HUFFINGTON 03.10.13
DAMON DAHLEN
BREAD LINE
nEitzen, whose version of events was corroborated by Jared Miller, another baker in attendance. “They asked us to delay the vote. “I read the Bible regularly,” VonEitzen added. “We don’t have the same Bible.” When asked about the unionbusting allegations, a Panera spokesperson said the company would not comment on legal matters, but stressed that “we take our relationships with all of our associates seriously, whether they are employed by the company or a franchisee.” In a statement, Bread of Life insisted that it treats its bakers with
fairness and respect. “We have a good track record of offering competitive pay and benefits in our industry,” the company said. “As we understand it, the issues that resulted in this unionization effort pre-date Bread of Life’s ownership of these cafes. We remain fully committed to working within the law and treating our bakers and all associates with fairness and respect.” But the case of the Panera bakers shows just how difficult it is for workers at a restaurant chain to organize to improve conditions. Several told HuffPost they either lost work shifts or saw their employee evaluations nosedive after coming out in support of the union. “I came into this thinking we
Protesters rally outside of a Burger King in N.Y. last November as part of the “Fast Food Forward” campaign, aimed at giving the workers of fast food companies the right to form a union.