BCTGM Local 342: Walking the Walk in Bloomington, Ill.
Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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29 May BCTGM Local 342: Walking the Walk in Bloomington, Ill.

Posted at 10:35h in BCTGM Stewards, Education, HANDS OFF, Local Union News, Political Action by

BCTGM Local 342 (Bloomington, Ill.) knows what it means to be UNION through and through. In addition to day-to-day service and representation of the membership, the Local Unionโ€™s leaders have beenโ€ฆ

Educating Stewards

On April 5, Local 342 hosted an education conference attended by 20 new and experienced Local Union stewards, including the Local Unionโ€™s Executive Board (pictured above).

Midwest Region Intโ€™l Vice Pres. Jason Davis led the L. 342 Steward Training, with assistance from Intโ€™l Reps Ryan Hocke and Veronica Hopkins

According to Local 342 President Mike Johnson, the Local is thriving thanks to the leadership of this group. โ€œI am very proud of the longtime stewards who are committed to ongoing education, as well as the newer ones who have leaned into their roles with great enthusiasm,โ€ he says.

The training was led by Midwest Region Vice President Jason Davis, with assistance from International Representatives Veronica Hopkins and Ryan Hocke.

โ€œI would like to thank the International staff for their help and expertise, as well as President Anthony Shelton for helping us host this event,โ€ Johnson continues. โ€œIt was a great day of Union fellowship.โ€

Rallying for Union Workersโ€™ Rights

L. 342 Pres. Mike Johnson at the Bloomington, Ill. HANDS OFF Rally on April 5

After hosting the Steward Training on the morning of April 5, Local 342 President Mike Johnson headed to the HANDS OFF rally in Bloomington, Ill.

โ€œI was so proud to join the protest to protect our Union rights at the Performing Arts Center in downtown Bloomington,โ€ Johnson said. โ€œEspecially the rights of our Federal Union members, which are directly in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.โ€

Commenting on the great turnout in Bloomington, Johnson concluded โ€œit was an awesome thing to be a part of.โ€

Running for, and getting Elected to Local Government Office

On April 1, 26-year-old BCTGM Local 342 Shop Steward Tanner Starr was elected Normal Township Trustee, in a resounding sweep for working class Democrats in McLean County, Ill.

Tanner Starr, BCTGM Local 342 Shop Steward, Normal Township Trustee

Starr volunteered behind the scenes with several local political campaigns before taking on the challenge of running for office himself, and points to Union membership as an important part of his story.

โ€œBeing active in the Union has shown me the importance of organized Labor, and taught me valuable skills in mediation and cooperation,โ€ Starr says. โ€œWe couldnโ€™t have done this without the support of our local brothers and sisters in Labor.โ€

Starr is a founding member of the Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust (BNCLT), which provides affordable housing options and minor home improvement services for elderly and disabled members of the Normal Township community. Today, he lives with his wife and dog at their home in West Normal, where they plan to raise their family in the coming years.

โ€œI have lived in McLean County my whole life,โ€ Starr says. โ€œI am grateful for this opportunity to serve the community I love, and excited to get to work.โ€

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