Barnes & Noble employees in Hadley have won their first union contract, making them among the first of the book-selling giant’s locations to agree to a contract with the company.
According to a press release, the employees voted unanimously earlier this month to ratify a contract that includes wage increases, “union healthcare,” and workplace safety protections. That comes after a campaign that began in April 2023, when the workers announced that they were planning to unionize — just the second of the company’s approximately 600 locations nationwide to do so. They voted unanimously the next month to join United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459.
Since then, workers have held rallies, pickets, and a work stoppage in an effort to secure their first contract. Among the issues the workers highlighted during those actions were what they said was short staffing at the store and inconsistent scheduling. In their contract, the union has secured minimum shift lengths, according to the press release.
Drew Weisse, the organizing director for UFCW Local 1459, did not respond to interview requests for this article.
“The most surprising thing was how much of a ‘hurry up and wait’ game working on the contract can be,” Lainie LaRonde, a lead bookseller and bargaining committee member, said in the statement. “The least surprising thing was that my coworkers/fellow bargaining unit members and I have a stronger connection and commitment to each other than ever.”
In a statement, a Barnes & Noble spokesperson said the company appreciates “the effort from all concerned that went into reaching this agreement.”
“We look forward now to supporting our booksellers as they concentrate on the success of their bookstore,” the statement said.
Barnes & Noble employees are part of the UFCW, which represents over a million workers, according to its website. The union represents workers in a variety of labor sectors, including health care, grocery, and retail companies.
“We began the process because we care about each other,” said LaRonde later in the statement. “And we saw it through for the same reason.”
divina cordeiro is a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They are a summer 2025 intern at The Shoestring with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News.