View of Breads Bakery during the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One.
'Israeli'-owned NYC bakery workers unionize over Gaza war
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- New York bakery workers unionise, demand end to company ties with ‘Israel’.
- Union cites both workplace violations and support for Gaza atrocities as reasons for protest.
Workers at Breads Bakery, a prominent New York City bakery with six locations and around 275 employees, announced their unionisation last week, calling on the company to end what they described as support for “the genocide happening in Palestine” and to improve working conditions. The bakery is 'Israeli'-owned, with Gadi Peleg as the owner and Yonatan Floman as CEO.
The Breaking Breads Union said over 30 percent of workers have signed authorization cards with UAW Local 2179, a labor organization representing more than 1,000 workers across New York and New Jersey. The announcement was delivered as a speech to the bakery’s CEO at the flagship location.
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Union demands
Organisers criticised the bakery’s “implicit and explicit” support for ‘Israel’, linking their workplace struggle to global human rights concerns. “We see our struggles for fair pay, respect, and safety as connected to struggles against genocide and forces of exploitation around the world,” the union said.
They also highlighted workplace violations, including discrimination, unsafe conditions, unfair payment policies, and alleged union-busting, claiming that at least one worker was illegally fired for attempting to unionise.
Union organisers announced that they refuse to bake cookies featuring the 'Israeli' flag or participate in catering for events such as the Great Nosh, which they say are tied to organisations that donate millions annually to the 'Israeli' forces. They also referenced a fundraising campaign by the bakery in October 2023 supporting Israeli organisations.
Legal and union action
The Breaking Breads Union has called on the company to voluntarily recognise the union and enter negotiations. The union warned that refusal to recognise it would constitute an unfair labor practice under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and could lead to escalation before the National Labor Relations Board.
Backlash and support
The unionisation generated backlash from several Zionist groups and social media users, including Betar Worldwide, who circulated calls to support the bakery in protest against the union.
The announcement was posted alongside UAW Labor for Palestine, a coalition of UAW chapters supporting the Palestinian civil society-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) call. The coalition was established at the start of ‘Israel’s’ genocidal war on Gaza and follows appeals from Palestinian trade unionists to end complicity in the oppression of Palestinians.
