Tates Bake Shop Factory

Inside the Fight to Unionize Tate’s

"A high-volume cookie factory on Long Island where roughly 7,560 thin, crisp cookies pass through packers every 30 minutes, workers describe a fast, sometimes dangerous pace as the oven can dispense cookies that are too hot to handle and only plastic gloves are provided. Employees—some undocumented—report repetitive, “rapido” shifts, fears of retaliation for speaking up, and allegations that management has threatened deportation amid a union drive; the company denies such threats and says it supports organizing. The Amalgamated Local 298 is campaigning to organize about 432 employees with mail-in ballots due in April, and opinions among staff are mixed: some long‑time or higher‑paid workers are satisfied, while others want better job security, benefits, and a pension. The site traces back to a family bakery started in 1970 by Kathleen King, whose earlier business faced NLRB scrutiny over union-busting; the current brand was later sold to Mondelēz International in 2018 for $527 million, and workers worry that the larger owner’s history of plant closures and anti-union tactics could threaten jobs if they organize. Amid the dispute, family members whose name appears on the product packaging feel unfairly attacked, and workers like Catalina—who trained as a nurse in her home country—say they are tired of the work but see potential improvements if the workplace is allowed to unionize." - Alexandria Misch