40 gather outside Primark store to demand retailer unionises
About 40 protesters gather outside Primark's Boston store yesterday to demand the retail unionise as part of the days activities led by United Food and Commerical Workers (UFCW) Local 1445. Campaign director for UFCW claimed that Primark employees wanted to join the protesters but had been intimidated by management. He said the Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a former labour leader is trying to set up a meeting between Primark and the union.  

BOSTON - About 40 protesters gathered outside the Primark store in Downtown Crossing on Tuesday, led by an organizer with UFCW Local 1445 who demanded the Irish retailer unionize.

"One, two, three four, this will be a union store," the protesters chanted as a lunchtime crowd walked by.

Fabricio DaSilva, strategic campaign director for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445, said Primark employees wanted to join the protesters. "They're afraid to come out," he said, claiming managers have been "intimidating" employees.

The store, Primark's first in the United States, opened in September. Known for its "fast fashion," or cheap clothing, Primark employs about 500 people at that location.

"They're union in Ireland," DaSilva said.

According to DaSilva, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a former labor leader who attended the opening of the store in September, has sought to set up a meeting between Primark and the union.

But a spokeswoman for Walsh's office said that while the mayor supports efforts by workers to unionize under federal and state laws, "he has not reached out to arrange a meeting."

If a meeting between the union and Primark doesn't happen, DaSilva said, the UFCW Local 1445 will file a petition for a union election, saying they have enough support to unionize.

A store manager directed inquiries about the protest to a spokesperson, who declined to be named.

"Primark respects the fact that the decision on whether or not to join a union collectively belongs to our employees, and, at no time, have employees been discouraged from union interaction," the spokesperson said in an email. "Employees were free to join this demonstration and the resulting level of participation indicates a lack of employee interest in this union's message and tactics."

The spokesperson added: "With approximately 60,000 employees in nine countries, where some are represented by unions and others are not, Primark stands by its commitment to support the decision of employees regarding unionization."

The union protest was part of a nationwide effort among fast-food cooks and cashiers who planned walkouts in 270 cities. Workers are pushing for a $15-an-hour wage and the right to unionize.

Protesters started the day at 6 a.m. at a McDonald's in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. A rally at Faneuil Hall and a march to the Massachusetts State House are also planned.

The minimum wage in Massachusetts rose to $9 an hour in January, from $8. Next year, the minimum wage is expected to increase to $10. In January 2017, the minimum wage is expected to hit $11.

The Primark protest, which lasted about 15 minutes, did not appear to deter customers from heading inside. At 12:30 p.m., the line for the registers was 20-people deep on the first floor.

This post was updated at 6:13 p.m. with comments from spokespeople from Mayor Walsh's office and Primark.