APRIL 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 29
DEPORTATION THREAT TO INTIMIDATE WORKERS SEEKING TO UNIONIZE
AFL-CIO. “The workforce at Tate’s is
approximately 98 percent Hispanic
and they are raising a number of issues
as we move through the unionization
process.”
Besides pandemic safety issues, Giovinco
says, employees are concerned about
salary issues and benefits.
“Right now, Tate’s employees are
working without a contract and
without representation,” said Cosmo
Lubrano, president of the Joint
Board. “Management has the right
to change the rules at any time, fire
people at will, and simply ignore the
ideas and concerns of the workers.
This leaves these minimum-wage employees
in a bad situation and they
are terrified. We are talking about
mostly immigrants who are willing
to work for the American Dream like
anyone else.”
The issues the union said it would address
in contract talks include COVIDsafe
working conditions, wages,
benefits, paid time off, work rules,
hierarchical level, and a grievance
process to resolve employee issues.
“Our offer to employees is simple and
straightforward,” said Lubrano. “Let
us represent you in contract negotiations
with your chosen coworkers. We
will use our expertise and experience
to win the best possible deal with
Mondelēz, and then each and every
employee will have the opportunity to
vote. If you don’t think it’s a better deal
than the deal you currently have, you
can turn it down and we’ll walk away.”
If workers vote to unionize in a secret
ballot, the NLRB will require Mondelēz
to negotiate a contract in “good
faith” and the union has one year to
reach an agreement. Joining a union
and working under a negotiated contract,
usually around three years, will
cost employees a little over $1 a day in
dues.
“In addition to a contract, the union
will be there for them in any problem
that arises at work,” says Giovinco,
noting that the union has created excellent
working relationships between
its members and other companies in
the manufacturing, airline, hospitality,
and healthcare industries.
“Companies have long recognized that
an employee who works under a fair
and pleasant contract is a happy and
productive employee,” adds Lubrano.
“Our role is to help companies have
better relationships with their workforce
and be more profitable. Once
workplace issues are resolved, our
members operate more efficiently and
the turnover rate is lower; they are not
unhappy. We would be out of business
quickly if our involvement weren’t to
the advantage of both management
and employees. “
Tate’s issued a statement disputing the
claims.
“The allegations being made against
Tate’s are categorically false,” the company
said through a spokesman. “We
support our employees’ rights to decide
for themselves if they want to be
in a union and we respect their rights
to a free and fair election process
that is now underway with the NLRB.
Tate’s holds itself to the highest
standards when it comes to treating
our employees with the respect they
deserve.
“Tate’s has never threatened employees
and we never would,” the
statement continued. “We are proud
to be a company with a long heritage of
providing good jobs and competitive
pay and benefits to our employees,
and we care deeply about them, their
families, and their future.”
The employees have until April 21 to
vote on whether they want to join the
union.
-With additional reporting by Luis
García
This story first appeared in Dan’s
Papers.
Tate’s cookies on shelves at a local supermarket
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
