Bargaining Update - Macy’s Lowers COVID Safety Standard

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We met with Macy’s to negotiate for the second time and addressed Macy’s new mask policy that requires us to be masked, but allows customers to opt out as masks would only be recommended. That is not only unfair but only increases the risk we take every day serving our customers!

We also discussed issues around:

  • Commissioned associates required to work in non-commission areas because of understaffing;

  • Problems with trading shifts under MSP caused by understaffing;

  • Safety issues from understaffing and sanitizing work areas during this pandemic.

While Macy’s did say they are looking into these problems, we don’t think they take them very seriously. We need your specific stories to show that understaffing is causing problems in our stores for us and for our customers. Talk to your bargaining committee members, shop stewards, and union reps about how understaffing has affected you.

The Union bargaining committee also presented a comprehensive proposal to cover this pandemic and all future ones. Macy’s counter-proposed language doesn’t include:

  • A mask requirement for customers  

  • Still requiring temp checks at home on the honor system;  

  • No ability for associates to stay home in a future pandemic like we had in June 2020 for the reopening of the stores with a “one-time pass” for recall 

In fact, they had little to say about anything we had proposed besides: “Rejected.” They also didn’t have any proposals for wages and other economic items, and still haven’t told us what “Reliability Indicators” are when it comes to their new attendance policy proposal. All while telling us they are concerned about how long negotiations could go on...  after only two bargaining sessions.

Stickers will be hitting your store soon, make sure to get some, put one on and sticker-up your coworkers. 

We need to Protect Our PTOs! 

“We seem to be doing a lot of the work in this bargain so far. Why does Macy’s have to make things so difficult by not making proposals for wages and other economic items? These things are the core of our union contracts!” 

– Brenda Eaden, Macy’s Furniture Gallery Tukwilla