Wash. — Macy’s workers at three, popular store locations in Western Washington said they will be going on strike on Black Friday, November 24.
96% of Macy’s Workers United (UFCW 3000) voted to authorize ‘unfair labor practice’ strikes, leaving their workplaces to join picket lines.
Workers said receiving a fair wage is important, but safety is at the top of their minds.
“When workers ask that store safety just be a topic that they can talk about in future meetings with management, Macy’s even says no to that,” Joe Mizrahi, Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW 21, said on Friday. “Macy’s workers would much rather be inside the store helping customers this Black Friday. But instead they’ll be out here (at the Southcenter Mall) on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.”
Macy’s did not not agree to an interview, but a spokesperson emailed the following, full statement to KIRO 7 on Friday:
“Thank you for your inquiry. Macy’s seeks to reach a deal that is mutually beneficial to the colleague, company, and union.”
Liisa Luick, who has been a Macy’s associate for 15 years, said she was suspended without pay for three weeks after she called the police.
According to Luick, she witnessed someone shoplifting.
“I then called management… I called loss prevention… We waited and nothing happened,” Luick said. “And (then) it happened again. He came back in, got something, and left out the doors.”
Luick claims her managers told her to call mall security, a phone number that was never provided to her by managers until this shoplifting incident.
“I called mall security. [They] said I needed to call the police,” she said. “So, I called the police.”
According to Luick, who is also the shop steward of her union, she was then suspended for three weeks without pay because she signed a policy forbidding her to call law enforcement.
“Not to my knowledge!” Luick said, claiming she was never aware of the policy. “It’s in everybody’s interest for safety. It’s certainly our business. And our customers comment on it, too.”
“We would love to be safe at work, but also want our customers to be safe,” Azia Domingo, a Macy’s associate, said on Friday. “We don’t feel safe in our stores.”
Domingo also expressed her frustrations with stagnant wages.
“Pay isn’t kept up with inflation,” she said, forcing her and her family to consider critical sacrifices. “Do we pay a light bill? Do we go see a doctor? Or is it something that we can ride out?”
Macy’s Workers United plans to launch its strike at the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila on Black Friday.
It’s called the ‘Macy’s Striking Workers Parade,’ drawing inspiration from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“I don’t think they’re going to be able to staff the stores properly. And if they can, it’s going to be a mess,” Mizrahi said. “It’s the first time in a generation that a major department store is effectively shut down by sales associates.”
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