29 Oct BCTGM Organizes Fourth High Performance Bimbo USA Bakery
Today, workers at the Bimbo Bakeries USA high performance facility in Elkhart, Indiana voted to become members of BCTGM Local 1 (Chicago). This is the fourth Bimbo high performance workplace the Union has organized in the last 22 months.
In 2010, Bimbo Bakeries USA announced it would invest one billion dollars into upgrading and building new high performance bakeries in the United States.ย Bimbo built four brand new high performance bakeries in Rockwall, Texas; Lehigh Valley, Pa., Topeka, Kansas and Elkhart, Indiana.
In the winter of 2012, BCTGM successfully organized the plant in Rockwall and went on to negotiate an outstanding first contract for the new members of Local 111.
In August 2013, the BCTGM organized the high performance bakery in Lehigh Valley and the proud members of Local 6 (Philadelphia) are enjoying the benefits of their first BCTGM contract.
In the fall of 2013, workers from the Topeka bakery reached out to the BCTGM through the Internationalโs website, requesting help organizing their high performance workplace. Local 218 representatives went on to successfully organize the facility in January of this year.
The new members of Local 1 in Elkhart mark the fourth and final new Bimbo high performance workplaces to join the BCTGM.
Reflecting on the importance of the efforts to organize all of the new Bimbo bakeries, BCTGM International President David Durkee said, โAmazing! Congratulations to all of the organizers who have worked so hard on these campaigns in the last 22 months!โ
The lead organizer for the campaign in Elkhart was International Representative Dennis Howard and the campaign coordinator was Director of Organization John Price.
Local 1 organizers, who were vital to the success of this campaign, included President Donald Woods, Recording Secretary Beth Zavala, Organizer Rochelle Ross and Financial Secretary-Treasurer John Howard.