Building solidarity at Stella D’oro

Wet snow flurries greeted a seasoned band of heroic Stella D’oro production workers who stood shoulder to shoulder with their community supporters on the picket line. They were in front of the Bronx plant gate at 237th Street in the shadow of the Broadway elevated local train.

Hand painted signs hanging high on a chain link fence called for a boycott of Stella D’oro cookies. Workers held umbrellas and placards reading “On strike” and signed by Local 50 Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers.

Elevated trains rumbling overhead periodically drowned out speeches and chants but not the solidarity of the workers who on Jan. 10 were beginning their fifth month outside the gates. Chants of “Boycott Stella!” and “No contract, no cookies!” warmed up the picket line.

WW photo: Lal Roohk

Community supporters carried posters demanding “Boycott Stella D’oro products made by scabs.” They distributed boycott leaflets calling for a solidarity march on Jan. 31.

No Stella D’oro worker has joined the scab crew hired by Brynwood Partners. The Connecticut-based private equity vulture bought Stella D’oro from Kraft in 2006. Brynwood imposed extremely degrading demands, and then walked out of contract negotiations last Aug. 13, provoking the strike.

The Brynwood bosses want to establish a multitier work force by freezing the wages of some workers and cutting wages of many Latina women employees who have less specialized training, by 25 percent, while raising wages for a few workers with special training. Brynwood plans to viciously slash benefits, including holidays and sick days, replace a guaranteed union pension with risky individual 401K plans, and increase employee contributions to health insurance.

Strikers told Workers World that the Brynwood Partners’ bosses are expert at union busting but know nothing about cookies. Brynwood is unable to hire scabs from the Kingsbridge community in the Bronx because people in the community identify with the mostly Latina workers on strike.

Many of the 135 workers have labored 15 to 30 years at the factory, investing their very lives in Stella D’oro. Workers chanted, “We are Stella!” as they marched to the Stop & Shop mall at 240th Street and Broadway, where community supporters went inside to hand out boycott leaflets.

Republic Windows & Doors workers in Chicago, who had occupied their factory in December, sent a message of solidarity. Struggle had taught them that Stella D’oro workers are making a great contribution to the labor movement by standing up to bosses who intend to squeeze the working class to raise profit margins.

Bronx Councilman Tony Avela pledged to ask fellow City Council members to sign a letter of protest to Brynwood Partners in support of the Stella D’oro workers. Avela thanked strikers for “standing up not only for your rights, but for workers’ rights.”

Charles Jenkins of Local 10 Transport Workers Union said, “We know that it’s hard and we want to be able to galvanize more support. It’s important for workers to hear your story.”

Teresa Gutierrez of the May 1st Coalition joined the picket line and marched with the workers to Shop & Save, where boycott leaflets were distributed. Judy Gonzalez and Eddie “Chungo” Molina of the Committee in Support of the Stella D’oro Workers handed out leaflets. Judy urged the store manager to remove Stella D’oro cookies from his shelves.

Gonzalez read a letter from the committee that said that business had been booming for Brynwood Partners. “Workers should be sharing in the growing revenues,” not standing in the cold through the holiday season. Gonzalez and supporters will leaflet customers outside other Kingsbridge stores to encourage them to join the boycott and demand that store managers remove Stella D’oro cookies from their shelves.

Committee members are expanding the boycott into Manhattan. To help build the boycott, see the Web site www.stelladorostrike2008.com for contact information.

A march down Broadway will be held Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. Take the 1 train to 238th and Broadway.