Solid State Books (Washington, D.C.) ratifies Contract

 

The union at Solid State Books, Washington, D.C., has unanimously ratified its first contract with the bookstore, after negotiations that took 17 days, a very short period for most contract negotiations. The contract makes Solid State Books the second bookstore in the capital with a collective bargaining agreement following the contract reached by Politics & Prose and its union. The Solid State Books contract was modeled on the Politics & Prose agreement. Both bookstores' unions are affiliated with the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 Union.

The Solid State Books staff unionized in April, and the union was voluntarily recognized by owners Jake Cumsky-Whitlock and Scott Abel. They commented yesterday, "We are very pleased we were able reach our first collective bargaining agreement with Local 400 so quickly and amicably. This agreement is a win-win for both Solid State Books and our employees. We look forward to continuing the productive relationship and dialogue we have forged with Local 400."

Kiara Martinez, a bookseller at Solid State Books who served on the committee that negotiated the contract, said, "We got here quickly, and we owe that in large part to our union siblings at Politics & Prose. While we are incredibly proud of the work we've done, our journey is only just beginning. It's our hope that we inspire others to begin theirs."

The three-year contract covers all non-management employees. Key provisions include:

• Cost-of-living increases tied to the District of Columbia minimum wage (which is indexed to the Consumer Price Index), as well as pay increases retroactive to May 1.
• Additional holiday on Juneteenth, with hours worked on that day paid at time and a half.
• Extra week of vacation after the third year of employment.
• Ban on mandatory "clopening" shifts, in which the same employee must close a store one night and open it again the next morning.
• Better staffing, with at least two employees in the store at all time and employees not disciplined for work not completed due to short staffing.
• Robust anti-discrimination protections, including Crown Act protections.
• Bereavement leave for full-timers.

reported at Shelf Awareness