Strike Deadline Nears for Macy’s Workers

[marmar]

from the NY Times:



The lines outside Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street in Manhattan often tend to consist of shoppers, or perhaps onlookers gawking at the Thanksgiving Day Parade floats.

But when Thursday begins, there could be an entirely different sort of line. More than 4,000 Macy’s employees face the possibility of going on strike.

For the past five weeks, Macy’s management and Local 1-S of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union have been trying to reach agreement on a new contract. The existing contract expires Wednesday at midnight. The major issues of contention were wages, health care benefits and the number and availability of full-time positions at the four stores governed by the contract (the 34th Street store, as well as ones in Queens, the Bronx and Westchester).

“Macy’s is the leading department store in the United States and in New York, and what they do has an impact on the rest of the industry,” said Stuart Applebaum, the union’s president. “It’s the largest store in the world. It’s not like comparing it to a store in Podunk.” .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/strike-deadline-nears-for-macys-workers/

[Earth_First]

1. Go Union!

SOLIDARITY!

[midnight]

2. K&R