New RWDSU Members at Greenlight Bookstores and Yours Truly Stationary Stores Ratify Strong First Contract

Workers at three Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly stationery, Brooklyn, New York locations have unanimously ratified their first union contract after joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) union in August 2021. RWDSU Local 1102 represents approximately 40 workers at Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly, Brooklyn locations in Brooklyn, New York. The workers in the bargaining unit handle sales, stocking and information services in the stores.

Provisions of the new contract include an increase in the minimum hiring rate, annual wage increases amounting to 9% over three years, paid time off, paid holidays, a gold healthcare plan for full-time workers, offering a lower deductible with more coverage than their previous plan, and a new ancillary Care Plan providing both full-time and part-time workers with telecare, vision insurance, and dental insurance.

“I am proud of all the work and consideration that we put into organizing our workplace and negotiating our first contract," said Maritza Montañez, Greenlight Bookstore worker and member of the bargaining committee. "And I’m excited that we are part of a wave of bookstore workers organizing across the country to improve their working conditions. Our organizing efforts began because we wanted to create a safer and more equitable workplace, especially for the many BIPOC employees hired as frontline booksellers during the pandemic." Read more here!