The Strand Book Store has reached a tentative contract agreement with its staff union, which is represented by United Auto Workers Local 2179, putting an end to a strike that stretched through the weekend and much of Monday, December 9. Should the contract, which was proposed after a total of 12 bargaining sessions, be ratified, it would last through Aug 31, 2028, adding an additional year to a contract that was previously three years long, said Will Bobrowski, the former Strand employee and current second VP at UAW Local 2179.
Among the changes to the contract, Bobrowski told PW, are an increase to the store’s per hour hiring rate, which will now be $0.50 above New York State minimum wage and a $1.50/hour raise in an employee’s fourth year, amounting to a roughly 37% wage increase over four years for Strand workers who begin at the base salary. (The minimum wage in New York will increase by another $0.50 on January 1, 2026, and on Jan. 1, 2027, the state’s rate will be tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, taking inflation into account in the establishment of a minimum.)
Paid time off for employees will remain unchanged in the new contract, totaling nine days for all workers. Charges of unfair labor practices filed by the union to the National Board of Labor Relations over the weekend will also be dropped.
Strand employees will return to work on December 10, with an in-store vote on the proposed contract slated for Thursday. “We picketed all weekend, Saturday and Sunday. We picketed yesterday,” Bobrowski said. “If they vote no, presumably we’ll be right back at it this weekend. I don’t think that’s likely, but you never know.”
“For 97 years, my family has proudly served our community, fostering a love of books and ideas,” said Strand owner Nancy Bass Wyden, in a statement. “Our goal has always been the survival and sustainability of this beloved New York Institution. We value the hard work and dedication of the people who make Strand a truly magical place. The new contract provides increased wages, healthcare savings, and even further improvements for future Strand employees, on top of a benefits package that remains one of the best in New York.”
This article has been updated with further information.
