My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing.- Mother Jones Solidarity remains steadfast on the Local 218 Frito Lay strike line outside the plant in Topeka, Kansas as the fight for a fair contract enters its third week. The...
On July 5, more than 600 BCTGM Local 218 members at the Topeka, Kansas Frito Lay plant went out on strike against one of Americaβs largest snack makers. Workers at the plant have been pushed to exhaustion and frustration with a company that refuses to address their concerns. This is the first of a BCTGM blog series that will introduce some of the hardworking Local 218 members on strike and walking the picket line outside...
Kensington, Md., July 12, 2021 β Anthony Shelton, International President of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) issued the following statement on the strike by Local 218 members at the Frito Lay facility in Topeka, Kansas impacting more than 800 workers: βWe stand in solidarity with the hardworking men and women of BCTGM Local 218 on strike against Frito Lay. These families have the International Unionβs unwavering support as they stand...
From chips, pies and cookies to ice cream cones, hot dog and hamburger buns and soda, products made by BCTGM members are essential ingredients for summertime fun. The products listed on these pages are just some of the BCTGM-Made-In-North America products produced by hardworking union members. This list is not inclusive of every BCTGM local or union-made product (we do not have enough space to list them all!). BCTGM members work for hundreds of North...
Cookies, pies, muffins, artesian breads, cakes, cheese cakes, bagels and numerous other specialty bakery items sold in 106 Wegmans stores are proudly made by hard-working BCTGM Local 116 (Auburn, N.Y.) workers at the companyβs flagship bakery in Rochester, N.Y. Carlos Andujar (Breads, Local 116 President) and Ray Colon (shop co-chair)Corelis Matos Ross, Fardosa Said, Rodha Said, and Justina Nwamadi (Sweets)Jose Gonzalez and Alexander Daniel (Parbake)Rosa West and Val Wheems (Sweets)Vahid Begovic (Shipping) There are 424 union...
Two BCTGM local unions represent workers at several chemical companies all located within a sprawling 400-acre industrial complex in a remote corner of Shelby County, Tennessee. Local 407G (Memphis, Tenn.) members at Plaskolite manufacture continuous cast acrylic sheet used for spas and baths, as well as clear museum and frame grade acrylic sheet. According to Local 407G President Terry Howard, the plant ramped up production throughout the pandemic to provide acrylic sheets to retail stores, schools,...
"If thereβs one thing I could say that really shaped who I am today as a person, it would be growing up in a union family."- BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton, June 2021 BCTGM President's Message My father, Walter Shelton, started working at Colonial Bakery in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1952. It was a tough job, working six days a week. It was a great union job with good pay and benefits to raise a family. My father...
When Thomasβ English Muffin bakery was built in 1977, it brought good-paying bakery jobs to workers in the Frederick, Maryland area. For more than 40 years, BCTGM Local 68 (Baltimore, Md.) has proudly represented workers at the bakery where union members produce1.8 million packages of Original βNooks & Cranniesβ English Muffins per week. Recently, BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton accompanied Local 68 Financial Secretary Gary Oskoian and Business Agent Rodney Lightfoot to the bakery for a tour...
The BCTGM International Union awards five scholarship prizes to members, or children of members, each year worth $5,000. The program is a tribute to the legacy of President Durkee and the high value he placed on learning and education. The 2021 Winners include: Summer Clair, daughter of Local 403 (Kingston, Ontario) member Gerard Clair, who works for George Weston Limited in Kingston. Summer will attend Algonquin College. Kyla Pham, daughter of Local 374G (Lancaster, Pa.) member Chieu Pham,...
βI come from a union family and unionism is in my blood. I am not just a union member β but I live a union life, through and through. It is who I am.β -Bill Andre, Local 116 (Auburn, N.Y.) Business Agent/Financial Secretary. Andre was born and raised in Auburn, located in Cayuga County on the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, in Central New York. He takes great pride in noting...
βEducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the worldβ β Nelson Mandela Local 125 (San Leandro, Calif.) members Tony Deng and Janet Deng began working at the Ghirardelli Chocolate factory in San Leandro in 1994. Tony is a machine operator and has worked at the plant for 26 years. Janet, also a machine operator, retired in 2020 after 25 years.Their good union jobs, together with their hard work and dedication, have...
βI love my job. There is always something that makes my work interesting and challenging. In a way, my job is just an elevated shop steward position. Just like my years as a shop steward, I am helping out union members all day, every day,β concludes Gomez. Sixteen years ago, Rudy Gomez took a job at the Safeway wholesale bread plant and warehouse in Richmond, Calif. and began a union career that would lead him to...
Who is going to fire the bosses? Who is going to discipline those that harass all of us? I told everyone, βuntil we get a union, this is never going to be a good or fair place to work.β The workers at Blues City Brewing Company overcame a ruthless, anti-union campaign and voted on December 10, 2020 to join BCTGM Local 149 (Memphis, Tenn.). However, Jasmine White was fired before she could vote UNION YES. As a...
βIf the pension legislation had not passed, it would have affected all of us Local 114 Bakers Union retirees, and I do not deserve to live on less. It would be a disgrace after all the years I worked hard for my pension. I gave up wages so I would have my pension.β β Local 114 retiree Daniel Berg worked at the Safeway Clackamas bread plant for 36 years before retiring in 2006. βIβve appreciated collecting my...
President Joe Biden on Tuesday continued his support of pro-union actions by calling for the House to pass the Protect the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) to make it easier for workers to unionize. Biden strongly encouraged the House of Representatives to "pass the PRO Act," a bill that he said would strengthen unions and "dramatically enhance the power of workers to organize and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions." ...