Audiobooks
To: Copperfield’s Books Petaluma Union and Staff and the Community
From: Copperfield’s Books Petaluma Management
Re: Used Book Department Closure and Bargaining Update
Date: August 13, 2025
On June 26th, Copperfield’s Books Petaluma Management informed its staff, their labor union, the Industrial Workers of the World (‘IWW” or “Union”) and the public of its decision to close the Petaluma Used Book Department by around the end of September. This decision was not made suddenly. It was made with much concern regarding the impact on Copperfield’s Books Petaluma employees and our community.
We gave the Union more than three (3) months of advance notice, satisfying every imaginable notification requirement. We knew the decision would be unpopular and that our obligation to bargain over the effects of the decision would take time. The corresponding reduction of the store’s footprint, and the necessary tenant improvements will likewise take time. While layoffs are anticipated, they will be comparatively minimal and subject to certain terms of our employees’ Union contract.
Since 2021, Petaluma’s Used Book Department sales have decreased by about 24% and it has not been profitable since 2022. Over this time, our used book buyers have continued to purchase used books, contributing to a store liability of roughly $80,000 in store credit that remains to be redeemed by our customers. This liability is almost equal to the entire wholesale cost/value of the Petaluma used book inventory. These are only two of the several metrics that we have shared with the Copperfield’s Books Petaluma Union which show why the Used Book Department has not been sustainable or profitable for years and why ownership made the decision to close the department.
Copperfield’s Books Petaluma further informed its staff, their labor union, and the public that Copperfield’s Books Petaluma would cease buying, trading or accepting any additional used book inventory to about July 21, 2025. To be clear, Copperfield’s Books Petaluma is no longer buying used books for cash, trade or store credit. Continuing to do so under the existing fiscal circumstances makes no sense to us. We will, however, continue to sell the existing inventory on hand between now and whenever the final date of the department closure.
On July 24 and 31, 2025 the Copperfield’s Books management team met formally with the IWW’s bargaining committee to discuss in good faith the impact and effects of the planned department closure. On July 24th, the Union mainly sought clarification about its many information requests. Copperfield’s Books Petaluma management had previously provided the Union with documentation showing the ongoing loss of sales and revenue both in the new and used books operation.
On July 31st the Copperfield’s Petaluma Union asked to further postpone the closure beyond the three (3) months of notice already given to the Union and Petaluma staff. During the meeting we let the Union’s committee know that Copperfield’s Books Petaluma management will be considering this and other options for the unsold used book inventory and fixtures ranging from a sale, donation, liquidation, or other type of gift to others in the Petaluma community who would seek to open a used bookstore in the vicinity.
We also discussed with the IWW team, that over seven (7) weeks since we made the announcement, Copperfield’s Books management and ownership have been attacked via e-mail and on social media by those who we think would otherwise be supporting Copperfield’s in the Petaluma community. We believe they are attempting to convince Copperfield’s Books Petaluma management and ownership to change course on the closure of the used book department, and unfortunately, some people are making attacks that are both deeply personal as well as unfounded. While those of us who have been targeted are upset and offended by the personal nature of the missives, we understand the impact of the loss of the used book department and the change to the footprint of the bookstore.
We want to respond directly to the Copperfield’s Petaluma Union bargaining team and the Petaluma community, that many of the communications are accusing Copperfield’s Books Petaluma management and ownership, that the decision to close the Used Book Department is an attempt to ‘bust’ the Union.
There is unequivocally no truth to this accusation.
The Copperfield’s Petaluma Books Union has been in existence for over two (2) years, and we have agreed on a labor contract that spans 2024 to 2027, that will be continued to be honored by both parties. Because of this legally binding contract, Copperfield’s Books Petaluma management and ownership asked the Union to consider issuing a joint press release to put the rumored union busting accusation to rest, but that request was denied by the Union. We feel this refusal is both unconscionable and disrespectful to the Petaluma community, who deserve to know the truth about the relationship that exists between management/ownership and the Union.
This same labor contract preserves Copperfield’s Books Petaluma management and ownership’s right to manage the business and make these difficult decisions in the interest of the sustainability of the Petaluma store, something that we can hopefully all agree on.
We will endeavor to keep you informed of developments in the process, as we did during the negotiation of our first collective bargaining agreement with IWW, concluded in 2024.
