Strand Books employees go on strike in bid to increase minimum-wage salaries

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated 12/10: Per union officials: "We have reached a tentative agreement with the company and are back at work today. Later this week, we will vote to decide whether or not to ratify the contract and formally end the strike."

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On Saturday, the Stand's nearly 100 unionized workers went on strike, setting up a picket line outside the iconic Broadway and 12th Street store. 

Union officials said the strike comes after several months of stalled negotiation and three separate contract extensions.

The workers are represented by UAW Local 2179 and include employees of the flagship store, UWS outpost, and Brooklyn warehouse. This marks the first strike at the Strand since the early 1990s.

UWA members are seeking to increase their base pay from the minimum wage of $16 to $18 an hour in the contract's first year and $1.50 in the second year. Store management has reportedly countered with 50 cents less for each year.

"It's becoming impossible to live in New York on what the Strand pays," Andrew Stando, a visual merchandiser and shop steward at Strand, said in a statement about the strike. "We're just asking for enough to make rent every month." 

The Strand is owned by Nancy Bass Wyden, whose husband, Ron Wyden, serves as Oregon's senior U.S. senator. 

Will Bobrowski, Local 2179's second vice president and a former Strand employee, told Publishers Weekly that the negotiations are "mainly about wages," adding that the union also remains concerned about low staff levels at the stores. The Strand reportedly laid off nearly 200 staffers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"The tourists are back. The business is coming back, and still, we're at this low staffing level," he told PW. "They're paying this low rate to hire, so you can't retain people."

In a statement, the 97-year-old Strand said: "We respect and value our staff, and we have made sizable economic offers during this contract negotiation accordingly. The union has not been willing to accept those increases so far. We will continue to bargain in good faith and target a compromise that creates a bright future for the company, our employees, and customers." 

The store, per Gothamist, is now being maintained by a skeleton crew that includes store managers, part-time non-union workers and other non-union administrative staff.

A handful of local elected officials and community leaders joined the picket line, including New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos, chair of the Committee on Labor (below). She said, "It's time for the Strand Bookstore to settle a fair contract."

The union asked customers not to cross the picket line by attending in-store events, selling used books, or making any in-store or online purchases. 

During this busy holiday shopping season, many customers crossed the picket line, which led to several heated exchanges.

On Saturday, the picket line ran from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the workers set to return yesterday.