A Flagship Strike?

(NEW YORK) Bloomingdale's is in negotiations with its union today to prevent the possibility of a strike after workers authorized a walkout of the retailer's flagship 59th Street store. Should the strike occur, it would mark the first shutdown of the iconic store in more than four decades.

Reached for comment, Carolyn Daly, a spokeswoman for the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union Local 3, said that talks continued to be ongoing, but expects that the roughly 2,000 workers affected will stage a walkout if no mutual agreement is reached prior to the expiration of the contract on April 30 at 6 p.m.

"Bloomingdale's and Local 3 have a long history of resolving difficult issues that inevitably arise between them," said Bloomingdale's spokesman David Ender. "Both sides are very experienced in these types of negotiations. We have every reason to believe that we will reach a fair agreement." Ender added that "the tenor and tone of the negotiations have been mutually respectful."

Daly indicated that the two parties had been in talks since February 14. "The union and management are split over health care coverage and raises," she said. "Negotiations began in February, and the contract was extended until Thursday." On Tuesday, a rally by union members was staged outside the store vocalizing the call for a wage increase and protection of health care benefits.

At present time, no date has been set for a walkout.