“Union booksellers held a rally outside the Strand’s flagship location in New York City on Monday afternoon, protesting the store’s labor practices after a year of worsening relations between employees and owner Nancy Bass Wyden.
In preparation for the holiday rush last year, 38 union worker were rehired by the store, but 31 were subsequently laid off again, according to Melissa Guzy, a Strand bookseller who also serves in leadership of the UAW Local 2179. For some booksellers, this was the third time they were laid off since the Covid-19 pandemic upended the store’s business, which was highly dependent on tourism and foot traffic.”