In Trenton, Barnes & Noble Workers Deliver Petition to Governor Murphy Calling on Him to Shut Down Warehouse Where COVID-19 Cases Grew

Trenton, NJ – Today, a caravan of Barnes & Noble workers from Monroe Township, New Jersey traveled to Trenton to deliver a petition to Governor Phil Murphy calling on him to close their warehouse for two weeks and ensure full paid time off.

This action today comes as Barnes & Noble reported to workers more than 10 cases of COVID-19 among employees.

Barnes & Noble workers previously demanded  the company provide additional protections against COVID-19, including closing the facility for two weeks with paid time off to allow workers to self-quarantine, fully sanitizing the facility, and providing hazard pay.

To date, Barnes & Noble has not complied with these demands. That’s why workers are now calling on Governor Murphy to close the warehouse for two weeks for deep cleaning and require that workers are paid in full during that time.

“If Barnes & Noble cannot guarantee the safety of its facilities, it’s time for elected officials to act,” the petition says. “Please use your authority to close the Barnes & Noble distribution center in Monroe Township for two weeks to fully sanitize the facility and allow workers to self-quarantine. Additionally, please ensure that all workers are fully compensated during this closure.”

The caravan of workers, along with community and labor allies, arrived in front of Governor Murphy’s office at noon. The petition delivered to Governor Murphy included more than 420 signatures, with more than 200 of those signatures from current Barnes & Noble workers employed at the large warehouse facility in Monroe Township.

After delivering the petition to Murphy’s office, the workers and their supporters continued down State Street to the War Memorial Auditorium where Governor Murphy holds his daily COVID-19 press briefing.

Participants in today’s action included Barnes & Noble warehouse workers along with leaders and members of  Warehouse Workers Stand Up; Movimiento Cosecha; and the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board (LDFS Union), Workers United/SEIU.

“We are essential workers, but treated as unworthy of respect and protection by our employer. Barnes & Noble has not spent enough time deep cleaning the warehouse and making it safe for us to do our jobs. Management delayed handing out gloves and face coverings until we protested in public earlier this month. We are scared to go back to work. It’s time for Governor Murphy to force Barnes & Noble to close our warehouse for two weeks so we can self-quarantine and so the facility can be fully disinfected. He should also ensure that we get paid in full during the closure of our workplace,” said Elsa Rodriguez, who has been a Barnes & Noble warehouse employee at the Monroe, New Jersey facility for the past fifteen years.

“We are proud to offer support and solidarity to these Barnes & Noble warehouse workers as they take action to protect themselves, their families, and their community. New Jersey has classified these workers as essential, but Barnes & Noble has made their employees feel disposable. That’s wrong and unacceptable. We join these workers and their supporters in calling on Governor Murphy to shut down the Barnes & Noble warehouse in Monroe Township for two weeks, and ensure that these workers are fully paid while the facility is closed so workers can self-quarantine and the facility can undergo a deep cleaning,” said Alberto Arroyo, Co-Manager of the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board (LDFS Union), Workers United/SEIU, a labor union that represents several thousand warehouse workers in New Jersey.

The Barnes & Noble worker action today comes on the heels of the Warehouse Workers Stand Up campaign recently urging Governor Murphy to issue additional executive orders to protect all warehouse workers in New Jersey.

According to Warehouse Workers Stand Up, Governor Murphy should require all warehouses and distribution centers classified as essential New Jersey businesses to do the following:

·      Shut down facilities with any confirmed cases of COVID-19 for 14 days to undertake deep cleaning and sanitization, and allow workers to self-quarantine, while providing them with fully paid leave, testing and treatment;

·      Give all warehouse workers with immediate hourly hazard pay, health insurance and additional paid sick leave;

·      Explicitly protect COVID-19 whistleblowers from retaliation from employers for sounding the alarm about safety and health policies that endanger them, their co-workers and families;

·      Establish Health and Safety committees where employees are empowered to enforce compliance with governmental COVID-19 health and safety standards.