Protest at Goldman Sachs defends Stella D’Oro workers

As we go to press, an email from the Stella D’Oro support committee reports that Lance Inc. has withdrawn its offer to buy the company.

Solidarity got the workers at the Stella D’oro bakery in the Bronx, N.Y., through a 325-day strike to protect and maintain their contract. Solidarity is still needed as these mainly immigrant workers face other maneuvers by the bosses to break their union and deny their right to their jobs.

WW photo: Sara Catalinotto

Brynwood Partners, Stella D’Oro’s current owner, is said to be negotiating with North Carolina-based Lance Inc. for the sale of the Stella D’Oro brand name—but not the factory. If such a sale goes through, 135 union jobs will be lost.

Members and supporters of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers Local 50 are trying various tactics, including a petition to the National Labor Relations Board judge requesting an injunction (see WW, July 30) and rallies targeting Lance’s investors, who can call off the sale or demand that the factory stay put.

A rally on July 22 at bailed-out investment firm Goldman Sachs brought out a diverse sampling of class-conscious New Yorkers on a hot workday afternoon. Among these were a delegation of apprentice electricians and their teacher from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3. One woman told Workers World, “This was announced in our class and we came right down.” From 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., up to 70 protestors chanted “Justice for the Stella D’Oro workers” and “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” Another rally was announced for July 28 at 11 a.m. at Barclays Bank headquarters.

The next day, instead of covering the rally, the New York Daily News carried excerpts from a press statement put out by Brynwood’s public relations firm, which tries to blame the union itself for the workers’ troubles. A part of the statement that was not quoted reads: “The Union’s pay scale at Stella D’Oro is completely out of sync with the Bronx community and today’s economic reality. Total wage costs being paid by Stella D’oro to its Union workers were and still are far higher than competitive labor costs of businesses in the surrounding area.” In other words, “If everyone around you is broke because of racist super-exploitation, then you should be broke too.”

Given this situation, many are learning that even though Stella D’Oro workers have invested years into making quality cookies, the capitalists want to pay crumbs. The struggle continues, and must grow. Please check www.bctgm.org and www.stelladorostrike2008.com for updates.