About 600 members of UFCW Local 1445 who work at Macy’s stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island recently ratified a new contract. These members are employed as clerks, cashiers, cosmetic and jewelry consultants, receivers, stockers, and merchandisers and work at Macy’s stores in Boston, Braintree, Natick and Peabody, Mass., and Warwick R.I.
These members decided to authorize a strike during the ratification process because they were concerned about insufficient wages, time and one half being eliminated, and compression. The new three-year contract addresses those concerns and increases wages to $15.00 per hour for all members who were below that wage level, which is six months before the minimum wage increases to that level in the state of Massachusetts and three years before the state of Rhode Island increases its minimum wage to $15.00. The contract also includes grandfathered time and one half for Macy’s workers in Massachusetts.
“Our members at Macy’s have worked hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and now they are faced with the rising cost of rent, food and gasoline, while Macy’s has seen high profits,” said UFCW Local 1445 President Fernando Lemus. “Our members deserve better, and I’m very proud of our members at Macy’s who stood up to keep time and one half for all hours worked on Sundays and decent general wage increases. When workers stand together, we win together.”
