Union-made Halloween candies that you can buy to show solidarity this spooky season

Want to trick the bosses and treat yourself to some solidarity this Halloween season? Then there are some good options for union-made candy out there!

Trick-or-treaters can support the labor movement this Halloween by buying union-made candies (stock image).
Trick-or-treaters can support the labor movement this Halloween by buying union-made candies (stock image).  © 123RF/rawpixel

With the spooky season upon us, there's nothing scarier than the plague of unfettered capitalism wreaking havoc on working people.

Luckily, there is a way to enjoy Halloween goodies without supporting monstrous corporations that exploit their workers and suppress collective bargaining: buying union-made candy!

Data show that workers in labor unions typically bring home higher wages, get better benefits, and have safer workplaces than non-union workers. Unions also help reduce gender and racial wealth gaps.

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Choosing union-made sweets is a great way to stand in solidarity with workers in the confectionery industry this Halloween. Are you wondering which candies are the best to buy to indulge your sweet tooth and keep your conscience clean?

The AFL-CIO has put together a handy guide of union-made treats to help you in the grocery aisle this holiday season. Here are some of the highlights.

Ghirardelli Chocolate

Ghirardelli chocolate squares of all flavors are made by union workers (stock image).
Ghirardelli chocolate squares of all flavors are made by union workers (stock image).  © 123RF/photovs

Ghirardelli is staple of any trick-or-treater's Halloween basket, and the good news is, these little squares of chocolaty goodness are union made!

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, based out of San Francisco, is the third-oldest chocolate producer in the US.

Whether you're going for Intense Dark Espresso or Pumpkin Spice Caramel, all Ghirardelli squares are produced by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

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If you're not into chocolate bars, you can still support union workers by whipping up a batch of homemade cookies with Ghirardelli chocolate chips.

Some (but not all!) Hershey's products

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses, and many other Hershey products, are produced by organized labor (stock image).
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses, and many other Hershey products, are produced by organized labor (stock image).  © 123RF/akulamatiau

Some of the most common sweets in trick-or-treat baskets are Hershey's products, many of which are made by unionized workers.

Hershey's workers first formed a United Chocolate Workers Union local in 1937. The company's founder, Milton S. Hershey, infamously resorted to violence to shut down a sit-in protest that same year, but that didn't stop workers from continuing their collective battle for better wages and benefits.

That spirit lives on today, as many of the company's employees are represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM).

But beware! Only those products made at the West plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania, are labor-friendly. These include some of the candy company's most beloved sweets.

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars, with and without almonds; Nuggets; Hugs; and Rolos are on the good list.

Hershey's Kisses, including the flavors Milk Chocolate, Candy Cane, Cookies and Cream, White Chocolate, and Special Dark Chocolate, are also union made.

See's Candies

Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) and Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) gobble down See's chocolates in the Job Switching episode of I Love Lucy, first aired in 1952.
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) and Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) gobble down See's chocolates in the Job Switching episode of I Love Lucy, first aired in 1952.  © IMAGO / Everett Collection

If you want to get a little fancier with some specialty chocolates or toffee bars, without scrimping on workers' rights, See's Candies has you covered!

Another company headquartered in San Francisco, See's makes everything from chocolate truffles to lollipops. The best part is, their production and warehouse workers are all unionized.

The candy manufacturing company was made famous by a scene from the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy when Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) and Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) take jobs in a chocolate factory, to disastrous results. The sketch has come to be remembered as one of the most popular moments in television history.

This Halloween, head to a See's store near you to support BCTGM workers – but perhaps don't eat as many chocolates as Lucy and Ethel did!

Smarties, Red Vines, and Jaw Breakers

Not a chocolate person?

No problem! You can still get your labor-friendly sweet-fest on this Halloween.

Chow down on some Smarties or Red Vines, suck on a Jaw Breaker, or find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. All of these beloved candies are made by union workers!

Sink your teeth into these union-made treats to satisfy your sweet tooth and send a pro-labor message this Halloween!

Cover photo: 123RF/rawpixel

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