Bass Wyden is the daughter of Fred Bass, the man who inherited the business when it was a small used-book store run by his father and made it into an iconic Manhattan brand. Fred Bass died at his Manhattan home in January He was 89 years old. The impassioned appeal by Bass Wyden for assistance from shoppers appeared to work as several high-profile Twitter users like comedians Patton Oswalt and Jim Gaffigan spread the word. Others on Twitter pledged to shop at the store, whose web site reportedly crashed due to the high volume of well-wishers eager to keep Strand alive.
Others on Twitter were not as sympathetic to Bass Wyden, who was accused of 'hating the store's union'. Macie Colleen noted that Bass Wyden owns the building where the store is located and 'doesn't support bookstore unions'.
Another Twitter user noted that Bass Wyden could have kept paying her employees with the money she used to buy Amazon stock. Others on Twitter noted Bass Wyden's considerable wealth as well as her decision to lay off employees even though she received PPP loans from the government.
Liz Denys tweeted: 'As a reminder, The Strand's owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, is very rich, owns The Strand's building, and has invested millions of her own dollars into her personal stock portfolio to during the pandemic while letting employees struggle'. Thank you so much for all the support!!! Writers and authors asked their Twitter followers to pitch in and help.
Strand Book Store has some 18 miles of 2. Its Union Square location is seen in the above file photo. But others on Twitter noted Bass Wyden's considerable wealth as well as her decision to lay off employees even though she received PPP loans from the government.
Liz Denys tweeted: 'As a reminder, The Strand's owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, is very rich, owns The Strand's building, and has invested millions of her own dollars into her personal stock portfolio to during the pandemic while letting employees struggle. Josephine Stewart tweeted: 'The Strand used to be one of my very favorite places in NYC, but the owner's behavior has really soured me on it. Another Twitter user commented: 'Don't fall for this.
A Twitter user who goes by the name 'Merritt K' tweeted: 'Non-New Yorkers losing their minds over the Strand news: you should know that the owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, owns the building, has bought Amazon stock, and hates the store's union. Marcie Colleen noted: 'The owner has stock in Amazon, doesn't support bookstore unions, owns the building. It's just as bad. She added: 'Lotsa info out there about how the employees are all broke while the company is run by a millionaire.
So I feel conflicted over this plea for help. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. In the same statement, Bass Wyden also added that thanks to the public support following her open letter, the Strand has been able to start hiring people again.
Though Guzy says the Strand employees now have protective equipment, there have been some lingering issues, including enforcing customer mask-wearing and the occupancy limit of customers. Several former employees also took to social media to share their past experiences at the store, including Rivka, who requested to be referred to only by her first name.
Despite the issues with Bass Wyden and management, Guzy, Rivka, and the former bookseller hope the Strand survives the pandemic and changes for the better in terms of placing more value on their employees. Culture writer. You can find me morganpryorr. Sign in. Morgan Pryor Follow. In late October, the Strand posted a cry for help on Twitter, signed by owner Nancy Bass Wyden, encouraging people to "save the Strand. However, the rush also exacerbated the "chaos" that some employees say had been experiencing throughout the pandemic, due to Bass Wyden's alleged micromanagement of the store.
Business Insider spoke with eight current and former employees who detailed the poor morale unfolding in one of NYC's institutions — and a beacon for independent bookstores. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Get a daily selection of our top stories based on your reading preferences. Loading Something is loading.
Email address. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Employee backlash Teaser. Luc Sante worked there. Patti Smith too, for a hot minute. She found it unfriendly. Strand employees are expected to have opinions. The staffer groaned. Pretentious, sure, sometimes, but these are people who take pride in what they read and in what they recommend.
The job came with its own set of problems, like working long hours in a creaky, quirky old building rife with creaky, quirky old building problems, and the usual conflicts between workers and the boss.
Still, employees say the actual work of bookselling, and the community around the store, mostly outweighed the bad. That precarious balance came undone last year as the pandemic ravaged the retail industry.
When the state closed all nonessential businesses in late March , a week after the Strand had shuttered its doors as a precaution, Robyn Smith and of her colleagues were laid off. The store remained in hibernation until the end of June, when management brought back a skeleton crew. Since then the Strand and its unionized workers have been locked in a struggle over money, priorities, and safety. Employees have accused their boss of flouting COVID safety precautions and taking a PPP loan meant to help people keep their jobs without rehiring enough people or explaining where the money went.
Last July, the union filed a grievance, saying managers were doing union work. This week, a spokesperson told Vulture that the store has taken all the necessary precautions for COVID safety and been responsive to employee feedback.
So until in-store sales bounce back, this is the best we can do.
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