Macy's Workers Vote to Authorize Strike if Contract
Isn't Reached by June 15

Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU)

June 13, 2011

http://www.rwdsu.info/en/archives/6/macy%E2%80%99s-workers-vote-authorize-strike-if-contract-isn%E2%80%99t-reached-june-15-61311.html

The RWDSU announced today that more than 4000 Macy's
workers have authorized their executive board to call a
strike in the event that a new contract is not secured
by midnight on June 15. Local 1-S of RWDSU represents
Macy's workers at the Manhattan flagship store in
Herald Square and at three other stores in the Bronx,
Queens, and Westchester. This past week Macy's workers
at all four of the stores voted unanimously to
authorize the strike during membership meetings
conducted from June 6th through June 9th.

Workers represented by the union and union leaders are
outraged that a company in such solid financial health
is making extremely unreasonable demands on wages,
benefits, and hours. Macy's earned $847 million in
profit last year and its CEO earned nearly $15 million
in total compensation last year, far more than any
other department store CEO. In addition, according to
the latest available data and financial filings,
same-store sales at Macy's have exceeded market
analysts' expectations, the credit rating of the
company has recently been upgraded and its
year-over-year sales have risen to nearly $6 billion.

Yet Macy's wants to take money away from workers at a
time when the company is doing very well; to introduce
a scheduling system that would erode full-time hours by
making shifts available only on a first come, first
served basis; to offer far less paid time off; to
eliminate pension benefits for new employees; to raise
the cost of healthcare; and to make it harder for most
employees to advance in the company.

"This is a company that's in great shape financially,
so it's unacceptable for Macy's to try to extract such
massive concessions when many members of its workforce
are struggling," said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum
"This is a textbook case of corporate greed and excess.
Macy's is in a position to give its workers a much
better contract. It must stop trying to take away
everything its dedicated workers have fought so hard
and so long to get."

"Many of our workers at Macy's are barely surviving in
New York City and the surrounding metro area because
they are just not earning enough. It is offensive for
Macy's, a company earning record profits, to expect
these workers to sacrifice even more and to worry about
basic survival," said Ken Bordieri, President of Local
1-S of RWDSU. "No one wants to strike, we all want to
secure a new contract, but our workers are prepared to
strike and to stand up for fair wages, benefits, and
hours."

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