New York's Iconic Strand Bookstore Strike Comes To a Victorious End For Employees!

In a historic effort that hasn’t been seen since the 1990s, the flagship location of New York’s own beloved independent bookstore Strand was under strike.

The 3-day long strike took place over the course of a weekend, starting from Saturday, December 7, and officially finalizing on December 10 after Union members reached a new contract negotiation. The strike was implemented after the previous contract that employees were under had expired, leaving them working with no mention of increased wages after being promised so. The members of Strand were apparently working with a month-to-month contract, leaving them at a disadvantage.

The strike took place over the start of the holiday season, which is where Strand reportedly makes most of their income for the year. After not receiving any talks for a restructured contract during their busiest season, the Union members of the store initiated their strike. After the harsh weather conditions of New York, its Winter season on full display, but the union members were willing to brave it all through the harsh cold and biting rainstorm.

After negotiations had taken place, the union members and Strand ultimately reached a tentative agreement. The workers of Strand would come in store to have an in-person vote to decide whether they agreed to the new conditions of the agreement.

After the previous events taken place, the union workers of Strand would reach an agreement and officially end their strike. The employees of the store will now receive increased wages, with newer employees making $.50 above minimum wage and older employees making $1.50 above. There were also talks about decreasing the amount of PTO employees receive, lowering it from 9 days to 7. With their new agreement, the PTO they receive remains unchanged. This new agreement also gives a new healthcare plan for employees, which was another concern for the Union members. This agreement is truly historic not only for the store, but for the employees and a welcome addition to the legacy of Union workers everywhere.