Real Flaums Blog | Kosher Food Products -

A Labor Dispute Started by the IWW

December 27th, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

So how exactly did the labor dispute within Flaum start? What suddenly caused a handful of workers to begin protesting Flaum and trying to slander their good name? It all began with the IWW, or the International Workers of the World, in early 2008. The IWW is an international union that last had its peak in 1923 with 100,000 members. Today there are down to a mere 5,000 members, compared to 13 million members in the AFL/CIO. As you can see, a group with not that much power to begin with.

The IWW tried to, unsuccessfully, organize the workers at Flaum. All they managed to do was get a few workers to sign a petition against the company. In May of that year, Flaum was forced to lay off one employee, but not because of the petition. Instead, it was because there was a slowdown in business. However, the IWW took it as a sign to eradicate any union supporters and subsequently, 16 employees go on strike. After the strike, the IWW filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board claiming discrimination due to union activity.

As you can see, this labor dispute spiraled out of control, with the IWW at the reigns.

labor dispute

Employees Speak Out

December 12th, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

We can continue to talk about the safe working environment at Flaum but wouldn’t it be better to see for yourself? You don’t have to worry about leaving your seat to take a field trip to their factory. But you can watch the video we pasted below and listen to the employees themselves. What this video shows is a group of workers who are very happy with their jobs. They are always treated fairly, there are clean and safe working conditions, and plenty of benefits offered to everyone.

The employees are the glue that holds a business together. Without them, your business wouldn’t succeed and Flaum understands this. That’s why it’s so important to put the word out there that Flaum is 100% dedicated to their workers and always wants them to be happy and comfortable. You can see from the video that everyone is genuinely pleased to work for such a great company. They want everyone to know the people involved with the labor dispute are not in the majority. The other employees do not feel the way that they do.

For more information, visit RealFlaums.com and take a look at the positive testimonials from actual workers.

labor dispute, safe working conditions, safe working environment

The War Against Flaum’s

December 6th, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

Any type of dispute between workers and employees is never a fun ordeal. It’s something everyone tries to avoid, and if it does happen, you want it over as quickly and peacefully as possible. What started off as a rather small labor dispute with Flaum’s that could have been quickly and quietly resolved turned ugly, fast. Those who brought up the dispute decided to turn the situation into a public relations war, hoping to garner the support of the general public by painting a terrible picture of the company. It’s a sly and shameful tactic that escalated the problem into something even greater.

However, what has been said about Flaum’s was just that, a shameful tactic full of rumors and lies. As a public company, Flaum’s has always been watched by the government, just like any food company, to ensure that they meet FDA requirements and are instilling safe working conditions. Not only are they under watch from the government, they are also subject to audits from independent agencies. They have scored very high in food safety, employee practices, quality systems, and plant sanitation.

It seems the real point behind the labor dispute was lost. The employees felt the need to slander a company because they knew they had no basis for the dispute to begin with.

labor dispute, safe working conditions

90 Years Without a Single Labor Dispute

November 28th, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

In last week’s post we gave you a bit of the background of Flaum, a family owned business since 1918. Flaum has always been dedicated to providing excellent products for their customers and an even better working environment for their employees. Although some are trying to paint a negative picture of the company, you can easily judge for yourself by looking at the Flaum track record.

The truth is that in over 90 years of business, the 2008 labor dispute was the first and only instance of such an occurrence. That is quite a stretch of time to have a spotless record. Honestly, how many other companies can say the same? Almost 100 years without so much as a hiccup! Does that sound like the track record of a company who treats its employees unjustly?

At the end of the day, the dispute only involved 11 employees –a mere 15% of the entire labor force. It honestly makes you wonder why people would take the word of such a small handful of people over the thousands of workers who have worked for the company over the years and would speak highly of the company.

Flaum’s had humble beginnings and they continue to always put their employees and customers first, creating a safe working environment and quality products.

labor dispute, safe working environment

A Good Environment Creates Happy Workers

November 21st, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

It stinks to say it, but there are a good amount of people in this world unhappy with their jobs. Even if it is a job that they actually enjoy doing, if the environment is terrible, they’ll feel terrible. People want to go to work excited, or at least content to be working in a nice office or building with people they get along with. And when workers are happy, productivity can increase. Without added stress, workers feel more at ease and can produce better work.

Flaum is dedicated to achieving this goal. They know that if they provide friendly, safe working conditions, their workers will feel respected and be more inclined to work harder. But maintaining a safe working environment isn’t just good for the employees. The consumers reap the benefits as well. Harder work equals better quality products. It’s essentially a domino effect. When everything is lined up correctly, everything will fall into place, everyone will be content.

Flaum is a family owned business and you can tell. While other corporations might fall victim to cutting corners and treating workers unfairly, Flaum maintains that family oriented perspective. They treat their workers as they wish to be treated. And that’s the way all businesses should be run, with the employees in mind.

safe working conditions, safe working environment

The History of a Family Business

November 14th, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

It is the nature of the family business that made this country what it is today. It may sound cheesy, but it all starts with one man’s dream to open a business and watch it thrive and develop. Flaum is no different from any other business that started from the ground up. It began over 100 years ago in the early 1900′s when two brothers wanted to share their family recipes with the world. Flaum started on the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in pushcarts providing cured pickles, fresh salads, and vegetable spreads.

As the years passed, the business slowly grew offering more kosher food products, soon becoming a leader in Mediterranean salads. As the times changed, so did the way they sold food. It was no longer in mere pushcarts, but became packaged foods that could be sold around the country. The biggest development came with the launch of Sonny & Joe’s brand, offering even more salads and spreads.

Today, Flaum continues to pride itself in creating quality food made from only the freshest ingredients. By preparing their products in micro-batches, Flaum is able to offer a fresh product every time. Taste the difference and pick up one of their many products today!

kosher food products, mediterranean salads

Hello and Welcome to the Flaum Blog!

November 9th, 2011 | Posted by kristenm in Flaum - (0 Comments)

Quality food is important to us all. Eating is a part of life and you might as well enjoy the food that you’re eating. With so much concern over health nowadays, you want to know that the food you ingest is not only made from quality ingredients, but that it’s being created in a clean and safe environment as well. This is the mentality of Flaum, a family owned company that’s been in business since 1918.

Hello and welcome to the Flaum blog! Flaum is dedicated to creating delicious Mediterranean salads and appetizers. Enjoy scrumptious Scottish herring, hummus, Baba ganoush, sauteed eggplant, and much more. And of course everything sold is kosher.

Besides making such appetizing kosher food products, Flaum has been and always will be intent on creating a friendly, safe work environment. Despite a labor dispute back in 2008, Flaum continues to make the company a place where employees enjoy what they do. Because when workers are happy, it shows in their productivity. Happy workers help make happy customers too!

Here at our blog we’ll discuss more about our company and our products, and paint for you a picture of a wonderful work environment. Make sure to bookmark our page and check back each week for a new blog post.