Monthly Archives: March 2024

On March 14, about 50 workers at the Barnes & Noble 82nd Street store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan voted to join the RWDSU/UFCW by an overwhelming margin. Workers at the Barnes & Noble Upper West Side store now join two other unionized stores in New York City, including the flagship Union Square store and the Park Slope, Brooklyn store.

The workers in the bargaining unit include booksellers, baristas, cashiers, maintenance clerks and all non-supervisory employees at the store. The vote to unionize workers at the Barnes & Noble Upper West Side store was conducted by an in-person secret ballot on-site at the store and overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.

These workers joined our union family because of concerns over job security, a lack of structure when it comes to job duties and tasks at work, and favoritism by management, all of which they’re seeking to address in their first union contract.

“Winning our union election means my and my co-worker’s needs can finally be heard! We’re asking for fair pay, clear opportunities to progress in long-term careers with Barnes & Noble, and overall job security,” said Gina Fowler (she/they), who is a senior barista at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble store. “I look forward to having our voices heard at the bargaining table.”

“We’re all thrilled and excited at the election result,” said Esther Rosenfield (she/her), who is also a senior barista at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble store. “The feeling of solidarity among employees at every position in the store is really incredible. We’re looking forward to beginning negotiations for fair pay and better working conditions.”

“With each new union election, workers continue to send a clear message to Barnes & Noble that they want a seat at the table – and they are winning that seat by historic margins,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. “Bookstore workers across the industry, from independent sellers to corporate behemoths like Barnes & Noble, face safety concerns, lack of training, and favoritism by management. Only with a union will these issues and more be heard. Barnes & Noble workers are changing how their history will be told, and inspiring other workers to do the same!”

Starting on April 1, fees will be adjusted for a majority of immigration applications and petitions, including for individuals applying for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Fees were updated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) earlier this year to cover the agency’s operational costs and to help adjudicate USCIS immigration and naturalization benefits in a more timely manner. These higher fees will help cover business costs and better avoid future backlogs. The USCIS receives 96 percent of their funding in the form of filing fees and not from taxpayers in the form of congressional funding.

While Congress was able to provide much-needed support for the USICS in 2022 by providing $275 million to reduce backlogs and advance their humanitarian mission, as well as provide additional support for refugee and asylum activities, these new fees can help the agency to keep pace with incoming cases and avoid future backlogs. Current backlogs at the USCIS were described in a 2022 report, which found that immigration filings decreased dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the agency’s revenue dropped by 40 percent as a result, creating a hiring freeze. The hiring freeze was lifted in March 2021, and the agency is trying to deliver improved services in advance of this new fee schedule. The USCIS is expecting under these new fees to receive an average of $4.42 billion per year.

Here’s what these fee increases mean for different immigration applications and petitions:

•           Individual filers will not see any increases above 26 percent, with many fees increasing well under 26 percent.

•           Fee increases will hold to a low level for naturalization and adoption applications and petitions.

•           Will mitigate higher fees for employers by providing special discounts for nonprofits and small employers.

•           Fee waiver eligibility for low-income and vulnerable populations will be put into permanent law.

•           Will expand fee exemptions for certain humanitarian and other beneficiaries.

•           There will generally be a $50 discount for those who choose USCIS online forms over a paper filing.

To learn more about additional changes included and to see a table breakdown of the new fees based on the type of application or petition click here. Any applications or petitions postmarked on or after April 1 must include the new fees or the USCIS will not accept them.