After winning a contract struggle with their bosses following a nearly year-long strike, the workers of Stella D’Oro bakery in Bronx are being cheated out of their victory. In a retaliatory move, the company is now threatening to close the factory within 90 days.
On August 14, 2008, 135 workers, mostly immigrants, had walked off the job because the owners, Brynwood Partners, insisted that they accept drastic takebacks. The company demanded that workers accept a 20 percent pay cut, elimination of sick days and overtime pay, and increased employee health care contributions.
Not a single union worker accepted the company’s offer.
Mike Filippou, a maintenance mechanic and strike leader, explained “They wanted to take us back to the dark ages. … We told them, we weren’t going there.” When the workers demanded to return to work under the old contract, the company refused and fired them.
The National Labor Relations Board found that the Stella D’Oro engaged in unfair labor practices. The company has been forced to allow the union to inspect financial statements and the workers were ordered reinstated under the old contract, with backpay. The company’s threat to close down the factory is a punitive measure—and may also be against the law.
“You can’t keep companies in business if they don’t want to be in business,” said Louis Nikolaidis, the attorney for the workers. “But they’re not allowed to move production to avoid a union. That’s called a runaway shop and that is illegal and the union is pursuing that and we will pursue that before the board.” (Democracy Now, July 9)
