To: All Copperfield's Books Petaluma Staff, Concerned Citizens, and Valued Customers of Copperfield's Books Petaluma 

From: Copperfield's Books Petaluma Management 

Date: December 5, 2023 

Subject: Bargaining Update from Session #10, Tentative Agreements Reached to Date, and Remaining Open Issues 

On Friday April 28, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") conducted a secret ballot election among Copperfield's Books Petaluma non-management and non-supervisory employees in which a majority voted to recognize the Industrial Workers of the World ("IWW") as their exclusive representative for purposes of collective bargaining. On May 11, 2023, the NLRB certified the election results in favor of IWW. Formal labor negotiations began on June 29, 2023, after the parties' initial "meet and greet" on June 15th. Several sessions have taken place since and the following lays out our progress to date. 

The parties held their 10th and most recent session of collective bargaining on November 30, 2023. The next session is scheduled for November 30th.1 In the most recent bargaining sessions, the parties exchanged proposals on the following negotiation topics: Hours of Work and Overtime; Mediation and Fact Finding; customary contract terms on Savings, No Derogations, and Integration; Duration of the new contract; the Interplay of Employee Handbook, Employer Policies, the Parties' [eventual] Collective Bargaining Agreement, and Benefit Plan Documents; Discipline and Discharge; the parties' Grievance Procedure; Layoffs; Seniority and Probation; Holidays; Shop Steward Rights; Leaves; and Holidays. Some of the foregoing draft contract articles are under consideration as tentative agreements ("TAs"). The parties will continue to exchange economic proposals and related counter proposals and reach TAs accordingly. 

In prior bargaining sessions, the parties reached TAs on the following topics: 

• The new labor contract's Preamble - TA 7/11/23; 
• The Recognition clause - TA 7/11/23; 
• Changes to the Status Quo - TA 7/11/23; 
• Union Security and Membership - TA 7/11/23; 
• Information Requests and Personnel Files - TA 7/11/23; 
• Dignity and Respect - TA 7/11/23; 
• Management Rights - TA 8/10/23; 
• Freedom from Harassment and Discrimination - TA 9/14/23; 
• Workplace Safety - TA 9/14/23; Workplace Violence is Prohibited - TA 9/14/23; 
• Certain Other General Provisions for the new labor contract - TA 9/14/23; 
• Promulgation of Work Rules - TA 9/14/23; 
• Job Postings and Petaluma Bargaining Unit Hiring - TA 9/14/23; and 
• The parties' collective bargaining Ground Rules - also signed on 9/14/2023. 

As a result of the November 16, 2023, bargaining session (#9), the parties’ reached further tentative agreements on: 

• Shop Steward Rights – TA 11/29/23; 
• Discipline and Discharge – TA 11/29/23; 
• Grievance Procedure – TA 11/29/23; and 
• Non-arbitral Respect Grievances – TA 11/29/23. 

These TAs were approved by Copperfield’s Books Petaluma on November 29, 2023. Altogether the parties have reached 17 tentative agreements including their bargaining ground rules. 

The tone of the process to date has been very positive notwithstanding some social media posts that the Management team considers controversial and exaggerated. We believe we are making steady good faith progress toward our first collective bargaining agreement at the Petaluma store. 

If you are in the bargaining unit and otherwise not a part of Copperfield's Books Petaluma management, you may direct your questions and comments to the Copperfield's Books Petaluma Union (copperfieldsbooksunion@gmail.com). Otherwise, you may also contact the Copperfield's Books Petaluma Management bargaining committee through RM Horrell (rhorrell@copperbook.com).

Thanks again for your interest in this process and for your ongoing support of Copperfield’s Books Petaluma! 

Cc: IWW and Management Bargaining Committees 

---

¹ Our formal sessions have been held on the following dates: Session #1 – 6/29/23; Session #2 – 7/6/23; Session #3 – 7/11/23; Session #4 – 7/27/23; Session #5 – 8/10/23; Session #6 – 9/14/23; Session #7 -- 10/12/23; Session #8 10/26/23; Session #9 -- 11/17/23; and Session #10 -- 11/30/23. The next session (#11) is set for January 4, 2024.  

² Because we are in active labor negotiations, our management team may not be able to answer all of your questions due to Labor Board rules, regulations, and case law that generally prevent us from negotiating away from the bargaining table; that is, we cannot negotiate with persons other than authorized members of IWW’s bargaining committee or otherwise bypass the IWW team.