On March 6, members of UFCW Local 99 who work at Bookmans Entertainment Exchange in Tucson East, Tucson River and Flagstaff, Ariz., ratified their first union contract–marking the first time booksellers in Arizona have joined a union.
The three-year contract includes the following provisions:
• Guaranteed wage increases and department premiums.
• Paid holidays and vacation.
• Health insurance for part-time and full-time employees.
• Paid sick leave and bereavement leave.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Establishment of an employee safety committee.
• Progressive discipline and grievance procedure.
“Bookmans employees have always been the key ingredient to the company’s success,” said UFCW Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin. “Now, workers finally have a strong union contract that recognizes their contributions and raises the standard of living for their entire industry.”
“I feel hopeful for the future, excitement, and I’m so proud of my co-workers.” said Tony Taurman, an electronics buyer at Bookmans Flagstaff. “It seems today that people are expected to go about life without their community, but in starting a union I learned that you don’t have to. And in fact, we can’t. We have to stand together if we want to change things for the better.”
“After two years of effort, I couldn’t be more excited to start the next chapter for me and my co-workers’ long careers at Bookmans,” said Eleanor Hill, a department supervisor at Bookmans Tucson East. “I can’t wait to see what comes next, and I hope we can start a new era of unionized bookstores in Arizona. Now more than ever, the stores and their workers have become essential.”
“It’s a great thing to have a union in the workplace, especially in an at-will state like Arizona,” said Annalicia Watson, a music department employee at Bookmans Tucson River. “To anyone interested in starting a union, I’d tell them to start the conversation with their co-workers and learn about the history of unions. Unions are the reason we have a five-day work week, an eight-hour workday, and so much more.”
Employees at the Tucson-headquartered retail chain, which buys and sells used goods including books, music, movies, and games, took the first step towards unionizing in August 2024 when Tucson East employees voted to join UFCW Local 99. Workers at the company’s Flagstaff location followed suit in September with 100 percent of union eligible employees in support of the effort.