On Tuesday, Barnes & Noble Warehouse Workers in Monroe, New Jersey Will Protest to Demand Protections Against COVID-19

WHAT: On Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Monroe, New Jersey, nonunion Barnes & Noble warehouse workers will protest to demand protections against COVID-19. This action comes in response to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in this Barnes & Noble warehouse, which employs nearly 800 workers, most of whom are Latino immigrants. The workers and their allies will hold a protest in front of the Barnes & Noble warehouse Tuesday to demand the following:

-Closure of the warehouse for two weeks;

-Paid time-off during those two weeks;

-Full sanitization of the facility while it’s closed;

-Hazard pay for when the workers return;

-Upon return, better safety protections, including sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and cleaning;

-Recognition of the ability to self-quarantine and refuse to work without retaliation;

-New Jersey state government action to enforce these demands.

All participants in this news event will practice social distancing.

The action comes amid growing labor unrest at warehouse facilities around the country where workers have been exposed to COVID-19 and managers have failed to protect them. This action by Barnes & Noble workers on Tuesday afternoon comes on the heels of workers at Amazon warehouses undertaking similar actions in recent days. In these actions at warehouse facilities, workers have protested their employers’ responses to COVID-19.

WHO: Nonunion Barnes & Noble warehouse workers; members and leaders of Movimiento Cosecha; Warehouse Workers Stand Up; the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board (LDFS Union), Workers United/SEIU; New Jersey community and labor allies.

WHERE: 1 Barnes and Noble Way in Monroe, New Jersey

WHEN: Tuesday, April 7, 3:00 p.m.

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