Washington DC – The nation's capital officially has its first unionized bookstore!

Workers at Politics and Prose, a beloved independent bookstore in Washington DC, are now represented by the UFCW Local 400 union, they announced on Monday.

The store, which regularly brings in some of the world's most acclaimed writers and public figures for author talks, has three locations and over 100 employees.

Workers are aiming for salary increases, standardized pay scales, improved scheduling to address understaffing issues, better health and safety protocols, and diversity and inclusion trainings, organizing committee representatives told NPR.

After gathering signatures from around 70% of eligible employees, they approached the store owners, Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine, asking them to recognize the union.

But Graham and Muscatine said they would not do so without a formal election process through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The store then sought legal representation from Jones Day, a law firm DCist said is "known for its aggressive anti-union tactics."

But Graham and Muscatine later changed their tune and voluntarily recognized the union, stating, "As stewards of a local, independent business with a 37-year legacy of progressive management and mission, we’ve valued collaborating with employees to solve problems and address needs, and we look forward to working with the union in the same spirit."

The Politics and Prose organizing committee said, "We are proud to join the growing movement of booksellers and baristas across the country who have unionized their workplaces. Forming our union has not only served as an affirmation of our shared values within the Politics and Prose community, it will also strengthen our workplace and ensure the long-term success of our beloved community hub."

"We look forward to negotiating our first contract and welcoming more bookstore workers in DC and beyond into our union family," they added.