Canada Bread Workers in Quebec Join BCTGM

Like most organizing campaigns, there were a lot of ups and downs for the workers of Aliments Martel, a new subsidiary of Canada Bread in Gatineau, Quebec. When workers at the Gatineau facility approached BCTGM Local 55 (Montreal, Quebec) in 2009 about joining the Union, the worker’s spirits were high. They knew that the BCTGM represented Canada Bread workers across Canada and had a long, stable relationship with the company.  That seemed to bode well for...

05 October, 2010

13 Safeway Sanitation Workers join Local 114, Portland, Ore.

BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Ore.) won an organizing election to represent 13 sanitation workers employed at the BCTGM represented captive Safeway Bakery in Portland. This sanitation department has never been union. The result of the election was 10 (Union Yes) to 2 no votes. Incredibly, Safeway used anti-union attorneys on their campaign and brought in two high-ranking corporate management persons from California and Oregon...

08 June, 2010

Local 464 Welcomes Grounds Keepers at the new Hershey Country Club, Hummelstown, Pa.

BCTGM Region Two Vice President Robert Oakley reports that Local 464 (Hershey, Pa.) has organized the grounds keepers at the new Hershey Country Club in Hummelstown, Pa. and the maintenance workers, electricians, housekeeping, cooks and wait staff at the new Hershey Villas in Hershey. Local 464 signed a majority status on authorization-for-representation cards and was granted recognition by the employer, thus avoiding an expensive and unnecessary anti-union campaign. Both of these bargaining units...

08 April, 2010

AIS Hazardous Waste workers join Local 406, New Brunswick

Canadian Vice President Sean Kelly reports that BCTGM Local 406 (Moncton, New Brunswick) has successfully organized the workers at Atlantic Industrial Services (AIS), which is a Division of Enviro-Systems (ESI).  AIS is located in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  ESI is one of the largest handlers of hazardous waste in Atlantic Canada providing a full range of disposal options for all hazardous and regulated wastes. ...

08 March, 2010

Local 358 (Richmond, Va.) Gains Additional Land-O-Sun Members

In the April 2009 organizing report, we had reported that BCTGM Local 358 (Richmond, VA) had organized more than 100 dairy workers employed at Land-O-Sun Dairy (a subsidiary of dairy giant Dean Foods) in Richmond, Va.  This dairy produces all varieties of fresh milk under private label brands.  More than 70 percent voted “Union Yes” in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election and ...

08 February, 2010

Bimbo Bakery Office Workers Join Local 85 (Sacramento, Calif.)

BCTGM Local 85 (Sacramento, Calif.) has successfully organized the office workers employed at Bimbo Baking USA, (a division of Grupo Bimbo), in Sacramento. Bimbo Baking manufactures Arnold's, Bimbo, Boboli, Brownberry, Entenmann's, Francisco, Friehofer's, Marinela, Mrs. Baird's, Oroweat, Stroehmann's, Thomas' and Tia Rosa baking brands and is one of the largest wholesale baking companies in the United States. Local 85 Financial Secretary Marty Zimmerman had led this organizing effort. Congratulations to Local 85...

08 January, 2010

Caravan Bakers in Union City, Calif. Join Local 24

BCTGM Region Six International Vice President Randy Roark is pleased to report that BCTGM Local 24 (San Francisco) has successfully organized the new Caravan Baking Company production facility in Union City, California.  The bargaining unit will include all production, wrapping, shipping and receiving, maintenance and sanitation departments. The new bakery already employs 75 bakers who produce Oroweat Sandwich Thins for Bimbo Baking Company.  Local 24 ...

08 December, 2009

JAG Foods Re-Opens Closed Bakery, Grants Union Recognition without an Election

When a production plant that employs BCTGM members closes its doors, does the local just say farewell to those workers? According to BCTGM Region 1 Vice President Art Montminy maintaining support of such members can pay off. Montminy says that an example of such dedication was recently exemplified by Local 102 (New York, NY). In January, the Angonoa Bread Sticks production bakery in College ...

08 November, 2009

Roskam Certification Illustrates Democracy at Work

Just a year after Local 70 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) organized Roskam Baking Company's new cereal plant in Grand Rapids, the company has voluntarily recognized the local union at its new candy manufacturing facility. In 2008, representatives from Local 70--which has had a decades-long relationship with the company at facilities throughout Michigan--approached Roskam management about voluntarily recognizing the union at the new facility. Initially the company refused, however it allowed...

08 October, 2009

100 Workers at Land-O-Sun Join Local 358, Richmond, Va.

Pass the BCTGM-made milk to enjoy with your BCTGM-made cookies or cereal. On March 17, more than 100 workers at Land-O-Sun Dairy in Richmond, Va. voted to join BCTGM Local 358 (Richmond). Land-O-Sun Dairy, a subsidiary of dairy giant Dean Foods, produces all varieties of fresh milk under private label brands. Land-O-Sun Dairy, which was acquired by Dean Foods in 1998, has dairies in several other states, including Tennessee, Georgia,...

08 April, 2009

Safeway Bakers in Santa Clara and Navato, Calif. Join Local 24

BCTGM Local 24 (San Francisco, CA) has organized the Safeway in-store bakeries in Santa Clara (store #763) and Navato (store #2828), California. The organizing campaigns were lead by Local 24 Financial Secretary Joe Biringer and his staff, according to Region 6 International Vice President Randy Roark. The BCTGM welcomes the new Safeway retail bakers into our Union!...

08 March, 2009

Local 55 Welcomes New Members at Saputo Boulangerie in Gatineau, Quebec

BCTGM Local 55 (Laval, Quebec) has organized the warehouse and in-store bakery workers employed at Saputo Boulangerie in Gatineau, Quebec. According to Region Five Vice President Sean Kelly, the successful organizing effort was led by Local 55 Financial Secretary & Business Agent Martin Cayer. Kelly also reported that Local 406 (Moncton, New Brunswick) organized the thrift store workers employed by the Canada Bread Thrift Store (#491) in Moncton. This...

08 February, 2009

Smith’s Bakers in Los Lunas and Albuquerque, NM Join Local 351

BCTGM Local 351 (Albuquerque, NM) has remained busy organizing, according to Region Six Vice President Randy Roark. The local union has organized two new in-store retail bakeries at Smiths Food & Drugs, located in Los Lunas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Los Lunas location is a new Tortillaria or Mexican in-store bakery. Local 351 President & Business Agent Earl Reed, who headed up both...

08 January, 2009

Lawhorn and Teegardin Return to Work; CBC Workers Await Union Vote

Fired workers Bill Lawhorn and Russ Teegardin were met by co-workers when they returned to work on December 4 at the Consolidated Biscuit Company plant in McComb, Ohio. A rally was held outside the plant when Lawhorn and Teegardin reported to work for the first time since they were fired and led out of the facility for their support of the BCTGM ...

08 December, 2008

BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Oregon) Now Represents the Sanitors at Bimbo Bakeries/Oroweat in Beaverton, Oregon

On September 26, 2008, BCTGM Local 163 (Houston, Texas) won the organizing election at the Bimbo Baking Company Warehouse in Houston. The election was won by a 3:1 margin. This organizing campaign was lead by Local 163 Financial Secretary Donald Pierce, according to BCTGM Region Four Vice President Tony Johnson. Region Six Vice President Randy Roark reports that effective October 5, BCTGM Local 114...

08 November, 2008