(l to r) Envipco employee Bill Gallant, NEJB President Tina Buonauguri, Envipco Steward Mike Brugliera and Envipco employee Dave Crenshaw. Local 444 members at Envipco – service technicians who maintain automated bottle and can recycling machines on location at grocery stores, liquor stores, and department stores  - ratified a new three-year contract. In addition to wage increases, the employees’ health care will be maintained with no cost increases over the life of the contract.

Today, with an expired contract, 1,500 unionized H&M workers at locations across Manhattan are still without a contract. After weeks of negotiations, it is clear that the company has not been bargaining with decision -makers at the table. A number of elected officials joined H&M retail professionals, who are members of Local 1102 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), on a delegation visit to the H&M U.S. Headquarters to demand they come to the table. The union is seeking to negotiate a fair contract that includes essential scheduling provisions that would eliminate “clopenings”, give part-time workers a minimum of 14-18 hours a week and the right to time off after five consecutive days worked, among many other fair union demands. Members of the New York City Council led the delegation into the building and demanded a meeting with H&M decision makers who have yet to come to the table to negotiate fairly after repeated requests by the Council. The delegation also delivered a letter signed by 28 Members urging the company to “to conclude contract negotiations that achieve fair terms of employment for your workers as soon as possible.” (Full letter attached). VIDEO INSIDE H&M: (Start at 3:00) https://www.facebook.com/RWDSU.UFCW/videos/1936048253085029/ PHOTOS/VIDEOS:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19gcYViXvxIPEffprI15hRWAE543h7yF4?usp=sharing “The letter from the New York City Council and their support at our delegation visit today shows how serious New York City takes fair collective bargaining. We will not back down until H&M sends decision-makers to the table. Our members used to be proud to work for H&M, but their utter disregard for their workers, which we’ve seen deteriorate over months of negotiations tells a different story. Forcing low-wage workers into a schedule that can only provide poverty level wages with no ability to work a needed second job is disgusting. We cannot stand for it, we will not stand for it, and we will fight until we secure a fair new contract for the over 1,500 workers we represent at H&M,” said Alvin Ramnarain, President of Local 1102 of the RWDSU. “I travel over an hour to get to work everyday. When I heard that H&M wanted to reinstate a banned practice of ‘clopenings’, which would require that I get less than 5 hours of sleep a night I was outraged. Working at H&M has been a good job over the past 12 years, but if they instate these horrendous scheduling practices I won’t be able to provide for my family and I will need to seek other employment,” said Khadejiah Legrier an H&M Sales Associate. “Workers deserve access to a dependable schedule so they can manage child care, doctors’ appointments, the ability to budget effectively, and most importantly, their own health and wellbeing, and that is not the case for RWDSU Local 1102 H&M workers in New York City,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “I stand with my City Council colleagues in urging H&M to come to fair terms of employment for its workers and conclude contract negotiations as soon as possible.” “I cannot understand H&M and its insistence on ‘clopenings’,” said Council Member Karen Koslowitz. “Since when is it a sound business practice to have sleep deprived employees?” “New York City is known globally for its thriving retail industry, there is no reason for retail workers to be treated poorly, with low wages and no real job security,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “H&M and CEO Karl-Johann Persson needs to do what is right here and treat their workers with the respect and consideration they deserve. Negotiations and bargaining must be done in good faith as members of RWDSU Local 1102 have repeatedly tried to cooperate and work with the company.” “H&M workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Council Member Fernando Cabrera. “Their labor is the source of H&M’s nearly $170 million in profits in the last quarter. These workers have faithfully done their jobs, agreed to numerous concessions and the company has prospered. It’s time for H&M to bargain in good faith and conclude these contract negotiations with better and fair working conditions for employees.” “Full-time employees should never have to seek a second or third job to feed their families,” said Council Member Diana Ayala. “Workers deserve quality jobs that provide living wages, benefits, and schedule predictability. I am proud to contribute to the City Council's history of championing workers' right by standing with my colleagues in urging the CEO of H&M to conclude contract negotiations with their employees.” “All New Yorkers should have access to fair pay and benefits, guaranteed minimum hours, and reasonable schedules. We have an important duty as elected officials to uphold these values and I am proud to stand with the H&M employees as they advocate for fair treatment,” said Council Member Keith Powers. “When people have to make arrangements for child care, or travel an hour by subway, or take care of relatives who are older or ill, the security provided by a fair contract is the certainty they need to do their jobs well. It’s been months of negotiations. It’s time for H&M management to live up to their own principles and do the right thing. Their workers deserve the security of a predictable work schedule, guaranteed working hours, and access to health benefits. These are not radical demands. They are the bare minimum due to every employee. And we, their elected representatives, will not stop fighting until they get fair terms of employment,” said City Council Member Carlos Menchaca. “Living wages, fair scheduling and economic security are fundamental rights that should be afforded to every worker, and it is unconscionable that H&M has not yet granted its workers in New York City basic labor protections to provide for their families," said Council Member Margaret S. Chin. "I stand with the thousands of RWDSU Local 1102 H&M workers in their fight for a fair and equitable contract, and urge H&M to take immediate action to give them the respect and dignity they deserve. H&M should do the right thing. To me, that means finalizing contract negotiations in good faith and on terms that are fair to workers. As the son of a Teamster, I know how important it is to live in a household with financial security and stability. In the City Council, we have a long history of supporting workers’ rights. I urge H&M to do what is right and be fair to their employees,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. CouncilTop Five Demands of the Company by the Union Include: Guaranteed Part- Time Hours: The union has proposed a minimum guarantee of between 14 to18 hours per week for all part-time employees who want to work that much. But H&M has said they wish to guarantee ONLY 8 working hours per week. 8 hours barely covers worker’s subway trips, and, above all, because H&M is demanding that workers have open availability Friday through Sunday, they are essentially shutting workers out of a needed second job. Eliminating “Clopenings”: “Clopenings” must stop. The union has proposed a minimum of 10.5 hours rest time between workers closing and opening shifts. It may take a worker hours to get home at night, and then they have to turn around and return early the next morning to open the store. This does not provide for any work‐life balance, which H&M claims as one of its values. No More Than 5 Consecutive Days Worked: The Committee has proposed to eliminate employees being scheduled for more than five consecutive days worked. Currently, some employees are sometimes scheduled 6 to 8 days in a row without a scheduled day off. Workers should not be forced to work more than five consecutive days, unless they choose to pick up more shifts. H&M doesn’t see the issue that many workers have reported as a problem to the union. Dental Insurance & Eyeglasses: Many workers lack dental and vision insurance. The union has proposed no‐cost dental and vision insurance for all H&M employees through a Local 1102 RWDSU sponsored plan. The cost to the company is a measly $1 per person per month. H&M refuses to make this extremely minimal investment to provide workers a benefit, which will get them a free pair of glasses and up to $1,500 in dental work per year. 50 Cents/Hour in Longevity Pay for Senior Employees: The Committee has proposed an additional, hourly increase of $.50 cents for senior employees who have worked at H&M for 3 years or more. The sad thing is that H&M agrees with us that veteran employees should get this money – however, they do not want to guarantee it in the contract and has demanded the ability to use their “management discretion” to give it to some people that they like, but not others. The above proposals will cost H&M very little money and the majority of them don’t cost the company a dime. But the company just won’t make even a basic adjustment to the way they do the schedule to improve workers lives, and yet they claim to “believe in people.”

Activists Demand Amazon Eliminate the Sale of Hateful Merchandise and Respond to Inhumane Labor Procedures Used to Distribute Products of Hate Groups (NEW YORK, NY) – Today, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and several community groups protested outside of Amazon’s Web Services Summit at New York City’s Javits Center just days after the Action Center on Race and the Economy and the Partnership for Working Families released a report entitled “Delivering Hate: How Amazon’s Platforms Are Used to Spread White Supremacy, Anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, and How Amazon Can Stop It”. Activists paved the way for Amazon Summit attendees entering the conference with the company’s own boxes demarcating the hateful products that Amazon sells. Leaders spoke on the outrageous practice of White Supremacists using Amazon’s platform to sell hateful goods targeted at both adults and children and Amazon’s complete and total disregard for their use of their platform to do so. The group then delivered a letter to Jeff Bezos calling on him to act now (text of letter below). “When a company knowingly allows hate groups to use their platform to sell offensive goods we cannot, and we will not stand for it. Jeff Bezos should be ashamed of himself, he should be horrified that he has given a vehicle to white supremacists to spread hate and he needs to commit to stopping it now,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “In a time where we are seeing the growth of racist movements in our country, it is dangerous for the largest online retailer and distributor of e-books, Amazon to provide these groups with a platform to spread their ideas and resources to support their operations. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his board of directors must take a public stand against hate and violence and stop enabling others to profit from it. Normalizing white supremacist, Islamophobic, and anti-Semitic extremists puts our communities and workers at risk. It’s time for Amazon to show which side are they on?” said Maritza Silva-Farrell Executive Director of Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN) “Amazon should be utterly ashamed of itself for aiding these white supremacist merchants,” said Deborah Axt, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York (MRNY). “As New Yorkers and as Americans, we are disgusted by the company’s backing of hate, and today we demand action. The company must immediately stop the selling of these items on its platform and take a clear stand against hate movements across all of its platforms.” “Jeff Bezos cannot have it both ways. He cannot claim he opposes Trump, while providing a safe haven in the online market to white supremacists and Trump supporters,” said Zack Lerner, Senior Campaign Director of New York Communities for Change (NYCC). “At a time where black and brown communities are under attack, the selling of items that promote violence are despicable. Amazon must immediately   stop letting its platform be used to sell items featuring hate symbols.” “No business in this country should be profiting off of hate and discrimination”, said Public Advocate Letitia James. “Amazon is enabling and empowering bigotry and discrimination and must immediately reject the sale of these products on its platform.” “In a moment of rising white nationalism and violence across the United States, it is unconscionable for any company to provide a platform for organizations to peddle their hate,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Instead of profiting from racist ideologies, Amazon must take immediate action to ensure that its marketplace is free from dangerous propaganda. I’m proud to stand with our partners in the labor and progressive movements and with fellow New Yorkers to demand Amazon do the right thing and stop putting profit over people’s lives.” “The fact that Amazon is peddling this hateful paraphernalia is despicable. Amazon should know better and this needs to stop. I am proud to stand with the men and women of RWDSU in their campaign to bring an end to Amazon’s profiting off from hatred and bigotry,” said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. In the wake of the report by the Action Center on Race and the Economy and the Partnership for Working Families the RWDSU and community groups have been collecting signatures against Amazon. At the action on July 17, 2018 they submitted a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos calling for change. The letter reads: Dear Jeff Bezos and Amazon Board of Directors, While incidents of violence by individuals associated with white nationalist hate groups are on the rise, Amazon continues to be a platform for the celebration of ideologies that promote violence against black people, communities of color, LGBTQ people, women, Muslims and Jewish people. Right now, Amazon is a safe haven for those who seek to spread and profit from these hateful ideas. A report by the Action Center on Race and the Economy and the Partnership for Working Families found that your company enables the spread of violent ideologies by allowing the sale of hate symbols and imagery on the site, including confederate and anti-Black imagery, Nazi and fascist imagery and the newly adopted imagery of the modern white nationalist movement. Some of these products are even targeted toward children. Additionally, white power and "hatecore" music is available on Amazon’s streaming platform, hate literature is available in Kindle ebooks, and known hate groups are using Amazon’s web content delivery network. Serving as a platform for hate just to turn a profit is dangerous and unacceptable. Amazon must take a public stand against this hate and violence and take action to ensure that it is not profiting from hate or enabling others to profit from hate. Amazon must: Take a clear public stand against hate movements and their ideologies and publicly pledge not to profit from hate. Develop more robust policies for all of its platforms in consultation with experts who study hate movements and symbols, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center. These new policies must be consistent and transparent and evolve appropriately as hate movements and their symbols evolve. Develop and resource transparent enforcement mechanisms to ensure that Amazon and its users and clients are adhering to its policies. Stop letting its platform be used to sell items featuring hate symbols. Destroy any merchandise displaying hate symbols currently in Amazon-controlled warehouses and distribution centers. Stop facilitating the publication and distribution of hate movement propaganda. This means that Amazon should: Stop providing web content delivery services to identified hate groups. Remove electronic books by racist propagandists and authors connected to hate groups from Kindle ebooks. Stop allowing hate literature to be published via Kindle Direct Publishing. Stop making white power and “hatecore” music available on its streaming platform. Across its platforms, Amazon has the right and responsibility to determine what it sells, publishes and helps to deliver online. Now is the time to make clear that Amazon does not support or condone the spread of white nationalist ideologies. Now is the time to stop doing business with racist hate groups!

Today, with an expired contract, 1,500 unionized H&M workers at locations across Manhattan ramped up their campaign for a fair new contract. After months of negotiations, it was clear to the union that the company was not bargaining with any real intent to secure a new contract. A number of elected officials joined H&M retail professionals, who are members of Local 1102 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), at the Herald Square Flagship location – the largest H&M store in the world, to rally for essential scheduling provisions that would eliminate “clopenings”, give part-time workers a minimum of 14-18 hours a week and the right to time off after five consecutive days worked, among many other fair union demands. “Our members used to be proud to work for H&M, but their utter disregard for their workers, which we’ve seen deteriorate over months of negotiations tells a different story. Forcing low-wage workers into a schedule that can only provide poverty level wages with no ability to work a needed second job is disgusting. We cannot stand for it, we will not stand for it, and we will fight until we secure a fair new contract for the over 1,500 workers we represent at H&M,” said Alvin Ramnarain, President of Local 1102 of the RWDSU. “When a global company such as H & M treats employees in New York worse than their employees in their home country and elsewhere around the world, they are insulting all New Yorkers. Their refusal to address serious scheduling issues is a huge mistake as well as a bad business decision. H & M wants the benefit of being in the New York market - but it is treating its New York employees as second-class workers. We will not tolerate that,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “I travel over an hour to get to work everyday. When I heard that H&M wanted to reinstate a banned practice of ‘clopenings’, which would require that I get less than 5 hours of sleep a night I was outraged. Working at H&M has been a good job over the past 12 years, but if they instate these horrendous scheduling practices I won’t be able to provide for my family and I will need to seek other employment,” said Khadejiah Legrier an H&M Sales Associate. “As Washington moves to erode our progress for workers' rights, we in New York City stand together to fight back,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “New York’s workers power this city, and we will do everything we can to ensure they are treated with dignity and respect – for H&M, that means guaranteeing its workers a fair contract. Thank you to our partners at RWDSU for their tireless commitment to advancing and protecting the rights of working people in our city and across the country. “Every worker in our City deserves to be paid well and treated well,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “It is clear that H&M must demonstrate this basic principle by coming to the table to negotiate health benefits, work hours, and a fair contract that we demand of New York businesses. I thank RWDSU and Local 1102 for leading the fight to protect our workers and uplift our families and I strongly urge H&M to act in good faith. “Unpredictable work schedules force workers to scramble to find child care and elder care, arrange transportation, re-schedule other jobs and cancel classes. It's unfair, unstable and catastrophic for workers and families. As the sponsor of legislation to restrict on-call scheduling and protect workers, I am proud to stand behind RWDSU workers in their fight for job stability, fair treatment and peace of mind,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan). “As a former union organizer, I understand firsthand that it is through good faith collective bargaining that unions are able to ensure workers have access to fundamental benefits that make their time at work more productive. With access to health benefits and guaranteed work hours, workers have just a few less stresses to think about as they go about their productive day at work. It is a shame that H&M simply does not see it the same way. By failing to bargain in good faith, H&M is not only letting down their workers, but they are once again letting down families and their customers,” said State Senator Marisol Alcántara. Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried said, “H&M should bargain with its workers in good faith and negotiate a fair contract with good health benefits and guaranteed hours.” “New York State is one of the top 5 states with the highest number of retail sales workers. I am proud to support H&M employees and all Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) workers who want a fair contract providing fair schedules and affordable healthcare.  The strength of our entire retail workforce is only as strong as the protections of an individual retail worker’s quality of life,” said Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright.  Assemblyman William Colton (D-Brooklyn) says, “I stand with RWSDU and all workers in their fight to obtain fair scheduling, guaranteed work hours and health benefits. The fiber of our economy is our workers; treating them fairly is a moral obligation.”   “I am saddened that H&M won’t negotiate in good faith for basic worker rights, such as guaranteed hours and health benefits.   I’m asking that they come to the table and negotiate in good faith,” said Assemblyman Brian Barnwell (D-Queens).   “Workers deserve access to a dependable schedule, so they can manage child care, doctors’ appointments, and even the ability to budget effectively – all things that are nearly impossible with a schedule always in flux,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “A measly eight hours guaranteed is unacceptable and leads to significant income insecurity. I stand in solidarity with union retail workers as they fight for reasonable schedules and affordable health benefits.”   H&M cannot afford to weaken a workforce so devoted to customer service, especially when the company faces greater competition in the market from new foreign fast-fashion stores opening up every day. These talented employees create a unique shopping experience for countless customers, and they play an irreplaceable role in driving the positive image, brand, and profitability of H&M as a global company. When workers are respected and empowered, they are happier on the job, and can do more to improve the shopping experience for customers, which leads to increased sales and higher profit, giving H&M an edge over competitors.     Top Five Demands of the Company by the Union Include: Guaranteed Part- Time Hours: The union has proposed a minimum guarantee of between 14 to18 hours per week for all part-time employees who want to work that much. But H&M has said they wish to guarantee ONLY 8 working hours per week. 8 hours barely covers worker’s subway trips, and, above all, because H&M is demanding that workers have open availability Friday through Sunday, they are essentially shutting workers out of a needed second job.   Eliminating “Clopenings”: “Clopenings” must stop. The union has proposed a minimum of 10.5 hours rest time between workers closing and opening shifts. It may take a worker hours to get home at night, and then they have to turn around and return early the next morning to open the store. This does not provide for any work‐life balance, which H&M claims as one of its values.   No More Than 5 Consecutive Days Worked: The Committee has proposed to eliminate employees being scheduled for more than five consecutive days worked. Currently, some employees are sometimes scheduled 6 to 8 days in a row without a scheduled day off. Workers should not be forced to work more than five consecutive days, unless they choose to pick up more shifts. H&M doesn’t see the issue that many workers have reported as a problem to the union.   Dental Insurance & Eyeglasses: Many workers lack dental and vision insurance. The union has proposed no‐cost dental and vision insurance for all H&M employees through a Local 1102 RWDSU sponsored plan. The cost to the company is a measly $5 per person per month. H&M refuses to make this extremely minimal investment to provide workers a benefit, which will get them a free pair of glasses and up to $1,500 in dental work per year. 50 Cents/Hour In Longevity Pay For Senior Employees: The Committee has proposed an additional, hourly increase of $.50 cents for senior employees who have worked at H&M for 3 years or more. The sad thing is that H&M agrees with us that veteran employees should get this money – however, they do not want to guarantee it in the contract and has demanded the ability to use their “management discretion” to give it to some people that they like, but not others. The above proposals will cost H&M very little money and the majority of them don’t cost the company a dime. But the company just won’t make even a basic adjustment to the way they do the SCHEDULE to improve workers lives, and yet they claim to “believe in people.”