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Holt-Baker Addresses the Convention

Arlene Holt-Baker, the Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO, spoke to the delegation about the vital importance of staying politically active leading up to the November elections.

“In just a little more than three months, Americans will vote on whether to continue our difficult but dramatic progress under President Obama, or back to the job-destroying, wage-cutting, home-foreclosing, union-busting policies of George W. Bush.

Ron Oswald on the Inportance of Global Solidarity

Ron Oswald, the General Secretary of the IUF, addressed the convention. The IUF is a global federation of more than 360 food, drink, agriculture, tobacco and hospitality unions in 125 countries around the world.

Reflecting on the diversity of the IUF membership, Oswald noted that the values and purpose of all the unions remain the same around the globe: to build a better life for our families.

“Beyond that basic purpose, our members are also engaged in a fight to ensure our workplaces, communities and societies are built on democracy, respect and decent work. In too many societies around the world, new generations grow up and simply don’t know that if they have a decent life and decent standards of living.

Larry Mishel: Economics Simplified

Larry Mishel, head of the Economic Policy Institute addressed the delegation in the afternoon session. Mishel began his speech by outlining some of the economic problems facing working families. However, he noted that there was a bright side: “it is in our power to change this course, because these are man-made problems”.

Mishel explained how the stimulus package helped avoid what could have been an even worse economic disaster. He then used the analogy of a burning building to describe how the stimulus package was working but how certain interests are blocking its effectiveness and ability to be even more effective.

“Imagine a 10 story apartment building that is up for sale. President Obama buys the building when five stories are on fire. By the time he takes possession of the building, all ten stories are on fire. So, he mobilizes all the firefighters he has at his disposal to fight the fire. Against great odds, he and the firefighters succeed in putting out the fire on five different stories. This is an accomplishment. Yet five stories remain burning so President Obama tries to rally more firefighters and resources to battle the remaining blaze. But certain individuals block his efforts and say he shouldn’t spend more resources. These same individuals then blame Obama for starting the fire in the first place. These individuals don’t want others to remember that it was these individuals who were the ones that started the fire in the first place."

Paul Lemmon Speaks

Paul Lemmon, Assistant to the AFL-CIO President Trumka, gave a rousing speech to the delegation to end the afternoon session.

“There is no other segment of America that fights social justice like labor does.” But, added Lemmon, it was imperative for organized labor to continue its organizing efforts because there was a direct link between union density and voter turnout. “For every 1% drop in union density, there is a quarter percent drop in voter turnout. Which means you are all an essential element to ensuring democracy in America,” he said.

Click here to download Paul Lemmon's Power Point Presentation

 

Click here to download the full Convention Reporter for Day 2 (PDF)

Click here to download the Post-Convention Issue of the BCTGM NEWS

**All photography is available to view and purchase online through Hank deLespinasse Studios, the official photographer of the 2010 Convention.  The photo site is: www.bctgm2010conv.com.

DAY TWO of the Convention focused on Organizing...

“Every one of you should understand that organizing is the lifeblood of the labor movement. Each one of us must understand how vital organizing is to our union, the future of the labor movement and the prosperity of every working family in North America.”

-BCTGM International President Frank Hurt to delegates to the 38th Constitutional Convention

 

Durkee addresses the Delegation

International Secretary-Treasurer and Director of Organization David B. Durkee opened his report on organizing noting the black polo shirts worn by delegates throughout the Convention hall.

“It is wonderful to look out upon you and see all of the black organizing shirts which represent the local unions that have made accomplishments in organizing during the past four years. Congratulations to you,” said Durkee.

“We have worked very hard in organizing during the past four years, not only involving ourselves in organizing campaigns, but also in trying to change how organizing is legislated, in order to give working families in North America a fighting chance,” he said.

“We remain hopeful that, given the immediate successes President Barack Obama, we will pass labor law reform in the form of the Employee Free Choice Act, in the same spirit that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had passed the original National Labor Relations Act. 

“Only the Employee Free Choice Act can stop workers fear of the repercussions by their employer for the expression of their individual beliefs.  Only the Employee Free Choice Act can allow workers to join unions via card-check and without employer harassment, to negotiate first contracts within 90 days, to provide Federal Mediation/Arbitration for first-contract disputes, and to establish strong penalties for violations of employee rights. Only the Employee Free Choice Act can level the playing field between corporate power and working families.

Durkee noted that the BCTGM International Union has been fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act since 2003. “We will not give up hope or back away from our efforts. “Because, if our forefathers had given up, we would not have the Civil Rights Act, or Social Security, or the National Labor Relations Act, or Medicare, or Medicaid or any of the other programs that working families currently enjoy,” Durkee told delegates.

He explained how the political and economic climate had presented the union with numerous organizing challenges since the last convention. However, despite such adversities, the BCTGM has been successful in organizing. “We are proud to report that we have fought the exploitation of working people living in North America and have fought to change the outdated laws that promote this activity,” said Durkee.

Durkee detailed the Local 53 (New York) organizing battle that has been fought since 1999 to win justice for the bakers at J.J. Cassone Baking Company.  The union has won every court case for the last 11 years.  However, because the company has not given up on their union busting, the struggle continues.

Durkee recognized Local 53 President Narciso Martas for “never giving up” in the long J.J. Cassone campaign, noting that Martas became a union member in 1954 and has spent 56 years fighting for worker justice. “He is a shining example of how we all should be – never backing down, never quitting,” Durkee declared.

He also provided details of other organizing battles the BCTGM has been involved with in the last four years.  “I am proud that our Union has stood tall and proud with the 900 workers at Consolidated Biscuit in McComb, Ohio, in their effort to organize since 2002. 

“We are proud of our efforts to assist the 210 workers employed at Weston’s Interbake in Front Royal, Virginia, an organizing campaign that we started in 2006, where we estimate the company has spent approximately two million dollars in legal fees attempting to defend their illegal activity against their own employees,” Durkee said.

He noted with pride the two global organizing victories at Dannon Yogurt plants in Minister, Ohio and West Jordan, Utah where more than 500 workers are now represented by the BCTGM. “The assistance we received from fellow union Dannon workers from Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic was critical to our effort,” he said.

Durkee recognized BCTGM Local 401 (Salt Lake City, Utah) Financial Secretary Steven Wolfe and Local 401 members and Dannon workers Rick Durrant and Boyd Russell for their efforts during the organizing campaign in West Jordan.

He also commended BCTGM Local 70 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) for organizing three new Roskam manufacturing plants in the last four years.  Durkee noted other successful organizing efforts at Kraft Logistics, Archer Daniels Midland, Alliance One Tobacco, Bimbo Baking, Weston’s Baking, Sconza Candy, and Dean Foods.

Durkee said that while the BCTGM could celebrate such organizing success, collectively it is still not enough.  He explained that industry consolidation and technological innovation have continued at an unabated pace in the last eight years and outpaced the union’s efforts to organize, resulting in a membership decline. 

“Brothers and Sisters, the opportunity for our Union to organize is boundless if we can attain meaningful labor law reform in North America.  In spite of the mass exportation of manufacturing jobs to other countries, there are still thousands of non-union workers within our industries to organize.  In the United States, there are a total of 125,095 unorganized workers in our jurisdictions. 

In conclusion, Durkee expressed optimism for the future of the BCTGM.  “I am optimistic because of your conviction to achieve our goals and your courage to take on any fight necessary.  Next year this union will celebrate 125 years. We’re not going anywhere – we’ll be around for another 125 years.”