Fighting hunger is a worthy cause, but workers at a local bakery say their bosses should start by paying them a living wage.
Workers at Franklin Street Bakery in Minneapolis are planning “A Taste of Justice” next Saturday, Feb. 4, the same night their bosses, Wayne Kostrowski and Mark Haugen, will throw their glitzy fundraiser, the “Taste of the NFL,” in Houston. The event raises money for hunger relief each year in advance of the Super Bowl.
The bakery owners have vigorously – and illegally, according to NLRB charges – opposed workers’ efforts to improve their wages and working conditions by organizing for a voice on the job with Local 22 of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.
Workers have filed 50 unfair-labor-practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board related to the organizing drive, and many report earning so little that they have to use food shelves themselves.
Union and community supporters are invited to attend the “Taste of Justice” Feb. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Waite House, 2323 11th Ave. S., Minneapolis. Food will be provided at the event, but people who attend are also welcome to bring a dish to share.