Bloomingdale’s Workers of RWDSU Local 3 Ratify Historic Contract

On Monday, nearly 13 hours after the expiration of their contract, workers at Bloomingdale’s iconic 59th Street flagship store ratified a new contract with an 88% approval rate. The agreement is historic, as it is the first ever contract that allows workers to receive commission from online sales.  

Workers at Bloomingdale’s are largely paid on a draw v. commission system, and had been facing an average of 20-30 percent loss in wages in recent years because of an increase in online sales. The new contract compensates workers for the important role they play in online sales.

Often, workers are asked to fulfill orders for shipping, or process return items sold online or in-store, and that takes them away from their sales floor time, which hurts their wages, because for many of them 100 percent of their pay is made on commissions.

The contract also includes general wage increases and an increased percentage of company funding for medical and sick day benefits.

"I commend RWDSU Local 3 members on reaching a new four-year contract, which for the first time compensates the hardworking staff for the important role they play in the company's online sales," said Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.  "At a time when workers are seeing proposed cuts to hard-earned wages and benefits, the raises and increases in healthcare and pension contributions in this new contract will help these workers live and retire with dignity in NYC. I congratulate RWDSU Local 3 on this contract win, and on the work it is doing to maintain good, family sustaining jobs at Bloomingdale's."