Breads Bakery workers launch union drive over pay and politics

Employees at Breads Bakery, a New York City chain with six Manhattan locations and about 275 workers, announced a union organizing campaign called Breaking Breads and said more than 30 percent of staff had signed authorization cards. Organizers said their demands include higher pay, safer working conditions, more predictable scheduling and respect from management, and they publicly called for the company to end what they described as ties to and support for Israel.

Breaking Breads said it is working with UAW Local 2179 and will seek National Labor Relations Board recognition if the employer does not voluntarily recognize the union. The group also said it will refuse to participate in events it views as "Zionist projects." Organizers framed the campaign as both a response to day-to-day workplace issues and as a stance on the bakery's political and cultural practices.

Company owners responded that the business is "built on love" and said they do not engage in politics. Management statements emphasized the brand's focus on baking and customer service rather than political positions, even as workers pressed their demands publicly.

The campaign places a bakeshop-level dispute over wages, safety and schedules into the sharper context of identity politics and activism, complicating typical union negotiations. For front-of-house and back-of-house staff, the mix of workplace grievances and political demands raises questions about how collective bargaining would address pay and safety while also setting limits on employee participation in store events and programming.

The organizing push follows a broader uptick in hospitality and restaurant sector union activity as service workers seek predictability in hours, livable pay and safer conditions on fast-paced shifts. For workers at Breads Bakery, successful recognition would create a formal process to negotiate scheduling practices, training, and health and safety standards across six sites. For management, recognition would mean bargaining with UAW Local 2179 over those terms and navigating tensions sparked by public demands tied to international politics.

A union petition and hopes for voluntary recognition give workers a straight path to formal representation, but they could also face NLRB hearings if the employer contests unit scope or bargaining status. The public nature of the political demands increases scrutiny from customers and community groups, and could shape how each side frames its case during any campaign or election.

The takeaway? If you're working behind the ovens or on the counter, this fight is about more than wages and shifts; it's about who sets the bakery's public role and what employees can expect from a workplace that blends food, culture and activism. Our two cents? Track card counts, demand clear answers on schedules and safety, and remember organizing is won at the shift level—talk to your coworkers face to face and keep records of conditions you want changed.