Employees at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble store are celebrating this week, as they voted to officially join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) on Thursday.
Through an overwhelming 85 percent of the vote, workers at the Upper West Side store are now part of the RWDSU, a labor union that represents approximately 100,000 members throughout the United States, including 45,000 in New York. The Upper West Side location joins two other unionized Barnes & Noble stores in New York City, including the flagship at Union Square and the store in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
According to RWDSU, there are six other unionized Barnes & Noble stores nationwide. Barnes & Noble Education at Rutgers University in New Jersey is also part of the RWDSU.
With the path to unionization behind them, employees will now elect their bargaining committee, which will be composed of employees who work on site at the store. The workers plan to immediately get to work on bargaining their first union contract, RWDSU said.
Workers will address “job security, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management” during negotiations for their first union contract, RWDSU said.
A Barnes & Noble spokesperson said the company “respects” the decision the employees made to join the union.
“We respect the decision some of our employees have made to unionize and look forward to engaging with the store team,” the spokesperson said.
Barnes & Noble workers say they are “thrilled” to join the union
To reach their vote, workers at the newly unionized store, located on 82nd Street and Broadway, held an in-person, on-site secret ballot, which was overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
Employees at the store were eager to share their thoughts once the results of the ballot were announced.
“Winning our union election means my and my co-worker’s needs can finally be heard,” Gina Fowler, senior barista, said. “We’re asking for fair pay, clear opportunities to progress in long-term careers with Barnes & Noble and overall job security. I look forward to having our voices heard at the bargaining table.”
Esther Rosenfield, another senior barista, said she’s “thrilled and excited” about what the union will do for her career.
“The feeling of solidarity among employees at every position in the store is really incredible,” she said. “We’re looking forward to beginning negotiations for fair pay and better working conditions.”
Approximately 50 employees at the store are now part of RWDSU. Workers have been organizing to unionize for several months before they filed their election on Feb. 20, the union said.
“With each new union election, workers continue to send a clear message to Barnes & Noble that they want a seat at the table, and they are winning that seat by historic margins,” Stuart Appelbaum, president of the RWDSU, said. “Bookstore workers across the industry, from independent sellers to corporate behemoths like Barnes & Noble face safety concerns, lack of training, and favoritism by management. Only with a union, will these issues and more be heard. Barnes & Noble workers are changing how their history will be told, and inspiring other workers to do the same.”
