HADLEY — Workers at the Hadley Barnes & Noble approved their first-ever union contract on Monday, capping off nearly two years of negotiating efforts with the national bookstore chain.

The Hadley location was the first Barnes and Noble bookstore in which workers voted to unionize, excluding the chain’s collegiate bookstores which are run by a separate subsidiary. Since then, several other store locations across the country have voted to unionize, with booksellers and baristas at the store’s New York City locations securing a contract in March.

Drew Weisse, an organizing director with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459 who was involved with the bargaining process, said that elements of the contract included regular wage increases, additional safety protections, an option for union-provided health care and minimum shift lengths for part-time employees. The Hadley Barnes & Noble employs around 20 staff who are included as part of the union as part of the UFCW.

“One of the biggest gains was the union health care,” Weisse said in an interview. “Before, they only had the company option, but now they are on the same plan as all the other members of our union are.”

Weisse also said around half of the store’s workers were on the bargaining committee, a high number compared to average contract negotiations.

“It’s a pretty good indicator that this is what people wanted,” Weisse said. “They were part of the process the entire time, they came to every single negotiation meeting and they voted to unionize unanimously.”

Lainie LaRhonde, a bookseller at the Hadley store and a bargaining committee member, said in a statement that going through the process of contract negotiation had been an invaluable learning experience.

“The least surprising thing was that my coworkers, fellow bargaining unit members and I have a stronger connection and commitment to each other than ever,” LaRonde said. “We began the process because we care about each other and we saw it through for the same reason.”

Workers at the Hadley location first voted to form a union in May 2023, preceded more than a month of employee-led pubic organizing activities, including a public reading of the employees’ letter to the company. Rallies continued at the store throughout the negotiating process, some featuring a large rat balloon named “Scabby” often seen at union protests.

Other than the Barnes & Noble, the Trader Joe’s also located in the Mountain Farms Mall area of Hadley are also unionized.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.