Thank you for your response .. there are indeed other viewpoints and I thank you for yours.

I believe all viewpoints have a right to be heard. Furthermore, agreeing with you, I will defend to my death the right of a Business Mensch to “lobby against unionization”.

I presume that you agree that when workers feel their manager has been less than a mensch in the treatment of workers … and when management refuses to listen to their concerns … wishing for their voices respected in negotiating the conditions of their labor; these workers are entitled to an unobstructed, fair and just election regarding the establishment of a Union.

Noah faced just such a scenario; the establishment of a Union at Noah’s Bagels wouldn’t have been catastrophic .. as we know, the labor/management mutual respect which comes with Union Representation seldom means that a business will “go under” or “lose money”. In Noah’s case, we now learn that what was at stake was the biggest deal of Noah’s life: the $100 million dollar sale to Einstein Brothers.

This explains why Noah pulled all the stops in his lobbying against the Union. Many thousands of dollars were spent to bring in the Littler Mendelson Law Firm, specialists in assuring that their clients remain “Union Free”.
>>>>> Workers were required to attend repeated compulsory meetings where films, discussions, paper quiz exercises, and Union horror stories were utilized to “educate” the workers. Known Union sympathizers were barred from these compulsory meetings, thus silencing uncomfortable questions.
>>>>> Promotions and/or prized transfers were clearly implied or promised to workers provided the company remained “Union Free”. Loans and/or wage advances were made to selected employees.
>>>>> Salary and Promotion ladder freezes were predicted should the Union win the vote.
>>>> Latino workers were interrogated regarding the green card status of their families … thus planting the fear of possible INS trouble.
>>>> On election day, Noah hosted a lavish party in the parking lot: prospective voters were treated to a generous buffet … a Mariachi Band was hired to entertain … and TVs and other prizes were presented to giddy winners.
>>>> Needless to say, the Union supporters were barred from presenting their point of view during worker hours or on company premises.

While there are many viewpoints regarding this untold story of Noah’s actions, some might feel that these actions did not honor the Tikkun Olam intention of repairing the world, alleviating suffering and assuring justice.

Why Noah omitted this episode from his memoir is puzzling. Surely Noah is pleased with his actions in this regard .. although he might nevertheless have a regret or two. One would wish that he’d call upon his inner mensch to share this wisdom with tomorrow’s young entrepreneurs.

This is all ancient history; Noah got his $100 million dollar prize shortly after the Union defeat [by one vote]. Reasons were found to terminate known Union sympathizers. Forgive me for previously omitting the disclaimer that I was so terminated. This explains the residual “bitterness and anger” you detected … I regret it and am striving to be a better mensch.

Except for his recent publication, all of this would not have been brought forth. Because he omitted it, it seems that the bagel hole needs to be filled in. While it might cause some rain on his parade … truth can sometimes lead to reconciliation.

Shalom, Salaam, Pax .. Mr. Middle
respectfully,
george killingsworth

Note to Jewlicious editors: Thank you for replacing Mr. Middle’s f-word with the more courteous substitution: “heck”.

Note to poster named “CK”: addressing me as “george” , and having posted anonymously, you have me at a disadvantage. Nevertheless I appreciate and respect your perspective … and agree with you that a) Unions are not a panacea and b) that there are cases of corrupt unions. Also, like you, I am not anti-union.

From the wording of your note I’m guessing you are also on a first name basis with Noah. Unlike you and I, Noah seems to be Anti-Union. It would be good if you could persuade him to at last write the chapter he omitted: Keeping Your Business Union Free.

It is my belief that Noah bought the one-vote-defeat of the Union. He did this by hiring Rob Hulteng of the notorious National Union Busting firm: Littler Mendelson. Noah compromised his menschiness by following Littler’s directions and allowing their staff to harass and intimidate employees for over two months proceeding the election.

Forgive me if I was sanctimonious, CK. I might caught it from reading Noah’s book which was peppered with many references to tikkun olam and many other beautiful values of our shared tradition. These values are simply stated in Micah 6:8: do justice, love mercy, walk humbly.

May it be so ….
Your friend, George

Also, would you be kind enough to explain why a privately owned business has to unionize and “democratize?” Why is it wrong for an owner, who put his own assets at risk in creating the business and who stands to lose the most if it goes under or loses money, to lobby against unionization?

Finally, what the heck does tikkun olam have to do with unionization?

Commendable as it is that Noah Alper is unapologetically Jewish …. the self publishing of a book declaring himself a Mensch seems audacious in the extreme .. an excess of Chutzpah.

Conspicuously absent from his book of advice to young entrepreneurs, is his most impressive success in the thwarting of an attempt by his workers to form a Union. Like many “socially responsible” employers [cf. Whole Foods, Wal-mart, Starbucks, Borders, etc] Noah prides himself in being such a good guy [mensch] toward his workers that there is really no need for them to have an effective voice in negotiating the conditions of their labor.

Thousands were spent to hire Union Busting Expert consultants to negatively influence the outcome of a Union Election at Noah’s Bakery. Compulsory closed door meetings were held [from which union supporters were barred]. Pleas were made to not let this “divisiveness” ruin the culture of this little family business. All the usual Union Busting techniques were employed: carrots and sticks, coercion, threats, surveillance, harassment, retaliation and firings. Latino workers were subjected to special harassment over green card INS issues.

Noah accompanied workers on their delivery routes, affably chatting about the good fortune that would befall workers following a Union defeat and bemoaning the unfortunate negative steps that a Union victory would likely necessitate. We were reminded of which side our bagels were shmeared on .. and by whom.

Undoubtedly, Noah is sincere in his view of himself as a liberal, socially responsible, benevolent pal of a boss: a veritable mensch. He describes how he “allowed” workers to sport tattoos, piercings, and play rap music … a paragon of kindly, paternalistic tolerance.

Notwithstanding his conspicuous religiosity, Noah failed to internalize the Tikkun Olam social justice principle. No matter now many mitzvahs an employer fulfills, if workers are denied an independent voice in the conditions of their labor … interactions between workers and management remain essentially of a parent-child nature: a dictatorship, however benevolent.

There’s something profoundly terefah [non kosher] about an anti-union employer … it ignores the history of Jewish slave labor in Egypt and Babylon and the centuries old quest for freedom from labor oppression [cf. Deuteronomy 26:6-8] Profound lessons regarding the dignity of work and labor justice are inherent in these scriptures and this history.

Noah would have supported the United Farm Workers Union and he boasted about his connections to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade … but when his own workers attempted to organize, he resorted to the “not in my company” exception. Noah patronizingly reasoned that because he was such a mensch, a Union was unnecessary. Emma Goldman and Samuel Gompers would roll in their graves. It’s like saying that if we have a mensch of a president, democracy is unnecessary.

One thing is clarified in Noah’s book. His squelching of the Union effort was simultaneous with his pending sale of his business to Einstein Brothers Bagels. No wonder he spent thousands to defeat the Union … no wonder he had shpilkes regarding a possible Union Victory and the probable loss of this Mensch’s dream of a lifetime: his one hundred million dollar pending sale of his little family business to Einstein Bros.

In this effort to seal his legacy, it’s a pity that Mr. Alper’s book withholds this bit of timeless wisdom … HOW A MENSCH CAN CRUSH UNIONS … from today’s entrepreneurs.