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Park Slope Barnes & Noble workers vote for unionization
By
Elizabeth Shwe
Published Jun 29, 2023
Modified Jun 30, 2023
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Cj Gunther/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
By
Elizabeth Shwe
Published Jun 29, 2023
Modified Jun 30, 2023
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Workers at Barnes & Noble in Park Slope Brooklyn voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionization on Thursday, making it the third to do so in the New York area.
This comes shortly after workers at the Barnes & Noble flagship store in Union Square voted to join a union earlier this month and the Barnes & Noble Education store on Rutgers University’s campus in New Jersey voted unanimously in May.
Workers at the Park Slope location voted 23-3 in favor of joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which will represent over 30 workers in contract negotiations this year.
Sydul Akhanji, a Barnes & Noble bookseller, said he was relieved to learn about the outcome.
“I hope B&N is listening to us today and will work with us as we begin negotiations,” he said in a statement. “And I hope other retail workers who are interested in unionization find this moment to be inspiring and get active.”
RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said this sends a clear message to Barnes & Noble that organizing is the only way workers can create real change.
“Only with a union, will these issues and more be heard. It is time for the industry to open a new chapter on how it treats its workers, and Barnes & Noble workers are writing the book,” he said in a statement.
Barnes & Noble did not immediately respond to a request for comment. If there are no objections from Barnes & Noble, the union will be certified and the employer must head to the bargaining table, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
This story has been updated to correct the gender of Sydul Akhanji.
Tagged
new york city
economy
brooklyn
Elizabeth Shwe
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