Portside

New York, NY – Today, workers at Barnes & Noble unionized stores in New York City organized with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), rallied with fellow New York City unionized bookstore workers including workers from McNally Jackson represented by RWDSU Local 1102, the Strand in Union Square who are members of UAW 2179, and Barnes & Noble workers from Hadley, Massachusetts, who are members of UFCW 1459, to demand the company reach a contract by the end of 2024. As the holiday shopping season gets underway, workers were joined by unionized bookstore workers to raise industry standards for all. They were also joined by union members from across the city, labor allies, advocacy and community groups, and concerned shoppers.

The company’s refusal to pay a fair wage has thus far prevented the union from settling the first union contracts and getting union benefits, healthcare, and protection from store closure and relocation. (Note: the company has refused a master agreement even in single cities like New York where the union represents multiple stores.) As the largest brick and mortar corporate book retailer, what Barnes & Noble workers win in this contract will impact everyone in the industry. Participants at the rally will stand united to demand fair standards for everyone.

Following the rally in New York, a delegation of workers delivered boxes of letters of support from the public to Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt at the corporate headquarters, which is also located at the Union Square store address and at his apartment nearby. Participants also marched in Union Square and fliered to demand fair standards across the industry. 

Barnes & Noble union workers were  joined by fellow RWDSU bookselling union members from McNally Jackson, Greenlight and Book Culture, as well as Strand bookstore workers who are members of UAW 2179. Joined by RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, RWDSU members from other retail stores from across the city rallied with local elected officials, the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, other area labor leaders and workers, and community members.

“If Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt truly wants to create community stores then he needs to create jobs for workers that mean they can afford to live in their communities – that means fair wages, safe working conditions and stability – all of which only comes with a union contract. The bookselling industry is booming again and people are craving the knowledgeable booksellers and cozy corners of the cafes at Barnes & Noble. It's time the largest corporate industry retailer set the standard and reach a fair contract – let's get it done before the holiday rush sets in,” said Stuart Appelbaum (He/Him), President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). 

“Today is about sending a clear message to Barnes & Noble and the entire bookselling industry: the time has come for fair wages, benefits, and respect for the essential work that bookstore workers do,” said Vincent Alvarez, New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President. “These workers are dedicated to creating welcoming spaces for readers, but they should not be sacrificing their livelihoods to do so. This fight is about building an industry that values workers’ voices and gives them the support and economic security they need and deserve. The New York City Labor Movement is proud to stand with the members of RWDSU and UAW 2179 in their push for fair contracts and better standards for all.”Dan

“The administration coming into this country has made no secret about its feelings on unions. Together as book workers we have the collective ability and strength to fight back. One voice together to set industry standards on pay, necessary paid time off, breaks, health benefits, safety needs and more. Together, not just Barnes & Noble, we will get it,” said Daniela Franceschetti (She/Her), Senior Bookseller, at the Union Square, New York City Flagship Barnes & Noble store organized with the RWDSU. 

“The Park Slope neighborhood is home to a lot of retired union members, who show their support for us everyday. They remind us that we are not crazy for asking for what’s fair from our employer. We want Barnes & Noble to be a place where workers can build big dreams for our futures, but that can't happen if we're overworked and underpaid. We’re coming together to rally with our fellow bookstore workers to change not just our workplace but the industry as a whole, because we know what we win in our contract will impact theirs. We stand in solidarity together, we’re stronger together and we will win together,” said Sydul Akhanji (He/Him), Bookseller at the Park Slope, Brooklyn Barnes & Noble store organized with the RWDSU. 

“Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt has created a mirage for customers of who he is, what his vision for the stores is and what it’s truly like to work there. He wants people to think that he’s bargaining fairly, yet the truth is he's stalling negotiations and using union busting tactics along the way. He talks about putting money into polishing up the stores, instead of actually investing in workers – the real engine behind its success. James Daunt is putting people last, and we would like a fair contract that puts people first,” said Andrew Shen (He/Him), Senior Bookseller at the 82nd Street, Upper West Side, Manhattan, Barnes & Noble store, organized with the RWDSU.

“Barnes & Noble workers out here today are fighting for a fair first union contract because retail is demanding, precarious work that needs the protections only a union contract can provide. As a bookstore worker I know customers value physical bookstores. But I’m not sure Barnes & Noble values its workers. I stand in solidarity with Barnes & Noble workers because fundamentally, like all workers, Barnes & Noble booksellers deserve every bit of what they are fighting for. As booksellers, you must meet the needs of hospitality and customer service, to be knowledgeable, and to do physical work. You must do research in a pinch. You must know all different types of books, authors, and tastes in order to meet the needs of hundreds of customers a day. In New York City, with the cost of living always on the rise, you do all of this work for low wages and a lack of crucial benefits. You more than deserve these basic rights – the right to better wages, time off to visit family and friends, protection from being fired without cause, and adequate healthcare coverage. Your success will be our success and your fight will inspire the fights to come – future contract negotiations for all bookstores, big and small, can be measured up to what you will achieve here,” said Jules Neuman (He/Him), Tier 2 Bookseller at McNally Jackson’s Williamsburg location, and member of RWDSU Local 1102.

“Booksellers and baristas have waited too long for the company to raise staffing and compensation standards, so now we are fighting to set the industry standard ourselves. While corporate continues to drag its feet and delay progress, it’s heartening to see how much we’ve grown and how much support there is for us in this fight. We’re rallying because the time has come for corporate to respect booksellers and baristas – stop delaying negotiations so we can finish our first contract,” said Miette Muller (She/Her), Senior Bookseller at Barnes & Noble in Hadley, MA organized with UFCW 1459.

“Booksellers are living paycheck to paycheck, barely making rent. That's the way it's been for too long, and we're not gonna accept it anymore. We're sending a message to the bosses and the CEOS, it's time to pay us what we're worth,” said Andrew Stando (He/Him), Bookseller at the Strand bookstore and member of UAW 2179.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

On June 7, 2023, workers at the flagship Barnes & Noble Inc. Union Square voted overwhelmingly (97%) to join the RWDSU, following a unanimous election by their colleagues at Barnes & Noble Education at Rutgers University just weeks prior (note: these are separate companies). Over the past year, organizing has spread like wildfire and there are now seven unionized Barnes & Noble Inc. locations across the country, not including the Rutgers education store, and those numbers are growing.

Workers at the store face continued safety issues while the contract remains outstanding, including workplace harassment, in addition to substandard pay, unstable scheduling practices, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management – all issues they’re looking to address in their first union contract.

Workers at the first stores to organize began negotiating their first union contracts more than a year ago. If the company wants to live up to James Daunt’s vision of a well trained, knowledgeable sales team, and a shopping experience for customers that feels like a small neighborhood bookstore, then the company must invest in its workers and finish negotiating these union contracts with fair wages that keep up with the cost of living, and include protections that ensure stability for the stores, which as we all know, means stability for our communities.

The RWDSU represents Barnes & Noble workers at three New York City stores and in Bloomington, Illinois. The RWDSU also represents workers across the bookstore industry including workers at McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, Greenlight Bookstore and Book Culture. In New York City, with our fellow union members at the Strand who are members of UAW 2179, together we represent about 40% of locations of the major corporate and independent chain bookstores in the city.

Barnes & Noble Inc. workers are organized at seven stores across the United States to date, and at a Barnes & Noble Education location at Rutgers University in New Jersey. For more information, please visit our website at www.barnesandnobleunion.org or follow us on Instagram or Twitter.

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.