NEW YORK–Bloomingdale’s management and leaders of Local 3 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union have reached a tentative agreement—subject to ratification by the membership on May 1—that eliminates any possibility of a strike being called against the flagship department store here.
Last week, union members representing the 59th Street flagship voted to authorize a strike if an agreement on a new contract was not reached today.
That’s when Bloomingdale’s vowed that it would keep the store open despite a possible strike.
Once ratified, a new four-year contract will be in effect pertaining to all but one issue: the health-care plan.
“When it became clear that the health-care plan would take significantly more time to negotiate than remained before the contract deadline, Bloomingdale’s and union negotiators agreed that an additional two weeks of in-depth review was the most judicious move,” said Anne Keating, senior vice president of public relations for Bloomingdale’s, in a statement. “Substantial work has been done to reach agreement on all the other issues pertaining to this contract; and we now look forward to continuing forthright, respectful talks on this final point.”