JENNIFER BATES BAMAZON UNION SPOKESPERSON FIRED WITHOUT CAUSE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
JENNIFER BATES BAMAZON UNION SPOKESPERSON FIRED WITHOUT CAUSE
Woman Who Lit The Spark of the Current Rise of Labor Activism Terminated by Amazon Amid Pending NLRB Review of Election Conduct by Company
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, Jennifer Bates, the lead worker spokeswoman of the Bessemer, Alabama Amazon union drive, received notice she had been terminated by the company amid a several months long workers compensation nightmare. Bates continues to suffer from crippling injuries received while working at Amazon, which she spoke out about during the unionization effort, and for which has lengthy documentation for. The news also comes shortly after Bates hit three years of service this May, an ominous number for Amazon workers whose pay scales top out after three years.
Bates led the charge speaking out against workplace safety issues, failures by the company to treat workers with respect and workers desire to unionize at the first Amazon warehouse to file for a union election. She has also long struggled with debilitating injuries from working at Amazon and had taken workers compensation leave recently to tend to these injuries at Amazon’s recommendation. Upon Amazon telling her to return to work the company refused to make adjustments to her work schedule and work type despite repeated doctors’ letters and review by Amazon’s own “Wellness Center”. Nonetheless, Bates returned to work the extreme shifts amid the extreme pain and swelling only to be shortly told to go home by Amazon and get a new doctor’s review before returning. Just days after returning for a second time, she received notice her access to the AtoZ app had been disabled. At issue, according to a difficult to reach HR representative, was her unpaid time off tally, for which she has ample documentation. Only after Bates tenacious inquiries, hours on the phone was Bates even informed she had potentially even been terminated. Despite numerous attempts to provide the necessary paperwork she has yet to hear from the company about her appeal.
Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) issued the following statement on Jennifer Bates’ termination:
“What is clear today is that Amazon terminated one of the most public pro-union worker leaders we’ve seen in a generation over an alleged paperwork issue, for which there is ample documentation. This is an issue, which can and should be easily resolved by a human; instead, Jennifer Bates is being subjected to termination by AI due to a glitch in the company’s own software.
“Outrageously, Jennifer’s is just one example of horror stories burdening thousands of Amazon workers every day. Workers suffer from life-altering injuries through their work at Amazon, including repetitive motion injuries and 911 emergencies, which send workers to the hospital regularly, some never to return again. Continually nameless faceless HR is either nowhere to be found or excessively difficult to track down.
“Amazon spared no expense in its union busting throughout the Bessemer campaign; and today is just another in a litany of examples of how this company will stop at nothing to stifle workers' efforts to unionize. Amazon blatantly broke the law throughout the campaign, knowing that any potential penalty would be insignificant. Amazon’s goal was to prevent - by any means - its employees from having a collective voice through a union in Bessemer. Labor law reform is critical if workers are to find any hope. Amazon’s behavior must not be tolerated.
“Workers at Amazon have endured an insanely and needlessly long and aggressive fight to unionize their workplace; with Amazon doing everything it can to spread misinformation and deceive workers. Today’s news is shockingly just another case of Amazon’s misconduct in a growing mountain of ULPs, objections and charges against Amazon. The company violated the law in the first election, and did so again in the re-run election, and now is firing union leaders in the facility to all but extinguish any embers of union support in the facility.
“We will continue to hold Amazon accountable and ensure workers' voices are heard. Amazon’s behavior must not go unchallenged, and workers in Bessemer, Alabama must have their rights protected under the law. We urge the NLRB to carefully review Jennifer’s case, when it’s filed, and the countless other issues at hand to ensure no company, not even with the bottomless pockets of Amazon, is allowed to act above the law.”
During the BAmazon campaign, which was the first effort to organize an entire Amazon warehouse in the company’s decades-long history, Bates had come to be a globally recognized figure of the Bessemer, Alabama campaign, which is often cited as the spark that ignited many labor organizing drives around the country, including inspiring workers at Starbucks, REI, other Amazon facilities and elsewhere. What was seen as a shot in the dark by many in the small town of Bessemer, Alabama turned on the light for thousands across the country seeking dignity and respect at work through a union, and workers across the country are winning today as a result.
“I went to work for Amazon because I believed in the future world of work, but at Amazon there is no future for workers like me. I have tirelessly worked for Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama since it opened. Everything hurts and it’s permanently changed my life forever, but I stayed because I believe Amazon can be better, and I believe with a union we can build a brighter future for workers across the company. I’ve given my back to Amazon these past three years. I’ve given my arms and shoulders to Amazon these past three years. And I've given every fiber of my soul into organizing Amazon these past three years. For them to treat me like this is unfathomable. But let me be clear, Amazon, your termination of my employment will not stifle workers organizing, for when you fire leaders, it only brings more people ignited into the movement. We are a movement, we will not be stopped, and I know my union, recognized or not by you, has my back. We will fight this, I will not be silenced, we will not be stopped,” said Jennifer Bates, newly terminated Amazon Bessemer, Alabama worker.
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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.
REI’S NEW COUNSEL ADVISES UNION OF PAY CUTS FOR MANY SOHO WORKERS IN THE MIDDLE OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
REI’S NEW LEGAL COUNSEL MORGAN LEWIS ADVISES UNION OF PAY CUTS FOR MANY SOHO WORKERS IN THE MIDDLE OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
REI Switches Representation to Notorious Union Busting Firm Setting Negotiations Back Months
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, REI notified the union through its new legal counsel that many workers at the SoHo, New York store would be receiving pay cuts in their next paycheck amid a shakeup of the company’s legal representation at the bargaining table. The change would revert many workers' pay to pre “The Way Forward” levels, which were won by workers late last year.
Last summer, as a result of workers organizing the flagship store, REI introduced “The Way Forward,” a new package of pay and benefits that was extended to workers at every REI store across the country except for the SoHo, New York store. Workers at the store were able to win back the pay raise and improved benefits after they engaged in a walk-out in November. They did so in exchange for an agreement not to strike through June 1, 2023. Despite management’s promise to the unionized workers that the agreement would herald a more productive and harmonious negotiation process, REI went back to their long-held anti-union strategy of glacial bargaining and delay tactics no sooner than the ink on the agreement had dried. Management has continued to stonewall workers on even relatively simple requests, such as including workers’ pronouns on their name tags.
Just a few weeks ago, nearly a year into contract negotiations, REI announced it was changing its legal representation to Morgan Lewis, a notoriously, vehemently anti-union law firm. This led REI to cancel all bargaining sessions in the later half of May. When negotiations resume later this month, the move will also force the worker-led bargaining committee to waste time recapitulating proposals that have been on the table for months, derailing and delaying bargaining.
Today, REI’s new legal counsel went ahead and notified the union of cuts to the pay of many SoHo workers despite the workers not even engaging in the newly restored right to strike. In light of all this, now that the agreement has ended, workers are taking the urgency of the moment to call out REI to the public for all their bottomless anti-union tactics.
Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) issued the following statement in response to REI’s actions:
“History was made when REI workers at the SoHo flagship store unionized, but the truth is from the moment workers went public with their organizing efforts the company has ostracized them, and done everything in its power to not just delay their union forming, but getting to a first union contract.
“Workers have been bargaining with REI for almost a year, accomplishing a great deal. But, just as workers were getting down to pay and other economics, the company pulled the rug out from under them.
“It is inexcusable. But, workers at REI have faced aggressive union busting from the very start. That animus led them to be left out of a critical wage and benefits increase this fall. Workers fought back and won, and now REI is bringing in some of the most anti-union attorneys in the country to pull back on the wages many workers have had for the better part of seven months. It's loose change to REI, but a great deal to workers who supported the company through a global pandemic, risking their own safety to do so in REI’s stores, which were deemed essential due to their bike shops. It’s how workers have survived amid astronomical inflation increases and it is unacceptable for REI’s new representation to reduce workers' pay and conveniently so only at their first unionized store.
“The workers of REI SoHo are ready to negotiate a strong contract that will allow them to uphold the co-op’s professed, but not often practiced, progressive values, while providing the top-notch service REI customers have come to expect. The company just has to treat them with dignity and respect, and that means leaving their pay and benefits alone amid these final days of negotiations. It also means bargaining fairly, not rehashing the arguments already made at the table, just because they’ve hired new representation. REI, now is not the time to set back your unionized workers, now is the time to finish bargaining and get to a contract with fair wages, stop delaying, stop hurting your workers, and stop the union busting.”
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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.
Height and Weight Discrimination Ban Becomes Law in New York City
FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023, (NEW YORK, NY) - “The RWDSU stands in support of ending all forms of discrimination in the workplace,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “Mayor Adams just took a big step towards that goal by signing into law a ban on height and weight discrimination in the workplace. This law will change countless workers’ lives for the better. As a union that represents thousands of workers in the fashion retail industry, we are acutely aware of how size discrimination impacts workers’ job opportunities, as well as their earning potential and career advancement opportunities. Workers come in all shapes and sizes and that is a good thing. We are pleased to have worked in partnership with Councilmember Abreu, NAAFA and the Retail Action Project to pass this bill. Every single New Yorker deserves the right to a workplace free of all forms of prejudice and discrimination.”
BARNES & NOBLE WORKERS AT THE PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN STORE FILE FOR THEIR UNION ELECTION WITH RWDSU
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 25, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
BARNES & NOBLE WORKERS AT THE PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN STORE FILE FOR THEIR UNION ELECTION WITH RWDSU
Filing Follows the Union Election Petition by Workers with RWDSU at the Union Square Flagship Barnes & Noble Store and a Win by Workers with RWDSU at Rutgers University’s Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Store. News Follows an Unbroken Streak of Union Bookstore Wins with RWDSU Including Independent Booksellers McNally Jackson, Greenlight and Book Culture
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, Barnes & Noble workers at the Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York store filed for their union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking representation with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). This comes just days after workers at the Barnes & Noble College Booksellers store on the Rutgers University campus won their union election unanimously with RWDSU. The petition also swiftly follows that of the Union Square Flagship store filing for their union election with RWDSU, their election is set for Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Today’s news follows a streak of wins by the RWDSU at independent booksellers, including McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, Greenlight Bookstore and Book Culture.
Today’s election petition came just hours after a delegation of workers at the Park Slope store shared with management that a majority of workers had signed RWDSU authorization cards. With a majority of workers in favor of forming a union, workers asked Barnes & Noble to voluntarily recognize the union so that contract negotiations could commence swiftly around a host of issues workers are contending with at the bookseller. While awaiting response from Barnes & Noble, workers formally filed their election petition with the NLRB. The company at any time can voluntarily recognize the union.
Workers at the store face continued safety issues amid the rebound of New York City post-pandemic including workplace harassment, substandard pay for the industry below that of independent booksellers, unstable scheduling practices, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management.
“I have been working at this store for over a year and I constantly see how our low wages affect me and my co-workers in what I can choose to afford each week whether it’s food, a MetroCard or time spent with friends. There is an unfair balance in how much I am working and how much we are getting paid. I want all of us to experience full-time benefits like health insurance if we work full-time hours. For these reasons, we are coming together to create a better way to work at this place that we love,” said Haruka Iwasaki (She/Her), 28, Senior Bookseller, Park Slope Barnes & Noble.
In conjunction with today’s filing, workers have also launched new national social media accounts where information about the current public campaigns can be found as well as new announcements. Individual campaigns will continue to maintain social media handles, but in an effort to create a place to share information across all of the efforts, the public can follow @BNWorkers on Twitter and @BarnesandNobleUnion on Instagram as well.
When successful, the RWDSU will represent over 30 NLRA eligible workers at the Park Slope, Brooklyn store; they would join the over 100 current NLRA eligible workers at the Flagship store in New York when they’re successful as well. The RWDSU currently represents nearly 70 workers at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The workers in the proposed bargaining units include Booksellers, Baristas, Cashiers, Maintenance, and all non-supervisory employees at each of the stores.
Barnes & Noble and Barnes & Noble College Booksellers are separate companies. Barnes & Noble is a privately held company headquartered in New York City. Barnes & Noble Education is publicly traded under BNED on the NYSE and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
Short of voluntary recognition, and pending the parties’ ability to come to a stipulated agreement swiftly, the NLRB could set this election for as early as next month. More information about an election date and procedure will be available via the NLRB.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States, including 45,000 in New York State. 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.
HUNDREDS OF NYC GREENMARKET, FOOD DISTRIBUTION, COMPOSTING, AND NUTRITION & FARMING EDUCATION WORKERS AT GROWNYC LOCATIONS WIN UNION RECOGNITION - BRINGING FIRST UNION TO THE INDUSTRY IN NYC -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
HUNDREDS OF NYC GREENMARKET, FOOD DISTRIBUTION, COMPOSTING, AND NUTRITION & FARMING EDUCATION WORKERS AT GROWNYC LOCATIONS WIN UNION RECOGNITION
- BRINGING FIRST UNION TO THE INDUSTRY IN NYC -
Recognition Win Follows a String of NLRB Election Filings and Wins by Workers with RWDSU Around the Country
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, workers at GrowNYC announced their employer will recognize the workers’ union formed with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). On Monday, April 25, 2023, a delegation of workers representing nearly two-hundred employees at around 70 GrowNYC Greenmarkets, farm stands, and CSA pick-up locations, and who work across GrowNYC’s operations in hundreds of schools in their distribution hubs and in nutrition education and composting demanded voluntary recognition of their union from the large-scale non-profit.
Today’s win comes amid a flurry of election filings and wins by workers with the RWDSU this month around the country including Barnes & Noble and REI stores. Workers at GrowNYC will begin bargaining their first contract swiftly as a result. Companies at any time can voluntarily recognize a worker union, doing so expedites the process of union representation and the pathway to a union contract.
Workers across the GrowNYC locations in the five boroughs face continued safety issues amid the rebound of New York City post-pandemic; workplace harassment including sexual harassment, unstable scheduling practices, seasonal layoffs with no call-back structure, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management. A union contract would begin to alleviate some of these issues.
“I am thrilled with GrowNYC's decision. I am happy they are still interested in keeping a good relationship with us as workers by voluntarily recognizing our union. Regardless, we will continue to advocate for our rights which will advance GrowNYC's mission as a whole,” said Erik Menjivar (He/Him), GrowNYC Greenmarket Manager and Compost Coordinator.
“I am really excited to have our union voluntarily recognized by GrowNYC. Everyone has worked so hard to get us here, and I am so grateful to my fellow members of the GrowNYC Workers Collective for their dedication to this process. We are ready for the next step and hope that GrowNYC can meet us at the bargaining table in good faith,” said Sitra Bowman (She/Her), GrowNYC Education and Engagement Lead, Zero Waste Schools.
"While I'm excited that we have made it this far I am concerned that Grow leadership took as long as they did, especially considering what we know about Littler Mendleson's past use of stalling tactics. I'm worried that leadership wants to have their cake of good optics giving vocal public support of our efforts while eating it too, by taking a more obtuse union busting route. It won't wear us down though. We aren't going to sit on our hands indefinitely. We'll see what happens at the bargaining table," said Violet Jane Black (They/She), GrowNYC Compost Driver.
“Workers at GrowNYC wanted and needed to form their union. The strength that GrowNYC workers have shown throughout their union effort convinced their employer to recognize them. Their strength at the bargaining table will gain them the necessary protections they need to continue to service our city’s Greenmarkets, farm stands, and CSA, composting and educational programs. GrowNYC did the right thing by recognizing that an overwhelming majority of its workers want the RWDSU, and by not delaying recognition,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
When their first contract is ratified, the RWDSU will represent during its peak season 250+ NLRA eligible workers across New York City. The workers in the bargaining unit include all full- and part-time GrowNYC workers including Greenmarket, farmstand, food distribution, composting, and nutrition and farming education workers across the city.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States, including 45,000 in New York State. 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.
DEBORAH WRIGHT APPOINTED AS RWDSU POLITICAL DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
DEBORAH WRIGHT APPOINTED AS RWDSU POLITICAL DIRECTOR
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) announced the hiring of Deborah Wright as the union’s new Political Director. Wright comes from UAW Region 9A where she most recently served as their Political Director/Community Action Program Representative.
“I knew from a young age I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Being given the chance to represent such talented and dedicated members and giving your all to something larger than yourself in advance of the goals of the labor and social justice movement is an honor. And I can’t wait to dive into the work and expand upon the political powerhouse that is the RWDSU,” said Debbie Wright, Political Director of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
“I am delighted to be working with Debbie. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role of Political Director at the RWDSU. Her dedication to workers’ rights, social justice and work in the political sphere to advance change for often marginalized and overlooked workers will support our growing memberships’ needs. The RWDSU is leading the way when it comes to new organizing, we’ve never been afraid to take on the big fights we need to ensure workers' rights are not just protected, but advanced. I know Debbie will be a tenacious advocate for our members,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
Deborah Wright Bio:
Prior to joining the RWDSU, Deborah “Debbie” Wright served as the Political Director/Community Action Program Representative at the United Auto Workers union’s (UAW) Region 9A. There she led and directed the work of six Community Action Program Councils and coordinated with campaigns of UAW Region 9A endorsed candidates.
Prior to her work as the Political Director Wright served as President of her local union, UAW Local 2325. In addition to her responsibilities operating the union, she organized and led legislative and lobbying efforts at Federal, State, and City level for the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys. Wright participated in many coalitions and with community-based organizations working on social justice issues and issues important to labor. And testified regularly on behalf of the union at City and State legislative and budget hearings. She came to be elected into the role after rising through the ranks of her union having served as Recording Secretary, Vice President for the Criminal Defense Division, Delegate of the Manhattan Criminal Defense Division and rank-and-file member.
Wright began her career as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society with a specialization in representing indigent criminal defendants diagnosed with mental illness and was an active member of her union. Wright is a Cum Laude graduate of New York Law School and has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States, including 45,000 in New York State. 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.
WORKERS AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY BARNES & NOBLE COLLEGE BOOKSELLERS VOTE UNANIMOUSLY TO JOIN THE RETAIL, WHOLESALE AND DEPARTMENT STORE UNION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
WORKERS AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY BARNES & NOBLE COLLEGE BOOKSELLERS VOTE UNANIMOUSLY TO JOIN THE RETAIL, WHOLESALE AND DEPARTMENT STORE UNION
Win Follows the Union Election Filing by Workers with RWDSU at Barnes & Noble’s Flagship Union Square Store and Follows an Unbroken Streak of Union Bookstore Wins with RWDSU Including Independent Booksellers McNally Jackson, Greenlight and Book Culture
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) – Tonight, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), announced that, by a unanimous vote, workers at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers at Rutgers University have voted to join the RWDSU. Building upon last week’s win by workers at REI in Chicago with RWDSU, today’s win also comes amid a longstanding streak of wins by the RWDSU at independent booksellers in the New York area, including McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, Greenlight Bookstore and Book Culture. As well as the union election petition of workers at Barnes & Noble’s Flagship Union Square, New York store.
Workers at the store face continued safety issues amid the rebound of the pandemic including workplace harassment, substandard pay for the industry below that of independent booksellers, unstable scheduling practices, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management. Issues they’re looking to address in their first contract negotiations.
“I cannot contain the happiness and excitement I have to have finally won, especially with our overwhelming support! Our victory was inevitable and stands in honor of workers everywhere,” said Lenine Lasher (She/They), Member of the Organizing Committee and Assistant Department Manager at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers.
“We’re ready for the bargaining table. The company now sees how united we are in our effort so they better be ready to negotiate to help us build a better workplace,” said Eric Knittel (He/They), Member of the Organizing Committee and Assistant Department Manager at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers.
“Today, workers at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers at Rutgers University have sent a strong message to bookstore workers all across the nation – when you come together and organize, your voice will have to be heard by your employer. Workers at this store stood together and joined voices during the largest campus strike in history at Rutgers and they too won. And we are proud to welcome them into the RWDSU,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
The vote to unionize workers at the Rutgers University Barnes & Noble College Booksellers store was conducted by an in-person secret ballot vote on-site at the store on May 12, 2023, overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The RWDSU will represent approximately 70 workers at the store in contract negotiations, which will commence this year. The workers in the proposed bargaining units include Booksellers, Baristas, Cashiers, and all non-supervisory employees at the store
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States, including 45,000 in New York State. 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.
Protect workers from killer temperatures!
by STUART APPELBAUM President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
May 4, 2023
Extreme temperatures in the workplace can injure and kill workers. The recently introduced Temperature Extreme Mitigation Program (TEMP) bill, co-sponsored by Assemblymember Latoya Joyner and State Senator Jessica Ramos, is a first-in-the-nation move designed to protect New York’s workers from temperature-related illnesses.
The TEMP bill requires employers to mitigate extreme temperatures in the workplace by providing access to drinking water and places to shelter during winter and summer. TEMP will create a statewide workplace standard for heat and cold that will cover workers in agriculture, construction, landscaping, delivery, and food service; indoor and outdoor, including vehicles.
The bill is a much-needed response to the changing climate, and will save the lives of many working New Yorkers. It can also serve as a model for other states and the federal government to protect workers from temperatures that every year seem to become more extreme.
The TEMP bill requires that in the heat, employers would have to provide a quart of drinkable water per hour; 10-minute breaks every two hours in the shade or a cool break room; and protective equipment such as hats, sunscreen, fans, and sweat-wicking clothes. In the cold, employers would be required to provide breaks in warmer conditions, as well as accessories that include hats and gloves.
Rising temperatures, rising danger
Climate change is causing more than extreme weather. These extreme temperatures, especially in the summer, are killing hundreds of New Yorkers every year. In New York City alone, there are an estimated 450 heat-related emergency room visits, 150 heat-related hospital admissions, 10 heat stroke deaths, and 350 heat-exacerbated deaths.
Recent data also shows that heat-related injuries at work are vastly underreported, and often not even recognized. The data, reviewed by a House Select Committee on the climate crisis in 2021, suggests that hotter work days can also increase the chances of injuries from falling, being struck by vehicles, or mishandling machinery. Researchers found that on days when the temperature is between 85 and 90 degrees, overall risk of workplace injuries, regardless of the official cause, was 5 to 7# higher for affected workers than on cooler days. When the thermometer tops 100 degrees, the overall injury risk rises as much as 15% greater. As temperatures continue to rise, so do the risks for many working people. This is a particularly important concern for New York’s farmworkers, some of whom are now members of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) after recently becoming the first farmworkers in the history of the state to organize into a union. With summer just around the corner, New York needs to pass the TEMP bill now.
You can also read the column in New York Amsterdam News.
REI CHICAGO WORKERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY TO JOIN THE RETAIL, WHOLESALE AND DEPARTMENT STORE UNION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
REI CHICAGO WORKERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY TO JOIN THE RETAIL, WHOLESALE AND DEPARTMENT STORE UNION
Workers Form Fourth REI Store Union
(CHICAGO, IL) – Tonight, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), announced that, by an overwhelming majority vote of nearly 84%, workers at REI, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, have voted to join the RWDSU, making this the fourth unionized REI store in the nation.
“I am beyond excited at the results of the vote to officially make REI Chicago a union store. I have never been more proud to work for REI and am inspired by the passion and courage of my fellow green vests who have taken part in any of this. I look forward to shifting focus towards the next steps of bargaining with REI to help our team see more consistent hours and schedules to allow us to better plan our personal lives as well as hold REI accountable for the many promises and initiatives they have failed to uphold over the years.,” said Andrew Loveland, Member of the REI Chicago Organizing Committee and Retail Specialist at REI.
“This win for us is a win for all REI employees and I’m so proud and full of love for our store’s whole team. This is a win for the people who REI has unfairly fired, denied transfers and promotions to, denied the opportunity to flourish in the proper department to and so many other grievances. We the workers of REI Chicago in the neighborhood of Lincoln Park all deserve to be paid a living wage with consistent predictable hours for the expert advice we provide to the community and have a say in the day to day running of our store. We want the Co-Op to be successful and we want to truly share in that success,” said Sarah Diefenbach, Member of the REI Chicago Organizing Committee and Visual Sales Lead at REI.
“Today, REI Workers have sent a message to working people everywhere, and especially to REI workers around the nation – you can come together and organize so that your voice will be heard and must be taken seriously by your employer. Today, you have won your legal right to a real seat at the table with your employer. United with other REI workers who are organizing into unions around the country, we will have the strength to negotiate a strong contract. RWDSU is proud to welcome you into our union family,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
The vote to unionize REI Chicago was conducted by an in-person secret ballot vote on-site at the store on May 4, 2023, overseen by the Chicago office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The RWDSU will represent approximately 60 workers at the outdoor sports equipment company in contract negotiations, which will commence this year. The store currently operates under its full capacity, potentially increasing that number. The workers in the proposed bargaining unit include all non-supervisory employees at the store, which includes all full- and part-time sales specialists, technical specialists, visual presentation specialists, shipping and receiving specialists, certified technicians and mechanics, operations leads, sales leads, and shipping and receiving leads.
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The REI Union Chicago is an organizing campaign of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). For more information about the union election at REI in Chicago, please visit Twitter: @REIUnionChicago or www.rwdsu.org.
BARNES & NOBLE WORKERS AT THE FLAGSHIP UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK STORE FILE FOR THEIR UNION ELECTION WITH RWDSU
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2023
Contact: Chelsea Connor | [email protected] | 347-866-6259
BARNES & NOBLE WORKERS AT THE FLAGSHIP UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK STORE FILE FOR THEIR UNION ELECTION WITH RWDSU
Filing Follows the Union Election Filing by Workers with RWDSU at Rutgers University’s Barnes & Noble Education Store and Follows an Unbroken Streak of Union Bookstore Wins with RWDSU Including Independent Booksellers McNally Jackson, Greenlight and Book Culture
(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, Barnes & Noble workers at the flagship Union Square, New York store filed for their union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Region 2 seeking representation with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). This comes on the heels of workers at the Barnes & Noble Education store on the Rutgers University campus filing for their union election, as well as the workers at Barnes & Noble in Hadley, Massachusetts earlier this month. Also, in news today, the election for workers at the Barnes & Noble Education store on the Rutgers University campus has been set for Friday, May 12, 2023. These filings come amid a streak of wins by the RWDSU at independent booksellers in the New York area, including McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, Greenlight Bookstore and Book Culture.
Today’s election petition came just hours after Barnes & Noble management refused to immediately voluntarily recognize the union. A delegation of workers at the store shared with management that a majority of workers had signed RWDSU authorization cards. With a majority of workers in favor of forming a union, workers asked Barnes & Noble to voluntarily recognize the union so that contract negotiations could commence swiftly around a host of issues workers are contending with at the bookseller. Workers at the store face continued safety issues amid the rebound of New York City post-pandemic including workplace harassment, substandard pay for the industry below that of independent booksellers, unstable scheduling practices, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management.
“Safety is a major concern for us; we’re working at the flagship store in the middle of Union Square, in New York City and we don’t have the proper training we need to handle the conflicts that arise at our store. As the city rebounds from the pandemic we’ve seen an increase in homeless and combative customers in our stores and we want to keep ourselves and other customers safe. In order to do that we need added safety measures only a union contract can provide. We need conflict resolution training and safety protocols and equipment to handle our day-to-day jobs. Our store also continues to be short-staffed with many of us needing cross-training in a multitude of work areas. That kind of proper training isn’t provided and we’re not compensated in a way that fairly reflects the work we do. We’re stretched thin, and with a union we’d win the pay, needed benefits and long-overdue training and safety resources we need to attract more co-workers and adequately staff the store so our customers have a safer and better experience shopping with us,” said Desiree Nelson (She/Her), 52, Lead Bookseller, Union Square Flagship Barnes & Noble.
“I’m organizing for pay raises in a city where the cost of living is rapidly increasing, but our wages are not. In addition, workers’ safety is consistently brushed aside in exchange for high profits while we suffer the consequences,” said Kaitlyn Keel (She/Her) 24, Bookseller, Union Square Flagship Barnes & Noble.
Union siblings at Rutgers University’s Barnes & Noble College Booksellers store in New Brunswick, New Jersey share workers’ concerns at the Barnes & Noble flagship:
“Starting a union at Barnes & Noble is about creating an organized environment that cares deeply for the workers within the franchise. It is about creating equal opportunities, equal rights and justice within the industry to protect current and future workers that dream of one day working here. It is about ensuring that all that come and take part in making Barnes & Noble what it is, and have the human rights they deserve like equal pay, healthcare rights and job security. Forming a union at Barnes & Noble only strengthens us and leads us closer to a better society,” said Lamia Abdallah (She/Her), 21, Bookseller, Rutgers University Barnes & Noble Education Store.
Barnes & Noble and Barnes & Noble College Booksellers are separate companies. Barnes & Noble is a privately held company headquartered in New York City. Barnes & Noble Education is publicly traded under BNED on the NYSE and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
When successful, the RWDSU will represent over 100 current NLRA eligible workers at the flagship store in New York and an additional nearly 70 at Barnes & Noble Education at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The workers in the proposed bargaining units include Booksellers, Baristas, Cashiers, and all non-supervisory employees at each of the stores.
Pending the parties’ ability to come to a stipulated agreement swiftly, the NLRB could set this election for as early as next month. The election at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers in New Jersey will be held on Friday, May 12, 2023, with election results expected sometime after 4:00PM ET that day. More information about an election date and procedure will be available via the NLRB.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States, including 45,000 in New York State. 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.