Workers at a prominent New York City bakery chain have launched a significant unionisation drive, levelling serious allegations against their employer concerning pay, working conditions, and its involvement with Israeli fundraising efforts.
Union Demands and Allegations of Political Pressure
The newly formed union, named Breaking Breads, claims that management at Breads Bakery has consistently "underpaid, undervalued, disrespected, discriminated against, intimidated and hurt" its staff. In a move that has introduced a highly charged international political dimension to the labour dispute, workers also accuse the bakery of supporting "the genocide happening in Palestine."
Employees involved state they were compelled to produce items for fundraisers benefiting Israeli organisations, with no option to decline. "Imagine you're a baker... witnessing videos that are coming out of Gaza that are really difficult to bear, and then your boss tells you you're going to be making a new specialty bread item... for a fundraiser for a country that's doing a genocide," said one anonymous worker, fearful of retaliation.
Core Worker Grievances and Organising Drive
The unionisation effort, which seeks to affiliate with United Auto Workers Local 2179, has already garnered support from more than 30% of the chain's 275 workers across its six Manhattan locations. Their demands extend beyond the political controversy to fundamental workplace issues.
Key grievances include:
- Insufficient and inequitable pay across the board.
- Persistent safety concerns, including the prolonged use of broken equipment.
- A culture of disrespect from management, contributing to a very high staff turnover rate.
"Our three demands are for equitable pay, respect, and safety for workers," the anonymous employee explained, noting that most staff only remain at the bakery for an average of three to four months.
Company Response and Union Avoidance Tactics
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for Breads Bakery, co-founded by Danish-Israeli baker Uri Scheft, strongly refuted the claims of political involvement. "We make babka; we don't engage in politics," the spokesperson stated, expressing concern that "divisive political issues" were being brought into the workplace.
The company emphasised its foundation on "love and genuine care for our team" and its celebration of peace and diverse cultures. However, it declined to comment on the specific accusations regarding Israeli fundraisers or on reports from workers that the bakery has hired union avoidance consultants to hold one-on-one meetings with staff to deter support for the union.
The union's comprehensive list of demands includes pay increases, overtime and premium shift pay, automatic raises, replacement of faulty equipment, guaranteed weekly hours, free meals per shift, and advance notice of schedules.
