A December 1951 labor dispute between Local 338 and the Bagel Bakers Association closed 32 of the city's bagel bakeries, leading to what The New York Times called a "bagel famine", with the two remaining bakeries unable to keep up with the 1.2 million weekly demand for the product.
Local 338 went out on strike in February 1962, leading to an estimated 85% drop in the bagel supply.