Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s

RSS

Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Retail, UFCW Industries, Workplace Safety & Health

No Rest for Macy’s Workers this Holiday Season

Dec 14, 2012

Macy’s recently announced that most of its stores will be open continuously in the 48 hours leading up to Christmas Eve for its last “One Day Sale” of the season. While this is good news for shoppers, it’s not so great for the many retail workers who are struggling this holiday season.

The UFCW represents thousands of Macy’s workers throughout the country who have a voice in their scheduling and earn premium pay on holidays thanks to a union contract that they negotiated with their employers. That contract is the difference between a Macy’s worker with no union representation being forced to work undesirable hours on a holiday and a union Macy’s worker who wants to pick up an additional shift.

The retail sector is the largest employment industry in the United States, and retail jobs are increasingly setting the working and living standards for American workers.  That’s why it’s critically important that all employers in this industry compensate workers with the kind of pay and benefits that allow them to live in the middle class.

Academic studies, including a recent report by Demos, provide quantitative evidence that retailers, workers, and the U.S. economy stands to benefit greatly if retail companies invest in their workforce.  According to the Demos report, raising wages for full-time retail workers at the nation’s largest retail companies (those employing at least 1,000 workers) would result in improving the lives of more than 1.5 million retail workers and their families who are currently living in poverty or hovering just above the poverty line.

The entire UFCW family is proud of the courage that Macy’s workers show every day — in the face of retaliation from management and in some instances, heroic actions in the face of violence, as was the case of the Macy’s worker who selflessly looked after others when a gunman opened fire at a mall in Oregon.  We wish our members and all Macy’s workers around the country a safe and peaceful holiday season.

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

An American Worker: Eno Awotoye

Sep 19, 2012

“The American Worker – A Look at the American Worker in 2012″ is Current.com’s recent series of spotlights on today’s hardworking Americans, ranging from auto workers and school workers to baristas, administrators, and caregivers.  Each installment in the series focuses on one such worker, giving a quick look at biographical info, including salary, and detailing each person’s relationship with their job.  We thought this was a great resource, and honest glimpse into the highs and lows of real jobs today.

One of the bios that intrigued us the most was that of Eno Awotoye, a Vendor Selling Specialist at Macy’s Herald Square.  As a unionized retail worker, Eno makes a good salary at 21.50 an hour, plus bonuses. Originally from Nigeria, she now lives in the Bronx, and enjoys great employee benefits including vacation, paid sick days/paid time off, medical & vision & dental insurance, and 401k with employer matching. Below, Eno answers questions from Current.com: 

- What worries you the most about your job? What worries you most about your life outside of work?
“At work, I want to make sure that our union stays strong and that no anti-worker legislation is passed. Outside of work, I want to focus on my personal growth, and how to find time to continue to do art.”

- Are you in a union? Does your industry have unions? Do you think your industry should unionize?
“Yes, I’m a member of RWDSU’s Local 1-S (Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union) at Macy’s on 34th Street in Manhattan. Unfortunately, only about 4 percent of the retail industry is unionized, and I think it should be much higher.”

- What is your proudest career accomplishment?
“My proudest career accomplishment has been being able to take what I’ve learned from almost 20 years of working at Macy’s to help other retail workers. I teach free customer service training classes, as well as professional sales classes such as building client books, visual merchandising, fine jewelry, etc., to retail workers seeking better jobs in this economy. Through this, I’m able to help folks who work in an industry with a lot of job growth get better jobs, while teaching them about their rights on the job.”

-If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be? (More flexible hours, better benefits, higher salary, better job security, pension plan, etc)
“I get all of the benefits listed above at my job because of our union contract, but most non-union retail workers don’t get these benefits. What I wish is that I can help workers get these basic protections and benefits at their jobs.”

Because she and her co-workers are about sticking together in their union and improving their workplace, Eno has many benefits that non-union retail employees may not.  We think it is awesome that she works hard to help other retail workers who aren’t yet as fortunate, to teach them skills and inspire them to come together for their rights on the job.  Although only a small percentage of retail workers currently enjoy good jobs like Eno’s at Macy’s, if we all stick together we can work for a brighter  future for workers.