FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2020

Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259

RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum on the NYC Council's Passage of a Ban on Cashless Food and Retail Stores

Today, the New York City Council passed a ban on cashless food and retail stores in the city spearheaded by Councilmember Ritchie Torres. Stuart Appelbaum issued the following statement in response:

“Forcing customers to use only credit or debit is a discriminatory business model that disadvantages low-income people, people of color, undocumented immigrants and seniors. Communities of color in New York City are more than twice as likely to be unbanked and are far less likely to host a branch of a bank than the national average. This critical bill will ensure everyone can shop or eat at any store in our city. Thanks to the work of Councilmember Torres and the entire New York City Council, this growing exclusionary practice will no longer be permitted in our city,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

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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.