VIDEO: Striking Local 218 Members at Hostess Brands, Emporia, KS
14 November, 2012
Hostess Continues Pattern of Misinformation
In a desperate attempt to break the solidarity and resolve of striking BCTGM members across the country, Hostess Brands is falsely claiming that its decision to close three of its bakeries -- St. Louis, Cincinnati and Seattle -- is the result of the nationwide strike against the company by BCTGM members. In fact, according to the companyβs 1113 filing with the bankruptcy court earlier this year as well as its last/best/final and non-negotiable proposal to its...
13 November, 2012
BCTGM Hostess Strike Shuts Down Major Production Plants; Workers Honor Pickets
On Friday, November 9 BCTGM members employed by Hostess Brands across the country began to strike. These workers, many of whom have worked at Hostess and its predecessor companies for decades, are on strike in response to the companyβs unilateral imposition of a horrendous contract that was rejected by 92 percent of BCTGM Hostess workers in September. NEW:November 16 Fact Sheet NEW: November 16 press statement from BCTGM International President Frank Hurt November 15Β press statement from BCTGM...
13 November, 2012
Statement by BCTGM International President Frank Hurt on President Barack Obamaβs Re-Election
βThe re-election of Barack Obama represents a major victory for this nation and working people. βPresident Obama has spent the past four years fighting to level the playing field for the American middle class.Β He has stood with working people and the labor movement time and time again on workersβ rights, workplace health and safety, job creation and economic growth.Β Today, that fight continues. Now it is time to stand with our President, united, to pursue...
07 November, 2012
5 Days Until the Election, Make Sure Your Vote Counts!
Here are SIX SIMPLE STEPS you can take on Election Day to protect your voting rights. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE LOCATION of your polling place and your correct precinct. Many have changed, and a vote at the wrong place may not be counted. BRING IDENTIFICATION TO THE POLLS, preferably a government-issued photo ID with your registered address. Check your stateβs website NOW to ensure you have the proper ID. Several states have passed strict photo ID...
01 November, 2012
Dianda’s Bakery Celebrates 50 Years of Honored Traditions
Β [caption id="attachment_2463" align="alignleft" width="195" caption="Union Member and co-owner Sergio Flores has been a baker at Dianda's for more than 30 years."][/caption] Union bakers at San Franciscoβs famous Diandaβs Italian-American Pastry Co. have been creating some of the cityβs most loved cakes and pastries since the Mission district bakery opened its doors in 1962. What is the secret to their long success? Happy workers, time-honored recipes and loyal customers. This well-loved neighborhood bakery is renowned for its immense...
24 October, 2012
AFL-CIO and Working Families Launch Crystal Sugar Boycott
With the endorsement of theΒ AFL-CIO, working families throughout the country haveΒ launchedΒ a nationwide consumer boycott of American Crystal Sugar products in response to Crystalβs Sugar 14-month lockout of 1,300 BCTGM members.Β The AFL-CIO noted that the boycott will be called off if the management of Crystal Sugar, which has denied its workers the opportunity to do their jobs, returns to the bargaining table in good faith and concludes a contract. Β This consumer boycott is part of the...
16 October, 2012
Children Speak Out Against the American Crystal Sugar Lockout
Please take a moment to watchΒ this moving video of children of locked out workers that illustrates the unnecessary human cost of corporate greed. Β American Crystal Sugar and its increasingly well-paid CEO, Dave Berg thought record profits and skyrocketing CEO pay were not enough, and instead of expressing gratitude to their workers have instead denied them the chance to work to make a living. This video, shot at East Grand Forks, MN at the American Legion on...
10 October, 2012
Tough Enough to Wear Pink: Firefighters Give Back to Communities On and Off the Job
by Tulla Connell Itβs hard to miss a burly firefighter in a bright pink T-shirt. And for tens of thousands of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union members across the country, thatβs exactly the point. When the public sees them in pink tees, they are reminded that breast cancer is a deadly disease requiring regular exams and mammograms. And they are urged to help women who canβt afford regular check-ups. Although firefighters put their lives on the line every...
27 September, 2012
MNF Disaster in Seattle in Brings More Calls to End NFL Lockout of Refs
(This is a cross-post from the AFL-CIO NOW Blog written by Mike Hall) If you were building a bridge, would you hire a work crew with a few hours of metal shop on their resumes, or trained and certifiedΒ Iron Workers? Would you go into surgery with someone who only has a CPR certificate, or a real doctor with a medical degree? If youβre NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, or one of the 32 NFL team owners, you'd go...
25 September, 2012
Mitt, Meet the 47%
AFL-CIOΒ - Just who was Mitt Romney referring to in his secretly recorded comments at a Boca Raton, Fla., fundraiser as people who donβt βtake personal responsibility and care for themselvesβ? 61 percent of them work but donβt earn enough to owe income tax. 17 percent are students (who will pay plenty of taxes once theyβre out of school), military families, people with disabilities and people who have lost their jobsβincluding victims of outsourcers like, well, Mitt Romney. 22...
19 September, 2012
BCTGM Members Reject Hostess Proposal By Over Ninety Percent
BCTGM membersΒ employed by Hostess Brands rejected the companyβs Last/Best/Final proposal by 92 percent. Union members in every region of the country and every segment of the companyβs operations overwhelmingly opposed the proposal.Β In many locations, the vote to reject the proposal was unanimous. In announcing the vote results, BCTGM International President Frank Hurt stated, βThroughout this entire bankruptcy process, I have been crystal clear with Hostess management that our members will determine the outcome.Β On August...
17 September, 2012
“We Gave 110% for Crystal Sugar”
(Tula Connell published this Blog post today on AFL-CIO-NOW) Β Despite waking up with the flu one morning this week, Bonnie Holter headed out to take part in a 6 a.m. vigil outside the home of a member of the American Crystal Sugar Co. board of directors in East Grand Forks, Minn. Tired and ready to head back to bed after returning home, she still exuded the resolve that, despite having retired from American Crystal Sugar this...
13 September, 2012
State of Working America Tracks Wealth and Income Shifts from Families to the 1%
AFL-CIO - The vast majority of America's workers have largely been shut out of the nationβs economic growth over the past three decades, reports the 12th edition of The State of Working America from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Released today and available online, the report finds that the typical American family has added hundreds of extra hours of work each year, while also earning better education credentials, yet is still struggling to keep up. The State...
12 September, 2012
Chicago Teachers Strike
(This is a cross post from BoldProgressives.org: http://boldprogressives.org/chicagos-teachers-just-went-on-strike-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-why/) Today the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) went on strike, its first action of the sort in 25 years. Why are these 29,000 teachers and school workers going on strike in the nation's third-largest public school district? Because they want what all workers want: fair pay and decent working conditions. They also want what all teachers want to serve their students to their best of their abilities. Here's a few...
10 September, 2012