Inside the Labour Struggle at Massy Books

After opening her bookstore eight years ago, Patricia Massy quickly became a star in the Vancouver arts scene.

Massy Books has become a much-loved store, showcasing Indigenous, feminist and progressive books. While it was active, Massy’s associated art space offered about 140 community events a year.

Publicly, Massy has made a commitment to fair treatment of employees and support for progressive causes. In 2022, it became the first B.C. bookstore to become a living-wage employer.

But a contentious union drive, the departure of almost all the staff seeking a first contract and fierce criticism from some former employees have embroiled Massy Books in controversy for almost a year.

In September 2024, a majority of about a dozen employees at the Vancouver bookstore voted to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local B-778. The local is focused on arts and culture workers.

But nearly a year later, there is still no collective agreement.

One unofficial Instagram account called “Massy Union” accuses bookstore owner Patricia Massy of “union-busting.”

Massy says that while she is ready to negotiate, actions by former employees amount to harassment and a “smear campaign.”

“It's been very challenging the last year to run the business by myself, but also having to deal with constant harassment online,” Massy said.

From former employees, calls for a bookstore boycott

The Tyee spoke to Alex and Clara, two former employees of Massy Books who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. They called for a boycott of the bookstore until the union and employer are back at the table.

“I loved my job, and that’s part of what pushed me to unionize. I wanted to protect not just my job, but the jobs of all my coworkers,” said Clara. “This is a last-ditch effort to get back to the bargaining table.”

Alex said he enjoyed his work at Massy Books. But he said he wanted a union to be an intermediary between employees and management and bring more structured human resources and conflict resolution processes.

“We wanted to solidify what we already had,” he said. “Having a union would mean we actually have the structure to have a much more healthy work environment, and balance the powers within an employer-employee dynamic.”

Clara, meanwhile, said she thought unionizing was in line with the store’s progressive values.

“It just felt like this would have been the right path for us, considering what the store kind of represented,” she said. “Obviously, the feeling wasn’t mutual.”

The latest escalation highlights the soured relationship between the small employer and the union.

The Tyee asked the union a number of questions, but it declined to respond. It did confirm Alex and Clara were former employees of Massy Books.

The Massy Union Instagram account includes Arts and Cultural Workers’ Union, IATSE Local B778, in its description, but the union says it is not affiliated with the account. Alex and Clara said they were not associated with the account, but confirmed it was run by former employees.*

Employees of Massy Books and the associated arts nonprofit, Massy Arts Society, unionized on Sept. 16, 2024, certification documents show. At the time, the union confirmed there were 12 employees.

That October, a former employee posted on the Massy Union Instagram page that the bookstore had unionized. In a second post a day later, the account claimed employees were being mistreated, without providing specifics.

The conflict escalated when Massy posted on X that she planned to hire a lawyer after a meeting with the union.

“They had a lawyer and four union reps on their side of the table, and I had nobody,” Massy said. “I deserve legal representation and I deserve to know what my rights are.”

But while a handful of social media posts criticized her decision to hire a lawyer, former employee Clara said that wasn’t the issue.

“She sought out a lawyer, which is absolutely her right to do,” Clara said. “It is a legal process, so having legal guidance is a smart move.”

Alex and Clara said they were disappointed that the relationship between the union and Massy soured and blamed the owner.

“We really hoped that this would be a healthy process for everybody,” Clara said.

They said they were frustrated that while the union set a date to bargain a first collective agreement at the start of this year, bargaining was delayed a number of times.*

Massy said she delayed bargaining the first time because of a medical emergency, and the second time because she did not feel safe amid the high labour tensions.

“It was because of this escalation and violence and harassment,” she said. “I requested the union to assist in de-escalating, when we came together to talk about whatever issues there were, so we could bargain in good faith, and the union said ‘No, we’re not telling staff what to do.’”

Massy added that the business stopped being a living-wage employer last year because she wanted to leave wage negotiations to bargaining.

Massy Arts Society was closed by the end of the year. According to Massy, the closure was planned for financial reasons before unionization.

By January, there were only three staff left at Massy Books, after some were laid off and some quit.

Massy said she laid off the two of the remaining staff in February for financial reasons. The final employee quit in March.

Rising tensions

By April, Massy was running the bookstore alone. She postponed bargaining again in August because she had no employees, but the union remained the bargaining agent for the bookstore.

By then, Alex and Clara were no longer employees or members of the bargaining unit.

Still, Alex and Clara called for a boycott of the store until the bookstore negotiated a collective agreement.

“What we’ve been doing since has basically been trying to get to the bargaining table,” Alex said. “This suggests that the employer is not intending to bargain in good faith and does not want to come to the table.”

The Instagram account also called for a boycott of the store.

Clara added some former employees were concerned any new employees of the bookstore could vote to decertify.

The BC Labour Relations Code includes provisions to encourage the parties to agree a contract. The union and employer have to meet and bargain within 10 days of one giving the other notice to start and are required to make “every reasonable effort to conclude an agreement.”

Either side can call for a mediator or cry foul on the other side’s tactics. And in the case of a first collective agreement, the Labour Relations Board can impose a contract if the parties can reach an agreement.

But the IATSE local has not yet filed a complaint that Massy was failing to bargain in good faith and reducing staff.

On Sept. 19, the Massy Union Instagram page said an unfair labour practices complaint had been filed with the BC Labour Relations Board.

“The workers filed the ULP,” the post said. “This option was discussed with the union rep many times over the last year but bargaining was always prioritized.”

Massy confirmed a former employee filed a complaint at the labour board. The union confirmed the employee has filed the complaint as an individual — not backed by the union.

In September, the Massy Union Instagram page also called for a boycott of the store.

And tension peaked when a former worker went to the bookstore to protest.

The next day, on Sept. 16, the bookstore posted a picture of the Massy Books storefront splattered in black paint on its Instagram account.

Massy links the incident with the Massy Union page’s online campaign.

“We’re at a point where it’s escalated so much that now I'm facing vandalism, which is an escalated form of violence,” she said. “I don’t feel safe.”

‘I just want to go back to work’

Massy said the conflict has cost the business about $300,000 in lost sales over the past year.

The whole process highlights how B.C.’s labour relations system can destabilize small businesses, she said.

Massy, who is Nêhiyaw and Métis, said the backlash may have been worse because of her identity.

“It happens very often to Indigenous women,” said Massy. “They’re targets, and nobody does anything about it.”

But Alex and Clara maintained the concern was with Massy as an employer.

Clara said she hoped the bookstore could get a collective agreement and would be happy to return to work at Massy Books.

“We’re tired and I just want to go back to work,” she said. “I want to go sell books.”

Massy said that she re-hired one employee and hired two new employees last month. She added she hired two lawyers and a negotiator to help her write an offer “rooted with Indigenous worldviews” and is ready to get back to the bargaining table.

“Hopefully we will become unionized quickly and we’ll negotiate a contract,” Massy said. “I am taking this seriously.”

* Story updated on Nov. 20 at 7:27 p.m. to include information received after publication.