On July 11, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union’s (RWDSU) newly unionized Guitar Center workers at four stores in New York (NY), Chicago (IL), Danvers (MA), and Las Vegas (NV), unanimously ratified their first contract.
Guitar Center, and the RWDSU, which represents retail workers in a variety of industries across the nation, reached agreement for contracts for over 100 of Guitar Center’s employees who work in the four stores. The contract was finalized as part of the global settlement agreement reached last month between the parties. Under the new contract, workers will receive guaranteed base wage increases over the three-year term of the contract and access to union-provided healthcare insurance.
“The contract that was ratified tonight wrote the song book for workers in the retail music industry,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union (RWDSU). “Workers from all four stores fought to ensure the voices of their over 100 co-workers were heard – and the company listened. I am extremely proud of the negotiations team involved in this first contract and the provisions they reached in unison.”
“I’m glad that we have a solidified contract, getting here has been years in the making. I appreciate all of the RWDSU’s efforts. Having affordable healthcare is a positive,” said Harold Davis, Guitar Sales Associate at Guitar Center in Manhattan, NY.
“The key stipulations of the contract will set a new tone in the store, and I urge the public to shop at our union stores in these four major cities and support good union jobs across our country,” said Jonathon Feinberg, Sales Associate from the Danvers, Massachusetts Guitar Center.
“We are excited to finally have an amazing union contract, this process has restored faith in our company. Without the hours of work our coworkers put into building this contract over the years this would not have been possible,” said Allison Sorrell, a sales associate at the Chicago, Illinois store.
“I love this job and it has provided me the supplemental income to pursue my career as a musician. Thanks to our work with the RWDSU and the company we have made these jobs even better. I look forward to further pursuing my musical aspirations” said Cody Bergstrom, a nine-year Guitar Center employee in Las Vegas, Nevada.
