Unionized workers at Powell's Books in Portland, Ore., have ratified a new contract, according to ILWU Local 5, the union which has represented Powell's staff since 2000. Ninety-three percent of eligible Powell's workers voted yes for the contract, which will last for four years.
The ratification follows 10 months of negotiations and multiple rejected contracts, including one proposed by Powell's management in August and another in November. On Labor Day, unionized Powell's workers staged a walkout, resulting in the daylong closure of all three Powell’s locations on September 4.
Among the new contract's stipulations are:
- "10-19% increases to the minimums for the lowest-paid job groups in the first year, and increases to the minimum for all job groups throughout the life of the contract"
- "annual wage increases totalling $5.20 over the life of the contract" for every union worker, which the union says "amounts to a 28% increase for the average Powell's worker, and is in addition to any wage increases tied to promotions"
- "expedited promotions (an accompanying wage increases) for entry-level positions"
- "broader access to holiday pay"
- "stronger inclement weather language to give workers more information to make safe decisions in event of snow, ice, extreme heat, wildfire smoke, etc." "a healthcare plan that significantly decreases the cost of the most common claims for most workers"
- "a more clearly defined recall process in the event of layoffs, and preservation of benefits for the entire time a worker is on the recall list"
In addition, all employees who were laid of in 2020 who were recalled or rehired by Powell's "will have their former paid time off accrual rates restored and any time served since then added to that rate," the union said. Issues around the rehires had been a sticking point between the union and Powell's management since at least 2021.
