including understanding the risks they face, how to reduce those risks and what to do in the event violence occurs.
88% of workers would feel safer if a silent panic button was installed.
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 training 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, including 10,000 in New Jersey. 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.