Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s

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Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Organizing, Retail, UFCW Industries

UFCW Member Organizers Join Together for Four-State Worker-to Worker Outreach at Macy’s Stores

Jun 24, 2013

Last week, over 70MACYs 8 members from UFCW Locals 75, 227, 700, 876, 880, 951 and 1059 conducted a coordinated worker to worker outreach to nonunion Macy’s workers in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

“It’s a powerful experience to reach out directly to people who have never had a union. The Macy’s associates were very receptive to hearing about how much stronger we are when we stick together,” said Jeff Pleasants from Local 227 in Louisville, Ky. “I’m really hopeful that we can make a difference at Macy’s.”

The UFCW member organizers were able to engage 750 Macy’s associates at 76 stores and offered personal testimonies of what the union has meant for their lives, and why more retail workers like Macy’s associates should be in a union.

“Being part of a union isn’t just about what’s going on in my own store. It’s about the whole industry. If we can raise standards at Macy’s, then we are going to be that much more powerful when we sit down to negotiate our own contract,” said Robert Hernandez, a member of Local 876 in Detroit, Mich.

Thousands of Macy’s workers have already come together with the UFCW to make their jobs better. Now UFCW members are working to ensure that non-union workers at Macy’s in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana have the same voice on the job as their union counterparts.

To learn more about how retail workers nationwide are coming together to raise the standards in their industry, visit www.retailworkersunited.org.

Economic Justice, Health Care, Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Retail, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values

Retail Justice Alliance and Other Stakeholders Address Economic Struggles of Part-Time Workers in Hearing with Rep. Jan Schakowsky

Mar 27, 2013

Bill Fletcher, chair of the Retail Justice Alliance, spoke about the economic plight of part-time retail workers. Rep. Jan Schakowsky is seated at his left.

On March 26, the National Retail Justice Alliance, in partnership with the UFCW, Citizen Action/Illinois, Women Employed and Jobs With Justice, hosted a hearing at the Spertus Institute in Chicago with Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to highlight the economic plight of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.  The hearing also underscored the need for Rep. Schakowsky’s legislation—the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act of 2013 (H.R. 675)—which would extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of employer-provided health insurance, family and medical leave, and pension plans.

Sponsored by Schakowsky and Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights builds upon the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ensures that part-time workers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week) and their families have access to critical workplace benefits.  The ACA penalizes employers who fail to provide health insurance to full-time workers, but includes no such penalties for employers who deny health coverage to part-time workers.

Jim Hutton (left), a Macy’s worker, and Tyrone Robinson (right), a Walmart worker, spoke about their struggle to survive as part-time workers in the Chicago area.

“As our nation’s economy relies more and more on part-time, low-wage work, policies are needed to address the widening gap of those working without a safety net for retirement, healthcare, and family leave,” said Bill Fletcher, chair of the National Retail Justice Alliance and director of field service and education at the American Federation of Government Employees. “The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would ensure that employers provide for critical benefits for part-timers and protect the health and well-being of millions of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.”

In addition to Schakowsky and Fletcher, Tyrone Robinson, a Walmart worker and Jim Hutton, a Macy’s worker, spoke about their struggle to survive as part-time workers in the Chicago area. Local 881 members were also involved in the production of the hearing.

UFCW members and other stakeholders attended the hearing.

“Today, I decided to speak out because there are millions of part-time workers in my position, many of which are in a worse off because they earn less and can’t afford health insurance,” said Robinson. “Today, I am speaking out not just for myself but for them and millions of other workers who are too afraid to speak up.”

For more coverage of the hearing, check out this article from Progress Illinois.

Collective Bargaining, Economic Justice, Macy's and Bloomingdale's, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values

Tacoma Mall Macy’s Workers Stand Together for Better Wages and Benefits

Mar 20, 2013

Macy’s workers around the country are sticking together for a voice on the job and better wages and benefits.

Just last week, over 300 Tacoma Mall Macy’s workers in Washington who are represented by UFCW Local 367 ratified a new contract. The new three-year contract includes the elimination of the two-tier wage structure, annual wage increases for the thereafter rates, recognition of years of service for on-call associates in hours selection, and other positive changes.

Negotiations between Local 367 and Macy’s began on January 23, and went on through early March. Union members showed strong solidarity while working toward a fair contract.

“It was the Tacoma Macy’s members’ solidarity that enabled us to beat back the two-tier system, “ said Local 367 President Denise Jagielo. “Long-time members stood strongly together with new hires to end this unfair practice.”