What Powell's Employees Had To Say About Organizing In Their Own Words.

(from an ILWU Press release)
Workers at Powell's Books have won their bid for representation by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, giving Oregon labor one of its largest victories in the ’90s. The April 22 victory followed a six-month organizing campaign initiated and driven by Powell's employees.

“We want to thank our co-workers who made the organizing drive possible and our community supporters in Portland and all over the country,” said organizing committee member Paul Couey.

The union win will also make good business sense for Powell's, which is already the nation’s largest independent bookstore. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney has said the Federation would publicize a unionized Powell’s—which does substantial business on-line—to its 30 million members and their families around the country.

Powell’s managers have said they cannot afford to pay union wages, citing pressure from Amazon.com and national chains like Barnes & Noble. But unlike the chains, Powell's does much of its business in used books, which have a far higher profit margin than new books. And Amazon.com is more a customer than a competitor, said organizing committee member Carol Edwards. “Most used and out-of-print books sold by Amazon are supplied by Powell's,” she said.

As Powell's workers put together their contract proposals, the two issues that sparked the organizing drive will top the list: workers want a living wage and a voice in company operations. “Now that the election is over, we need to win a contract,” said Edwards. “We're asking our community supporters to stick with us and ensure that the bargaining process is fast and fair.”

The union victory at Powell’s also typifies the new energy in the labor movement. Increasingly, low-wage workers like the retail booksellers at Powell's are seeking union representation, changing the nature of retail and the face of labor. “A century ago, manufacturing workers didn't make a living wage,” said organizing committee member Miranda Outman. “Today they do. It's not that the nature of their work has changed. What changed was that they unionized. If they could do it, service workers can, too.”

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