05 Dec Make it a Local 1 TOOTSIE Holiday
Before BCTGM Local 1 (Chicago) members at Tootsie Roll Industries started making 64 million miniature chewy chocolates a day in Chicago, inventor Leo Hirshfield sold the individually hand-wrapped candies at his small Brooklyn, N.Y. store.
An Austrian immigrant, Hirshfield always dreamed of becoming a candy maker. In 1896, Hirschfield began making chocolate chewy candies from an old family recipe, which he hand-rolled, wrapped and sold individually. He named the candies Tootsie, after his six-year old daughter. By 1905, the candy was so popular that he moved production to a four-story New York City factory.
The union part of the candy legacy began in 1968, when Tootsie Roll Industries moved to Chicago where today, BCTGM Local 1 members continue to make the famous candies. Tootsie Roll Pops and DOTS are also manufactured by Local 1 members at the Chicago location.
Holiday Local 1-made Tootsie Roll treats include Holiday Tootsie Roll Midgees, Vanilla Tootsie Roll Midgees, Candy Cane Tootsie Pops, Candy Cane Pop Drops and numerous holiday bundles and festive packages of holiday Tootsie Roll products.
Pictured in this post are only a few of the proud BCTGM Local 1 members who make the famous candies at the renowned Chicago production facility.