July 19–25, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 3
Our Perspective
For Retail Workers,
Difficult Times in a
Seemingly Strong Economy
By Stuart Appelbaum, President
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW
Twitter: @sappelbaum
A positive charge!
Formula E race returns to Red Hook for third year
Photo by Erica Price
Citi Bike expanding further
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remains strong. Stores often encourage
customers to shop online, even while they are
in the store, which can cost employees valuable
time and commission pay. Customers will order
products online, find they don’t fit or just don’t
like them, and return them at brick and mortar
stores, where employees have to process
returns instead of making commission sales on
the floor.
Above all, retail workers in the U.S. are
getting fed up of being treated like commodities
and having no say in their schedules, pay, and
treatment. That’s why over the past decade, many
have sought union membership. In New York,
workers at H&M and Zara have joined the
RWDSU, negotiating strong contracts that give
them the representation they need to help build
better lives with their jobs. Longtime RWDSU
members at retail stalwarts like Macy’s,
Bloomingdales, and Modell’s have continued to
negotiate good contracts that are helping adapt to
the new realities of the marketplace and the
competition and challenges brought upon by ecommerce.
There are almost 16 million retail workers
in the U.S., and they are an important part of
our communities, neighborhoods, and our
economy. And while the retail industry is
working for CEOs and stockholders, it isn’t
working for many of the retail
workers whose efforts are the
underpinnings of an
industry that continues to
grow. For our economy
to be truly strong, that
needs to change.
While the economy seems to be doing
well, and retail companies, their
CEOs, and their stockholders seem to
be doing well, there’s a group that’s in danger
of being left behind; retail workers, many of
whom find daily life a struggle to not only
advance, but to survive.
And that’s wrong, because traditional retail
is still a strong and growing sector of our
economy. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the retail industry continues to be
one of the largest employment sectors in the
U.S. and is projected to add half a million jobs
through 2026. And while e-commerce is having
an impact on brick and mortar retail, it still
makes up less than 10 percent of total retail
sales in the U.S. Traditional retail is still the
dominant player today in the retail industry.
Unfortunately, retail workers have not
benefited from growth in the industry, just like
most working Americans haven’t seen any of
the benefits of a supposedly strong economy.
The median annual wage for a retail cashier
stands at just over $22,000, and for a retail
salesperson at just over $24,000. The Federal
Poverty Level for a family of four hoovers at
around $25,000.
Besides chronically low wages, especially for
non-union retail employees, retail workers face a
number of challenges that can make life a daily
struggle of frustration. Scheduling issues
abound, with many workers struggling with
insufficient and inconsistent hours. The practice
of “clopenings” – where workers are scheduled
for late night shifts followed by early morning
opening shifts – can wreak havoc with workers’
lives. Harassment and inappropriate treatment by
customers and supervisors is an issue for many
retail workers, who are predominantly female.
E-commerce also presents challenges for
retail workers, even while traditional retail
www.rwdsu.org
By Kevin Duggan
Brooklyn Paper
This race was electric!
A fandom of international
speed freaks descended on
Red Hook for the neighborhood’s
third Formula E event,
a weekend-spanning thrill fest
and capstone to the world’s
premier battery-powered racing
championship.
Nearly two dozen drivers
from 11 different teams maneuvered
their emission-free,
whisper-quiet racers through
lap after lap of a 1.5 mile track
that snaked through the Brooklyn
Cruise Terminal and Pier
11 on Saturday and Sunday.
One out-of-towner traveled
from the country’s bucolic
Nutmeg State for a
chance to take in the highvelocity
action as a volunteer
track marshall, helping to ensure
the event runs smoothly
in exchange for the best seats
on the track.
“It’s almost like they can go
from stand still to full speed in
a split-second,” said Desiree
Faulkner, who made the trek
from Connecticut for the weekend
with her husband and a
friend. “You can’t get any closer
unless you’re a driver.”
The double-bill racing
event wraps up Formula E’s
Racing fanatics descended on Red Hook for the third annual weekend Formula
E at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and Pier 11 from July 12-14.
2018/19 season, which saw
drivers duke it out at such international
locales as Hong
Kong, Monaco, Marrakesh,
Rome, and Paris.
Driver Robin Frijns of the
Netherlands won the final race
for Britain’s Envision Virgin
Racing team, while Jean-Éric
Vergne scored more points and
came out on top of the overall
championship for China’s
DS Techeetah team.
The Frenchman’s victory
on Sunday follows his firstplace
trophy from last year’s
event , securing his place as
the Formula E’s first twotime
winner.
Racers last year had to
swap batteries mid race to
reach the finish line, but this
year utilized cutting-edge storage
cells to finish each circuit
— which can stretch to
as long as 62 miles — on one
battery.
And that’s pretty rad, according
Faulkner, who said
the tech that powers the racers
of today’s racers will soon
juice the passenger vehicles
of tomorrow.
“What happens on racetracks
is the testing grounds
for what we end up in passenger
cars, from safety to battery
technology, it’s all initially
tested on the race track,”
the race marshal said. “It’s the
new technology, it’s the future.”
By Kevin Duggan
Brooklyn Paper
They’re pedaling away
from controversy!
New York City’s largest
purveyor of pedal-powered
transportation announced
a five-year expansion into
eight virgin Brooklyn neighborhoods
on Tuesday — one
week after a social justice
group called out the service
for failing to serve low-income
communities.
Transportation company
Lyft — which acquired Citi
Bike in 2018 — will invest
$100 million to triple the total
number of blue bikes in
the city, many of which will
be docked in transit-starved
and low-income communities,
according to Borough President
Eric Adams.
“The expansion of Citi
Bike into more low-income
communities, and communities
of color, is a long overdue
step in delivering transit
equity for all New Yorkers,”
said Adams.
The announcement follows
hot on the heels of a new study
that shows Citi Bikes are currently
concentrated in predominantly
wealthy and white
neighborhoods .
The head of New York Communities
for Change — the organization
behind the study
— chastised the company for
taking so long to bring their
bikes to more neighborhoods
in the city and said the company
will need to take additional
steps to ensure parity.
“We welcome bike sharing
to previously unserved
neighborhoods in Brooklyn,
Queens and the Bronx, but
Citi Bike has had seven years
to serve all New Yorkers and
this is too little too late,” Jonathan
Westin said in an emailed
statement.
The new plan calls for additional
Citi Bike docks near
the L train, but the lion’s share
of new docks will be spread
throughout neighborhoods that
have little to no access to the
Citi Bike, including Brownsville,
Crown Heights, Prospect
Lefferts Gardens, East Flatbush,
Windsor Terrace, Ditmas
Park, Kensington and
Sunset Park.
The new rollout will be accompanied
by new handcycles
— hand-powered bikes ideal
for some disabled riders.
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