Posted on 07/06/2009 5:45:28 PM PDT by reaganaut1
Last week, a federal judge ordered Stella D’oro to reinstate 134 workers after a protracted 10-month strike. This week, the company invited the workers back. It also announced that it would close the factory in October.
The decision to close Stella D’oro’s only factory, which is based in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, was made by Brynwood Partners, the private equity company based in Greenwich, Conn., which bought the company in 2006.
“The decision to close the Bronx bakery operations has not been made in haste or without significant planning,” a statement from the management said. Operations will be moved elsewhere and the products would continue, the statement said.
The workers had gone on strike on strike last Aug. 14, two weeks after their contract had expired. The owners maintained that the hourly wages of $18 to $22 an hour and nine weeks of paid leave made the factory unprofitable. It demanded significant reductions in wages and benefits in order to move the factory to profitability.
Last week, an administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington found that the company had improperly refused to bargain with the union by declining to provide the union with a copy of its 2007 audited financial statement.
The union representing the workers — Local 50 of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers — was alerted by a letter from Daniel J. Myers, Stella D’oro’s chief operating officer under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, also know as the WARN Act, which requires that mass layoffs have at least 60 days notice.
Under the legislation, the workers might be eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits, job retraining, and re-employment services.
(Excerpt) Read more at cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com ...
The arrogant labor union bosses claim another victim and in so doing shoot themselves in the foot.
I am happy that the company is free of the vermin. The union will undoubtedly sue the company over phony grievances. If card check becomes law, this pattern will be magnified many times.
“nine weeks of paid leave”
holy crap! plus holidays? Including holidays?
Now I say it loudly.
They are no longer unions.
They are communionists.
Guess I'll have to bake my own.
Wow. Over two months of paid leave. I need to start thinking about becoming a non-skilled factory worker.
Another case of union leaches killing their host. Good on the company for packing up and moving to a more business friendly environment.
“The owners maintained that the hourly wages of $18 to $22 an hour and nine weeks of paid leave made the factory unprofitable.”
Wow! That’s some dough!
If I owned that place, for starters, I wouldn’t have gone union, but anyway, I’d close the doors and start all over again.
GM can do it. Hells Bells! They’re selling everything from the doormats to the corporate chairs to the sheet metal screws to a ‘new’ company called ‘General Motors!’
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Husband and I both have small businesses on the side and we will never, EVER hire anyone other than our son to help us out with big contracts.
I’m sorry, America. I can’t employ you under these draconian conditions. (Good Luck and thanks for all the fish!)
“refused to bargain with the union by declining to provide the union with a copy of its 2007 audited financial statement”
Kidding right? For that single reason I would close the factory and Burn it!
New York is not a right to work state I don’t think.
It’s a shame.....
They struck it shut, and now they can watch their place of employment rot.
Obama has sold the Unions the rope with which they will hang...............
And what a bummer. Where am I going to get those goodies at that price? No one else makes those little almond puffs. No justice, no biscotti. The struck themselves out of employment.
Ya think??!!??
I am trying to unravel this. Two weeks vacation plus one week sick leave (the standard for the rest of us) leaves...
Ummmm... 6 entire weeks unaccounted for. That's almost as good as teachers.
$18 an hour to start? Where do I sign up?
Good for you. Can we meet at the restaurant?
No need.to worry those 134 workers will have “shovel ready” jobs waiting for them when they shut their workers paridise down
You bet its not.
I'm an economic refugee from New York City and its State and City Income Tax.
Florida is a "Right to Work State", you can't be forced by State law to pay union dues to some mobbed up union boss in order to work.
If you like handing over your hard earned money to the Mafia, union bosses, and Democrats, you'll love the Northeast!
Never stop despising Democrat worms.
Socialists and hippies suck.
Those soft little sponge cookies were the greatest with coffee.
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