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Zara stores unionize in Manhattan

By Kristopher Fraser

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Zara stores in Manhattan are unionizing. The workers will be represented by Local 1102 of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, in an agreement covering about 1000 workers at the retailer's eight stores in Manhattan.

The Manhattan workers will be the first workers in the U.S. to be unionized.

“Zara’s approach to recognize the right of its workers to form a union, without intimidation, is a message to all retailers — you can be successful and still respect the right of your employees,” said Gemma de Leon Lopresti, president of RWDSU Local 1102, in a statement.

The agreement with Zara recalls the 2009 agreement with RWDSU made with H&M involving about 1200 workers. As reported, the RWDSU recently reached a new four-year agreement with Macy's, affecting 5000 workers in New York City.

The RWDSU currently represents workers at Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Duane Reade, Modell's Sporting Goods, Saks Fifth Avenue, Cole Haan just to name a few.

Zara opened their first U.S. store in Manhattan in 1989. The company has come a long way since then, with parent company Inditex becoming a multi-billion dollar enterprise. The company's Q1 net growth sales were up 12 percent, with profit up 6 percent so far this year.

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