NEW: Teamsters to Picket Eat Drink RI Over Daniele Foods
GoLocalProv News Team
NEW: Teamsters to Picket Eat Drink RI Over Daniele Foods
The Teamsters Local 251, who had organized the shipping and receiving departments in March, said they had continued concerns about labor conditions at the Pascoag facility
"Now Daniele Foods is under investigation by the National Labor Relations Board for retaliating against employees who organized for fair treatment and voted to join the Teamsters Union. Daniele Foods has suspended three workers who voted to join the union and retaliated against other union supporters by cutting their hours. Eight separate unfair labor practice charges are under investigation," wrote the Teamsters of their Facebook page
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Daniele provided comment on Friday regarding the picket -- and decision to back out of the event.
"The Eat Drink RI festival is a celebration of Rhode Island’s farmers, fishermen, and food and beverage artisans. It also raises a lot of money for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Daniele declined to participate this year out of concern that our presence would have been a distraction to this worthwhile event," said Daniele Foods in a statement. "Our commitment to buying locally raised pork from small New England family farms has never been stronger. Our family business has been part of the Rhode Island community for 40 years and we treasure our workers and our state. Daniele remains a proud sponsor of the Eat Drink RI festival and the programs it supports."
The Teamsters Local 251 said that the protest, which is taking place from 12 to 4 P.M. in the park across from the Biltmore, is for "informational purposes..it is is not a request that anyone cease working or refuse to make deliveries."
"Daniele Foods took in more than $135 million in revenue last year," wrote the Teamsters. "But many workers at Daniele Foods make an average of $12 per hour, have no paid sick or personal days, have no retirement plan, and pay $2,340 to $3,380 per year for health coverage
Rhode Island supported Daniele Foods when it asked for help building its new facility. It’s time for Daniele Foods to work with Rhode Island and stop butchering good jobs.
14 Biggest Food Stories of 2014
14 Best Ethnic Food
Providence is known for its range of ethnic restaurants.
TripAdvisor ranked Los Andes - a haven for Peruvian fare - as the top ethnic food restaurant in Providence!
Other ethnic restaurants of note included Ebisu - which offers frsh sushi and Japanese Shabu Shabu; Abyssinia - one of the only places around that has Ethiopian cuisine. Yum!
13 Summer Cocktails
Alas, summer is long-gone but that doesn't mean you drink experience has to cool down!
Providence restaurants stepped up their cocktail game this summer with 15 seasonal creations from restaurants like Cook and Brown Public House, The Dorrance, Local 121, and The Eddy!
Photo: "Found My Thrill" at The Dorrance Photo credit: Vito Lantz
12 Health Code Violations
Not all of Providence's food stories were particularly appetizing this year.
GoLocalProv investigated local health code violations from area restaurants and identified 25 restaurants with the most health code violations in Providence.
The top five worst offenders had 30 or more violations including: clean containers being stored on top of trash cans, calamari thawing in stagnant water, meat being stored in uncovered containers, and the presence of rodent/insect droppings.
11 Last Chance for Rosé
GoLocalProv's Steffen Rasch relayed the bad news: Rosé wines were about to fade out with the beautiful 2014 summer weather.
The most versatile of wines becomes scarce in the colder months and Rasch advised that stocking up on delicious vints from Vinha Da Defesa Rosé and Cotes Du Ventoux was the best plan of action.
10 5th Best Pizza City
Providence was named the "5th Best City in the US for Pizza" by Huffington Post.
The honor of housing cheesy deliciousness was attributed to Providence's grilled and wood-fired pizzas from restaurants like Providence Coal-Fired Pizza, Al Forno and Bob & Timmy's Grilled Pizza.
9 Hidden Gem Bars
The 5 Hidden Gem Bars in Providence were uncovered by Ann & Michael Martini.
From the speakeasy Justine's with a lingerie shop front, to fun places on Federal Hill like Little Marlene's and vegetarian hot spot The Grange Providence has you covered with fresh trendy spots to grab a drink... or two.
8 Best Donuts in RI
If you have a sweet tooth and live in Rhode Island you are in luck!
The best places to get your doughnut fix were identified in a state that harbors a staggering more than 200 doughnut shops. That is one doughnut shop for every 5000 residents in Rhode Island!
7 RI's Best Pizza Joints
Pizza was once again the focus as the best pizzerias serving binge-worthy pies were identified.
The family-run restaurant Catanzaro's of Cranston made the cut with their pan-style pizzas topped with perfectly caramelized cheesy edges.
6 Providence: Foodie City
Huffinton Post gave some more love to Providence's food scene in 2014 naming it one of the 11 Greatest Foodie Cities in America.
Portuguese sweet bread from Silver Star Bakery received honorable mention as did Rhode Island's enumerated Dunkin' Donuts locations (32 in Providence alone).
Milwaukee, New Haven, San Diego, New Orleans, and Portland also earned the honor of great foodie cities.
5 Upscale Pizza
The pizza culture in Rhode Island started in 20th Century when Italian immigrants moved here from Ellis Island, giving us amazing places to find refined, upscale pizza pies!
From Rhode Island's humble beginnings of home-grown tomatoes and farm made cheeses, to artisanal, gourmet pies from Arturo Joe's and d.Carlo Trattoria - pizza in Rhode Island has come a long way.
4 $3 Bar on Federal Hill
2014 saw the rise and fall of $3 Bar on Federal Hill.
What began as a hot new financially conscious bar on Federal Hill in early June ended in the business' closure in August.
$3 Bar's owner Gianfranco Marrocco insisted that the complaints from fellow restaurateurs about his bar were due to racism and the concern that the bar was attracting "the wrong clientele" to an otherwise pristine part of town.
3 Must-Try Restaurants
New restaurants in Rhode Island like brewmaster Sean Larkin's Brewtopia in Cranston and local chef Jake Rojas' Tallulah's Tacos were featured as some of the must-try restaurants in the area.
In a state that is well-known as a culinary destination there is never a shortage of great new restaurants and flavors to try!
2 Best Clam Shacks
Rhode Island loves its clams and shows big love for its clam shacks!
2014 saw Rocky Point Clam Shack in Warwick make a culinary comeback. And, GoLocal had to reccommend CEO Josh Fenton's favorite clam shack: Flo's of Portsmouth - which offers great views of Easton Beach in the summertime.
1 Hidden Restaurant Gems
The number one food story this year was an uncoverign of the 5 Hidden Restaurant Gems in Providence.
The new restaurant that popped up in the basement of Providence's old Gas building this year - G Pub - was paid an honorable mention as a great place to do casual dining. And the flavorful, asian-inspired cuisine at newcomer Noodles 102 in Providence was praised for its chicken lettuce wraps and delectable Udon noodles!
The August closing of Providence's southern restaurant Succotash was also unveiled in this story.
