By Liisa Luick / For The Herald
During the pandemic we all rooted for our essential health care workers, but how often do you hear about essential retail workers?
I’ve worked at Macy’s for more than 15 years. I really like my co-workers and our customers, but management is making it harder and harder. Our pay is far from keeping up with the high cost of living. On pay day, I have to pick which bill gets paid that month. In our employee coat room we made a little food bank for co-workers. It’s appalling.
Stores like Macy’s depend on knowledgeable, experienced, hard-working people who provide customer service. We are the key to keeping our companies in business. Regardless covid outbreaks or the weather, retail workers can’t work remotely. Low pay, erratic schedules, chronic short staffing and threats to our safety are part of the job. Yet still, we show up for our shifts, are often required to work overtime and cover for others when we are short-staffed.
Retail theft is a big issue everywhere, but Macy’s isn’t doing enough to address shoplifting and safety threats to workers and our customers. We aren’t getting the support we need to feel safe at work. I’ve been left alone trying to manage crowds of customers for long hours without a break.
The employees in my store also frequently observe shoplifting and even occasional violence. I was suspended for nearly three weeks without pay for calling 911 after asking for help dealing with a repeat shoplifter that even law enforcement was familiar with. Because of this experience, my coworkers and I are fearful that management will retaliate against us if we file complaints about these unsafe conditions. Now staff are afraid to call the police because we worry we’ll get in trouble or even lose our jobs. The lack of security affects our customers too.
According to national employment data, retail workers are still paid far less than the median wage for U.S. workers. With high inflation over the last few years, and the increased cost of living in Washington state, we are struggling to afford food, rent, gas and other necessities for our families. Meanwhile, Macy’s paid their CEO $11 million in the last fiscal year alone. Macy’s corporation had profits of $1.43 billion and $1.17 billion in the last two years; more than even before the pandemic.
The approach of the holiday shopping season is the perfect time to stand in solidarity with retail workers, and show respect for the essential role we play in making our local communities good places to live.
Retail workers, like all workers, want to feel safe at work and we deserve better pay. It’s high time Macy’s — and all corporate retail companies — put their people, not their profit, first.
Liisa Luick works at Macy’s Alderwood and lives in Everett.
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