Labor News: Stella D'Oro Strike

After nine months on strike against vicious concessions, BCTGM Local 50 and the 136 strikers at Stella D'Oro have had enough -- and on Monday are taking the fight directly to Stella D'Oro's owners, the private equity firm Brynwood Partners, in Greenwich, Connecticut!

We'll be leaving on buses from the picket line at 237th Street and Broadway promptly at 10AM. This is a full day excursion to leaflet, demonstrate, and otherwise make a scene and pressure Brynwood Partners to settle the strike now. We will be returning in the afternoon. All are welcome; please join us!

In order to determine how many buses we'll need, we are collecting names and phone numbers of those supporters who think they might want to come with us. If you are interested in joining us on Monday, May 11, to bring the fight to the boss in Greenwich, please e-mail me your name and number at micah.landau@gmail.com as soon as possible. You can also reserve seats for friends or for your organization -- but please try your best to fill them.

Depending on costs, the union may ask supporters to make a donation to defray the costs of the trip -- but bus seats are free, courtesy of Local 50, for the time being.




I hope to see many of you there. Please feel free to call me at 917 572 8684 with any questions you may have -- and remember to forward this e-mail widely!

See you on the bus!

For those who have not heard about the strike:

The 136 workers at biscuit- and cookie-producer Stella D'Oro have been on strike since August 13, 2008. Now, almost nine months later, they are still going strong -- to this day not a single striker has crossed the union's picket line.

Strikers walked off the job in August in response to draconian concessions demanded by the company's owner, Connecticut-based private equity firm Brynwood Partners. Brynwood has refused to negotiate in good faith and is demanding enormous concessions from the workers in an attempt to break their union. Concessions demanded by the company include:

- a 25 percent reduction in wages from $18 to $13 per hour;
- elimination of Saturday overtime;
- a new 20 percent employee contribution to health care; and
- elimination of four holidays, one week of vacation, and all 12 paid sick days workers currently receive.

We are fighting back, but we need your help! Tell your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and union brothers and sisters: Get on the bus! Support the Stella D'Oro strikers!

Learn more about the strike here: http://www.indypendent.org/2009/03/20/bronx-bakery-battle/

Join the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=80190033122&ref=mf

Look for me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Buddhagem

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Stella D'Oro
• Bakery
• Strike
• BCTGM Local 50
• Unions
• Union
• Labor
• Bronx
• May 11
• Action

[TheAngryCanuck]

$18 for unskilled manual labor is too much and is part of the problem. Many from our Universitites aren't getting that much let alone finding jobs.

Please explain why they have a 'right' or 'deserve' $18 an hour.

It's never a positive to have a gang get together and price fix their wages because if enough people do it, it will mess up the country.

[buddhagem]

I seriously wonder if you could think your way out of a wet paper bag. The funny thing is you don't even have a clue as to how ignorant you are and how little you know about the world around you. Ignorance must be bliss, because you look pretty happy. Don't you have some Mexicans to hate?

[wizkid2000]

So now you are a racist if you ask a question? I'm Mexican, please explain to me, why workers are owed a specific salary?

And if you were in charge, what would you do? put guns to there heads to make them comply with your wishes?

[buddhagem]

Wiz: You may not be familiar with the AngryCanuck but he regularly makes videos complaining about "Mexicans" and "immigrants" and that is what the comment was directed at.

As to your question, I address it in numerous other videos. I want to abolish the wage system; that's been a goal of American labor for a long time. In the meantime we push to get wages as close to their actual value as possible.

No violence is necessary, really. In this case, good consumer education has went a long way.

[soulja4lyfe]

its not about profit, its about exploitation and thats what the cookie company is doing or trying to do.

[olimpiot]

Me and all my friends at the strike line of Stella D'Oro,Thank You for posting this Video.We are proud to have a "FRIEND" like you on the outside.Many many thanks!!WE GOING TO WIN!!!

[7jerryv7]

How did the strike go? Is it still going?

[wizkid2000]

The work contract is a simple one between employee and employer... each is free to enter it and each is free to leave it.... if both sides don't have this freedom then what you have is slavery.

[LIProgressiveNews]

Simple. Hard working people deserve to get paid for their work!

[wizkid2000]

Very intelligent comment. Could you be resorting to calling me fat because your clueless on how to answer my questions.

[wizkid2000]

Of course it about money, that's what there dispute is about. How are they being exploited? Why are the own a particular salary?

[olimpiot]

thank you for your support  and spreading the word