John was one of the first hired at Weston's Interbake facility in Front Royal, Virginia. Being a shop steward when he worked in Pennsylvania he knew what to do when his co-workers and he were being treated like stray dogs. The lack of dignity, justice and respect was enough for the workers to take action. John spoke with several of his co-workers about forming a union. Several of these co-workers use to be members of the BCTGM Local 68 and John realize this was the best union to represent workers at Weston-Interbake. After several discussions they called Local 68 Officer Gary Oskoian and requested help. John being a proud American citizen and an ex-union shop-steward thought he was protected to form a union.
John realized real quick the difference of walking into an all ready union shop and the hard work and egregious behavior by employers who fight to keep workers oppressed and quiet. Weston-Interbake management tried to set John up and fire him in the 2006-2007 organizing campaign and he was grateful the BCTGM for standing up for him and by filing unfair labor practice charges. John and his co-workers seen first hand the power through Solidarity with the more than 5500 BCTGM Weston employees supporting Front Royal workers. In a settlement reached with the United States National Labor Relations Board, Interbake managers had to; expunge a couple of bogus discipline write-ups in John's work record. Post up a sixty day Government Notice informing all Weston-Interbake workers employed at Front Royal, VA their rights to organize and they would remove John and other union activist writes ups from their files.
John was and is a very well liked person both outside and inside the Bakery. He has personally taken the time to pray with several workers who were going through rough times in their own lives. He is unselfish in this way and cares about all Interbake workers.
Needless to say in 2008, John Robinson was willing and ready to take a leadership role in organizing with Local 68. John was injured at work but never missed a day and did whatever job he was assigned. All of John's co-workers were content with his leadership and knowledge about the Union, the were also conscience that management was out to get him. In fact the day supervisors found out that they finally got John and he was not only unjustly, unlawfully fired but management continued to act very unprofessional with their reactions to a good person losing his livelihood.
On the day of election John and other Fired workers were treated like escaped prisoners. Weston's Managers, Attorneys and Security Guards attempted to block John and other Interbake workers form their American right to Vote. BCTGM Representatives were successful in getting these workers into the building so they could cast their ballots. However, the company refused to allow these ballots to be counted.
Work is hard to find right now the economy is slow and NAFTA surely doesn't help. Interbake proved they would stop at nothing to try to keep us from our American right to form a Union, including breaking the law.
All of this just proves one thing, America needs UNIONS and the laws need to be reformed to reflect what the majority of other countries have Employee Free Choice!
