Strand Workers Authorize Strike

By Arthur Schwartz

Workers at the Strand, members of United Auto Workers Local 2179, voted to authorize a strike by a significant margin the week before Thanksgiving, with 92% voting in favor. If the 80 unionized workers walk out, it would be the first strike at the famous bookstore since the 1990s. The union represents workers at the Strand’s main location on 12th Street and Broadway, its Upper West Side location and its warehouse in Brooklyn.

As of press time…….

“We’re sending a message to the company that we’re willing to do whatever it takes,” said Andrew Stando, a visual merchandiser at the Strand and member of the union’s bargaining committee. “Pay is a real problem for our members. We have a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck and barely making rent and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to get a living wage.”

The workers’ contract expired at the end of August, but the union agreed to several extensions through Thanksgiving because bargaining did not begin until the summer. Strando stated, “There’s a feeling among the membership that the company is kind of delaying, is dragging this out and they’re not substantially engaging with our demands.”

Strand CEO Carson Moss disagreed and said, “Strand has been bargaining in good faith since the expiration of the previous contract and will continue to do so until we arrive at a viable compromise that addresses staff concerns as much as possible. Our target remains a stable workplace for all Strand staff. We respect our employees’ rights to engage in protected union activity, but we remain hopeful we can find enough common ground to avoid their feeling that such action is necessary.”

The main issue appears to be wages. “Basically, all of our wage increases in the last contract were eaten up by inflation,” Stando said. The starting wage at the Strand for union members is the state’s minimum of $16 per hour. The union hopes to raise store pay faster than the state’s wage increases, which is set by state law to go up in 2025.

Other sticking points include the sick-leave policy and changes to health-care plans, which will terminate at the end of the year. The union and management have to completely renegotiate workers’ health care because the last time the sides negotiated there were over 140 union members (about 60 more than currently work for the Strand). Layoffs induced by the pandemic shrunk the union’s headcount and other members, including two former workers on the bargaining committee, have left to find higher paying opportunities elsewhere to keep up with the rising cost of living in the city.

“We want to have this wrapped up by the holidays but that doesn’t mean we want to accept a bad contract. We want to deliver for our members,” Stando said. “The ball is in their court right now. We have been very firm in our demands.”