According to wsws.org, Stella D'oro employees are still on strike and without contracts over at their cookie factory in Kingsbridge at 237th Street and Broadway. The workers have been striking since August 13th, 2008 when the owners walked out on negotiations. Brynwood Partners, which bought Stella D'oro in 2006, is demanding that many employees give up $1-an-hour pay each year of a five year contract. Think that sounds unreasonable? Brynwood also wants to yank paid sick days, paid holidays, and overtime pay.
Brynwood claims that while some employees would see pay cuts, others would see no change and some would even get raises. But the proposed contracts leave a bad taste in the mouths of all the cookie-makers, who claim that they won't be able to support their families if such a contract goes through.
BoogieDowner's Take: This is an absolute disgrace and makes BoogieDowner wants to toss their cookies (ha!). From reading several articles on the inter-web, it seems like many of the Stella D'oro employees have been with the company for a long time and take pride in what they do. Unfortunately it's the nature of the beast that most companies need to increase employee contributions to health care each year... it's happened at every job we've ever been at, and we're sure it will continue to happen. But how in the world can you expect to decrease employees' paychecks as the cost of living in NYC continues to climb up and up to extraordinary heights and expect them to be able to survive (never mind provide for their families, work towards owning a home, save for a rainy day, send their kids to college... you know, all that great "American Dream"-type stuff that our politicians are always talking about).
If you'd like to read more on this, click here to check out Katie Bindley's article from about a month ago in the New York Times.
Your thoughts on this issue? Anyone have any friends/relatives who work over at Stella D'oro?
Update: For more on the Stella D'oro strike, click here and here to see the Riverdale Press' coverage in their current issue.
*Photo courtesy of Librado Romero/The New York Times*
~ErLu
3 comments:
These strikers should be put in jail.. They forget to tell the press what they did before they went on strike, Broke the machines, cut belts on the assembly lines. Broke all the computers on the bakerey ovens. stole parts that are needed to make cookies. I dont blame Stella Doro for not wanted them back. I would have them locked up if were up to me!!!!!
My 75 year old mother who needs to follow a strick low sodium diet has relied on and enjoyed the Stello D'Oro sodium free breadsticks for many, many years. And now because of the strike they are not in stock at any of the stores. I think she said the strike has ended. If so, I hope the strikers got a good contract. These are human beings with families. Stella D'Oro people, treat them as such!
Sounds like the first comment was made by the new management! The strike is still on and the NW Bronx for Change group is holding there first rally against purchasing Stella cookies at 11 am, Saturday, February 28th, in front of the Broadway Stop and Shop, near W. 236 St. Come and join us in stopping private equity firms in pushing this country into a deeper recession.
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