New York, NY – The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) has announced the ratification of the very first Union contract at GrowNYC.
The three-year agreement will cover more than 100 Workers at the large-scale non-profit across 60-plus locations in all five Boroughs of New York City who work at the organization’s green-markets and farm-stands, as well as in its teaching garden, warehouse and headquarters.
The Union first won voluntary recognition back in May 2023 – making this a significant milestone in resolving many issues and paving the way for lasting improvements.
Workers originally sought to organize their Union around a myriad of prolonged safety issues amid the rebound of post-pandemic New York City, including: Workplace harassment, including sexual harassment, seasonal layoffs with no call-back structure; A lack of structure when it came to job duties and tasks at work; and Favoritism by management.
This Union contract alleviates these issues and more by providing: Improved protection from harassment from customers and the public by creating customer codes of conduct, providing Incident PTO to Workers to recover from traumatic events and exploring further remedies – including potentially banning repeat harassers/offenders from GrowNYC services; Health and Safety improvements for Field Workers, including extreme weather pay bonuses, restroom access, relief seating and protective weather-appropriate clothing and equipment; Union representation recall for Seasonal Workers; A Wage bonus for Workers who utilize fluency in a second language on the job and additional improved language access for the communities served; and Organization-wide starting minimum wage of $21 per hour, which goes up to $22 per hour after a new Worker’s first annual raise. Annual increases of either 3.5% or 4.5%, depending on tenure.
“This first Union contract for GrowNYC Workers is historic,” RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said. “GrowNYC workers feed our city, educate our communities and keep New York’s beloved greenmarkets running in all kinds of weather. Their fight for a Union was about safety and fairness on the job and this contract delivers. From protections against harassment and extreme weather pay, to improved language equity and significant wage increases, they’ve set a new standard that will lift up not only GrowNYC Workers, but Workers across the sector.”
To Read This labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: GROWNYC WORKERS ACROSS 60+ GREENMARKET & FARMSTAND SITES.
