Staff at a Build-A-Bear location in St. Louis—where the interactive toy store is headquartered—have
unanimously signed union authorization cards to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655.
The bargaining unit would cover assistant workshop managers, sales leads and bear builders, who all play a critical role in delivering joy and magic to customers. Workers have requested voluntary recognition of UFCW as their representative and are ready to Build-A-Contract that compensates them fairly for their contributions.
“These workers are the first in the country to make the choice to unionize for better pay, better safety, better communication and a chance to make a career,” UFCW Local 655 President Laura Kelley said. “The employees want to Build-A-Bearable workplace by building a union with UFCW Local 655.”
AFL-CIO Daily Brief