Politics and Prose employees became the first bookstore in Washington, D.C., to unionize after owners Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine agreed to voluntarily recognize the union in January. Negotiations on a first collective bargaining agreement began shortly after and a tentative agreement on a new contract was announced on August 30. On September 6, workers voted 33–4 in favor of ratifying the contract. According to an analysis by Bloomberg Law, it takes 465 days on average for a newly unionized workforce with a newly unionized employer to reach a first contract, but workers at Politics and Prose were able to reach a deal in well under a year.

The groundbreaking three-year contract covers approximately 50 current workers and builds on Politics and Prose’s already generous leave and fringe benefits programs to provide comprehensive benefits and union protections for the staff, including:

•           Better Pay – The contract does away with merit pay raises in favor of guaranteed annual increases based on experience. Each experience credit step increases in proportion to the annual D.C. minimum wage increase. As the minimum wage increases, the entire pay scale increases as well. For example, if the minimum wage increases by $1.00, current employees will receive a raise of $1.00 in addition to their annual experience step increase.

•           Better Scheduling – Schedules must be provided two weeks in advance and changes must be approved by the employee. Employees are also protected against discipline for tasks not completed due to understaffing.

•           Provides “Just Cause” protections from unjust discipline or firing

•           Establishes grievance procedure to resolve disputes with management.

•           Expands on existing anti-discrimination language and incorporates provisions into the contract, which allows employees to pursue discrimination claims through the union grievance procedure.

•           Establishes a Labor-Management committee for workers to address ongoing concerns with management.

“The ratification this morning shows that the workers are eager to start this new chapter at Politics and Prose,” said John Fisher, a branch bookseller at the Wharf location. “It’s not a mystery, it’s not a thriller. When workers first considered unionizing, some people thought it was fantasy. But now it’s a reality and I’m excited to find out what happens next.”

“We are incredibly elated to have arrived here after eight months of hard work, and it is an honor to be part of this union organizing wave that is happening across the country,” said Isa Salazar, a subscriptions coordinator who has worked at Politics and Prose for two years. “We wouldn’t be where we are without the passion and care of everyone at the bookstore and I’m just overwhelmed and excited to see what happens next.”

“These workers reached a groundbreaking contract in record time,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici. “That’s no small feat. While most contracts take well over a year to settle, thanks to the dedication and commitment these workers have to each other and their employer, they were able to reach an agreement in a matter of months. Today’s achievement ensures that Politics and Prose will continue to succeed and serve the community well into the future.”

Politics and Prose co-owners Brad Graham and Lissa Muscatine issued the following statement following the contract ratification:

“We’re pleased to have reached mutual agreement with UFCW Local 400 on P&P’s first union contract. The agreement incorporates key policies and practices that have been in place at P&P for years, affirming the bookstore’s proud history of supporting our staff. Other provisions build on this history and will bring additional clarity and structure to P&P’s operations. We look forward to continuing to work cooperatively and constructively with the union in achieving our joint goal of strengthening P&P for our community of readers.”

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Politics and Prose (Washington DC) – UFCW Local 400

Workers at Politics and Prose in Washington DC made history as the first ever Washington DC bookstore to unionize as they joined UFCW Local 400.

More than 50 workers across the three P&P bookstore locations voted to unionize in order to to negotiate a contract that secures higher wages, a standardized pay scale, and pay transparency.

 “We are proud to join the growing movement of booksellers and baristas across the country who have unionized their workplaces,” said the P&P organizing committee. 

Read UFCW Local 400 statement here.

Half Price Books (Minnesota) – UFCW Local 663 & 1189

In December 2021, workers from three Half Price Books locations in Twin Cities, Minnesota won union recognition from a National Labor Relations Board election, making this the first union at the national chain Half Price Books. 

Workers unionized with UFCW Locals 663 and 1189 to secure livable wages, better working conditions and a voice in their workplace.

Stores in Coon Rapids, Roseville and St. Paul filed for union election mid-October of last year. Ballots were sent to workers by the U.S. Mail and a certified election count was scheduled for Thursday, December 16 at 2 p.m. All three locations voted to unionize.

On January 6, 2022, workers from the St. Louis Park location at Half Price Books won union recognition from a NLRB election, making it the fourth store to unionize with the national chain.

Read UFCW Local 663 statement here.

Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly (New York City, NY) – RWDSU/UFCW

About 40 workers at Greenlight Bookstores and Yours Truly stationery stores in Brooklyn, N.Y., joined the RWDSU/UFCW last summer. The workers in the bargaining unit handle sales, stocking, and information services in the stores.

In addition to Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly, the RWDSU also represents workers at book and stationery stores across New York City including McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, and Book Culture.

“We’re proud to welcome the workers of Greenlight Bookstores and Yours Truly stationery stores into our union,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. “Together, they won recognition from their employer, and showed that the best way for working people to protect themselves and their families is to join together in a union.”

Read RWDSU statement here.

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The ratification represents the first time in the history of the plant when workers were given the opportunity to vote on the terms and conditions of their employment. The four-year contract includes significant improvements to working conditions and health care benefits, and places strict limits on when management can require employees to work overtime. The contract also provides workers with four days per year to opt out of mandatory overtime, in addition to two weekends off each month in which they can’t be forced to work overtime.

“It was a long process, but we couldn’t be happier with the outcome,” said Anita Anderson, an operator at Lipton for 11 years.

“Our new health care plan is a huge weight off my shoulders. Personally, I take medication every day and I can’t go without my health insurance. But I’m also a dad, and saving $4,000 a year goes a long way for me and my family,” said Terrell Owens, who has worked as an operating technician at Lipton for the past nine years.

“For the last 10 years, we saw so many of our benefits taken away,” said Paul Garrison, a 16-year mechanic. “But now that we have a union, we’re getting them back again.”

Philip Surace, a mechanic at Lipton, said his first experience with a union was when he called UFCW Local 400 last spring. “I didn’t know much about unions, but I knew something had to be done. Enough was enough. I was looking for help and the union sent people right away,” he said. Philip quickly pulled together a meeting with his coworkers to learn about their rights to form a union. “Two months later, we had our union. I would encourage anyone who wants to make their workplace better to do the same thing we did.”

“As a longtime Virginia resident, I know all too well how decades of regressive legislation and outdated federal labor law have stacked the deck against workers, particularly in the South,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federci. “This unfortunate reality only makes me more proud of what the workers at Lipton have accomplished.”