041: BCTGM Local Unions on the Importance of Affiliating with State Federations and Central Labor Bodies
Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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041: BCTGM Local Unions on the Importance of Affiliating with State Federations and Central Labor Bodies

Date

October 11, 2025

Category
Leadership, Podcast, Politics

In 2022, the AFL-CIO Executive Board established a commission on strengthening state federations and area and central labor councils, with the purpose of recommending ways to modernize and revitalize these organizations.

 

Given the tremendous collaboration with the area Councils and State Feds during the BCTGM’s high profile strikes in 2021 and 2022β€”namely at FritoLay, Nabisco and Kellogg’sβ€”AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler asked President Shelton to be a commissioner in this endeavor.

 

Shelton was among a select group of AFL-CIO Executive Council members to conduct site visits throughout the U.S. to facilitate discussions with Union members. He also incorporated messaging to BCTGM members at regional meetings, telling them, β€œthe good and admirable work done by state federations and CLCs benefits EVERY BCTGM Local Unionβ€”whether the Local is a dues-paying affiliate or not.”

 

Shelton reminded BCTGM Local Union leaders that if we are not contributing, we are β€œfree loaders” and no different than those workers in right-to-work states who won’t join the Union but claim all the benefits.

 

A handful of years later, the BCTGM Voices Project rounded up several Local Union leaders to offer more on what that contribution looks like.

 

Guests:

  • Taylor Almond – Financial Secretary/Principal Officer, BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Ore.); sits on the Executive Board for the Northwest Oregon Labor Council as well as the state level Oregon AFL-CIO,
  • Kevin Bradshaw – Member, BCTGM Local 252G (Memphis, Tenn.); President of the Memphis and West Tennessee Central Labor Council and Vice President for the state level Tennessee AFL-CIO.
  • Wally Borgan – President, BCTGM Local 22 (Minneapolis, Minn.) talks about being affiliated with the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation and the state level Minnesota AFL-CIO.
  • Jake Watkins – Financial Secretary, BCTGM Local 372A (Indianapolis, Ind.); Recording Secretary for both the Central Indiana AFL-CIO and the Hoosier Heartland Labor Federation.
  • Mark Lee – Financial Secretary/Principal Officer, BCTGM Local 57 (Columbus, Ohio); Vice President of the Central Ohio Labor Council, AFL-CIO, also affiliates with the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council and the state level Ohio AFL-CIO.