NEW YORK — Growth in the number of retail jobs is accompanying declining working standards, according to a report released Tuesday by Retail Action Project, a union-affiliated group here.
The report “Discounted Jobs: How Retailers Sell Workers Short” cites results of a survey of non-union retail workers in New York showing that nearly 60% of workers are part-time, temporary or holiday workers and just three in 10 receive health benefits from their employers. It also said minority workers and women face disproportionate barriers to career advancement, wages and benefits.
The report advocated retailers adopt models of union retailers including the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union of the United Food and Commercial Workers. The RWDSU is one of the funders of the report, which was co-authored by Stephanie Luce of the City University of New York with Naoki Fujita of the Retail Action Project.
