On Saturday, employees at both of Bookmans’ Tucson stores walked off the job in a one-day strike, protesting stalled union contract negotiations and what they describe as a climate of fear following abrupt layoffs and shifting workplace conditions.

The walkout came amid a growing labor movement reshaping Arizona’s independent bookstore scene.

In August, employees at Bookmans East filed a petition for representation with the National Labor Relations Board, granting them the right to organize and bargain collectively. The action came in response to several sudden layoffs of Bookmans employees.

Later that month, employees officially voted in favor of unionizing with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 99, which also represents workers at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson’s Southern Arizona Legal Aid office, and several grocery stores in town, including Fry’s and Safeway.

The move made Bookmans East the first unionized bookstore in the state, followed by the Flagstaff and River locations.

Employees are seeking better wages, greater job security and for ownership to take steps “to improve Bookmans for employees and the community,” according to an Instagram post by UFCW Local 99.

“This action was completely unexpected as negotiations are ongoing, and substantial progress has been made,” according to a statement from Bookmans. “In the vast majority of areas where the parties have not yet reached agreement, we have made concessions in a good faith effort to do so.”

The statement went on to say that Bookmans looks forward to “continuing to work with the union, negotiating in good faith and reaching a fair and sustainable agreement that will be in the best interests of our dedicated staff, loyal customers and Bookmans as a whole.”

But employees and union representatives disagreed with Bookmans’ take on the negotiations.

“We've been negotiating since January with Bookmans for our first union contract, and unfortunately, over the last few months, negotiations have just completely stalled,” said Eleanor Hill, who heads up the music department at Bookmans East and has worked at the store for three years.

She said she wants to continue her job at Bookmans, but with low wages, a shifting work culture and abrupt changes to the company, it’s become difficult to stay.

“Our entire marketing department was completely dissolved without notice. (It’s) the whole reason that the unionization started,” Hill said. “It became a real culture of fear. (Management wasn’t) giving us information when we tried to ask why things were happening, things became very hostile. That's just not the Bookmans that we've become used to.”

Saul Martinez, the union representative for Bookmans, said negotiations have been a struggle.

“We really haven't gotten anywhere with Bookmans,” Martinez said. “Our team has been working really hard trying to get a fair contract, and we don't believe that the company's pushing for that. We're hoping that this action will make sure to bring (Bookmans) back to the table and want to give the employees a fair contract. That's all that we want.”

UFCW has filed paperwork with the Federal Labor Relations Authority against Bookmans for what they say are unfair labor practices.

Anna, an employee at the Bookmans River location who has worked for the company for three years, said the layoffs affected people close to her.

“One of my best friends in my department was fired extremely unjustly … with no warning, no write-ups, nothing at all,” she said. “They can't fire us and dispose of us so easily. Without us, the company would not be running. The store would not run.”

At Bookmans’ River location, striking workers were met by community service officers from the Tucson Police Department and warned by management that they could face trespassing charges if they continued to protest in front of the store.

They moved their demonstration to the public sidewalk.

Joe Salter, who works at Bookmans River, echoed statements about the importance of line-level employees to the functioning of the store.

“We buy the items that come across the counter, we then clean them, get them ready for sale, and then we sell them ourselves. We are running the store,” they said. “I've been there almost two years. I've never gotten a raise. It's annoying to see our owners take vacations (as) we struggle to get vacation time.”

Community members also showed up to the strike to support the picket line.

“I'm here to support the Bookmans workers, who have historically for 40 years been some of the brightest, (most) well-educated, most courteous (employees),” said one woman, who asked to remain anonymous. “The only problem is they pay them (poor) wages, they always have. I've known people that have worked here that have given a year of minimum wage to Bookmans, asked for a raise and been blocked and denied.”

Homeward Books Collective, a worker-owned bookstore made up of former Bookmans employees, took to social media to express their support for the cause, posting a statement on Instagram.

“As former Bookmans employees, we stand in solidarity with our friends, family, and fellow booksellers as they walk out today to put pressure on the owner for a fair union contract, which has stalled in discussion for six months,” the statement said. “Everything we love about Bookmans is built by its workers. We support their decision to take action to fight for better staffing, vacation, and scheduling protections so they can continue to thrive at a job they love.”

Bookmans will be celebrating a milestone in 2026, with many of the striking workers saying they hope they’ll be around to help plan the festivities.

“We are all here because we want to keep working at Bookmans,” said Hill. “Next year is going to be the 50th anniversary of when Bookmans was created, and part of their core cornerstones are being vital parts of the community and fighting censorship. We hope that they don't see this as an indictment of their practices, but rather that they are continuing to be trailblazers and cornerstones in the book community, as they have been since 1976.”

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a freelance journalist out of Tucson. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

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