Posts tagged Industrial Workers of the World Local 660
City Lights Workers Establish a Union
January 30, 2024 // At City Lights, Toledo cited “strikingly low pay, despite working at one of the most famous independent bookstores in the world,” as well as “no grievance process of any kind.” She noted that “the overwhelming majority of us, if not all of us, are low income in one of the most expensive parts of California and have housing situations to reflect it.” Some bookselling hires come on board at San Francisco’s minimum wage, which is presently $18.07/hour, although others with additional responsibilities—Toledo was hired to be in charge of consignment—earn slightly more. Toledo also expressed concern that there is “a total dearth of communication surrounding the direction of the publishing part of City Lights.” Union staffers see a need for greater transparency between the company's bookselling and publishing sides. “We have had a busy year for the store, and some of the newer titles from publishing are doing quite well,” Toledo said. City Lights, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2023, is known as a bastion of radical literature, free speech activism, and social justice, although its staffers have not until now been unionized.