Bloomingdale's Workers: Ready to Strike (4/25/08)

Workers at Bloomingdale’s in New York City cast an overwhelming vote Thursday to hit the bricks to win a fair contract.

"These workers put their hearts and souls into their jobs," said RWDSU Local 3 President Ida Torres. "Our strike vote is a strong message to the management of Bloomingdale’s that we want to reach a fair contract."

Torres pointed out that Bloomingdale's has been waging a two-fisted assault against workers by taking aim at both their health insurance coverage and resisting proposals to guarantee a general wage increase.  Contract negotiations have been ongoing since February 14 and an automatic extension to the contract expires on May 1.

"We don't want to strike, but unfortunately we've been forced to take this step,”  Torres added.

On Tuesday New York RWDSU member and other labor and community activists rallied in a strong show of support for the Bloomingdale's workers. RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum pledged that the union's members throughout the U.S. and Canada "are totally committed to helping their sisters and brothers at Local 3 win a fair contract."

"Through their hard work and commitment Local 3 members have made Bloomingdale's a success," Appelbaum said. "Now it's time the company live up to its responsibility to workers and their families."

Over 2,000 Bloomingdale's workers would be affected by a strike.  The last strike by Bloomingdale’s workers was in 1965.