Awhile back I wrote about the Stella d'Oro strike (after I learned about it from Democracy for NYC) where nearly 140 workers spend 11 months on strike after a hedge fund took over the factory and tried to force 26% pay cuts on the workers. You can read some background to the strike in this earlier article. The strike has now ended after the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of the workers when the parent company, Brynwood Partners, refused to disclose financial information supporting their claim that the Stella d'Oro factory was not making a profit. That's the good news for union supporters.

From Democracy Now:

But the fight isn't over. Brynwood Partners, the Connecticut based hedge fund that owns the factory, has now said it will close the Bronx-based factory, claiming the union's refusal to accept a 20% pay cut for workers forces them to close the factory. The union counters by claiming that the factory is profitable, but the hedge fund requires unreasonable levels of profits to fulfill returns promised to investors. The union further claims that closing the factory is a retaliatory move made by Brynwood Parnters to try and thwart the union, which would be illegal.

To fans of Stella d'Oro cookies like myself, this is all something of a shame since I consider Stella d'Oro somewhat iconic of NYC...and quite good to dip into my cup of coffee from time to time. You can contact Brynwood Partners and tell them you want your Stella d'Oro cookies and you want them made in the same factory in the Bronx where they have always been made. You can also contact Democracy for NYC to ask what you can do to support the Stella d'Oro workers.

And I might add that it would sure help if we could finally get a mayor who actually supported working class New Yorkers, and if we could finally elect a Public Advocate who actually advocated for the public.