A New York organization has partnered with employees of B&H Photo to protest an upcoming move that may mean hundreds of employees losing their jobs. Not only does B&H have a history of complaints about worker treatment, the planned move of some warehouses from New York to New Jersey may violate labor laws.
In November, roughly 80 percent of the employees voted in favor of creating a union, which many see as the motivation for the announced move to New Jersey. The company has also come under fire for its treatment of workers as recently as February, 2016, when it faced accusations and punishment from two separate government agencies. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined the company for several labor violations in its warehouses, while the Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against it only a week later for “discriminatory practices” against its primarily Hispanic warehouse workforce.
In the face of mounting pressures to change course and treat its employees more fairly, some believe it appears that the company is instead trying to skirt the issue entirely and move their warehouses to New Jersey instead. It remains to be seen what legal challenges they may face in doing so. In the meantime, the New York City Democratic Socialists have partnered with employees to protest the move and the mistreatment of them.
If you believe that your employer is not treating employees fairly, or suspect that some actions by the employer are discriminatory, you should not hesitate to seek out professional guidance from an attorney who can help you use the strength of the law to fight for justice for yourself and others.
Source: Hyperallergic.com, “Protesters Call for Boycott of B&H Photo After Company Ignores Workers’ Demands,” July 18, 2017
