Buy worker-friendly treats this Halloween – National Consumers League

Trick or treat? Soon children all across the country will cheerfully announce their presence at doorways hoping to receive sweet treats. While Halloween certainly belongs to kids, we adults, get to make some decisions too – costumes being weather- and age-appropriate and what kind of candy to stock for the big night. For costume decisions, we base it on weather conditions (how cold and wet will it be?) and the age of the kids (is a five-year-old too young to go as Snooki or Charlie Sheen?). But for candy, what should we look for?

This year, consumers can check out this list of union-made candy to rest assured that the majority of the companies listed are paying their workers a fair wage and decent benefits.

Unfortunately, one major union-made candy producer is, of late, not treating their workers so well. The Hershey Company has had more than its fair share of wage violations this year. Ranging from the exploitation of J-1 visa student workers from overseas working in its packing facility to the second class-action lawsuit being filed against the company for failing to pay its employees for overtime, Hershey has engaged in unethical and possibly illegal examples of wage theft.

With the economy still struggling to recover and Americans trying to keep their heads above water, advocates are urging consumers to make worker-friendly choices when spending money on candy for Halloween celebrations.