On May 25, workers at the Barnes & Noble store in Hadley, Mass., joined UFCW Local 1459 for a better life.
The 18 workers, who are employed as booksellers and baristas, joined our union family to fight for improvements in workplace communication, increased pay, control of their schedules, and to make the jobs into careers for the long term. These workers are planning to address these issues during their first contract negotiations.
“It’s really fulfilling to see all our conversations, our planning, and our late-night meetings pay off in such a tangible way,” said Lainie LaRonde, who is a bookseller at the store. “The fact that we won the election unanimously is amazing and made us even more confident that a union is what we need right now!”