BCTGM Local 270T (Wilson, N.C.) was forced into a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) hearing after employer Alliance One Tobacco filed a petition to clarify the bargaining unit of our BCTGM members employed at the Stantonsburg Road and South Tarboro Street (Cut Rag) facilities in Wilson, excluding the newly created Baldree Road facility, also in Wilson. In this federal hearing, the BCTGM's ...
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....
Despite a relentless anti-union campaign initiated by Weston Bakeries, including firing workers for union activity, a majority of workers at the new Interbake/Weston plant in Front Royal, Va. voted to become members of BCTGM Local 68 (Baltimore). Unfortunately, the vote is in limbo because the company is not recognizing the "yes" votes of five workers that were fired for their...
Avid readers may recall that this past December, we ran a story about an aggressive organizing approach being conducted by Local 358 (Richmond, Va.). The local's goal is to add more than 350 new members to the local by organizing members at new locations. We are pleased to report that the local has now organized their third new location! Local 358 now represents the new Altria/Philip Morris smokeless tobacco plant in Richmond. ...
More than 300 workers at the Dannon yogurt plant in Minster, Ohio became members of the BCTGM following a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election on December 6, 2007, when an overwhelming majority voted to join the BCTGM. The Dannon workers first reached out to the BCTGM through the union's online organizing contact form in early January. A group of workers...
How long does it take for a local union to add organizing to their local union philosophy and how long does it take to become successful?ย Just ask Local 358 (Richmond, Virginia) Financial Secretary Ted Constable and President Ray Daniels, because they have been there!ย After getting being elected as officers of the local, Constable and Daniels were convinced that if their local union was to survive, they would have to organize.ย They also believed they would...
BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia) organized Weston's new cake bakery in Hazelton, Pa., according to International Vice President Bob Oakley.ย The bakery is the site of the former Boboli Pizza Crust & Waffle plant (also formerly owned by Weston's), which was organized by Local 6 and the International Union on October 3, 2001.ย Boboli closed October 25, 2005. The plant remained vacant until Weston's recently moved portions of its cake lines to the Hazelton location from their facility in...
BCTGM Local 3 (Long Island City, New York City, N.Y.) successfully organized Essential Wholesale Cheesecake in Brooklyn, N.Y. Local 3 President Narciso Martas stated that it was the bread and butter issues (wages, medical coverage and pension) that lead to the successful organizing campaign which ended in recognition. Essential produces wholesale cheesecakes for the New York City Metropolitan area....
International Vice President Sean Kelly reports that Local 261T ( Quebec City, QC) has successfully organized the warehouse workers employed by Rothman, Benson & Hedges Tobacco in Montreal. These warehouse workers fill salesperson orders. The organizing campaign concluded with certification and no election, after a majority of the authorization for representation cards were provided to the Quebec Labour Board. Workers in Quebec enjoy labor laws that are very similar to provisions in the Employee Free Choice Act...
International Vice President Bob Oakley reports that the International Union and BCTGM Local 70 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) has successfully organized Roskam Baking (of Rothbury Farms). This plant is located on 44th Street in Grand Rapids. Vice President Oakley worked on the campaign and credits International Representative Jimmy Condran and Local 70 Business Agent/Financial Secretary Orin Holder with the organizing effort, which resulted in recognition. We welcome our new members from Roskam Baking into our Union!...
Region Five International Vice President Sean Kelly reports the successful ending to an organizing campaign at Kohl & Frisch Limited, a pharmaceutical distributor in Moncton, New Brunswick. The New Brunswick Labour Board (NBLB) had to decide the outcome of the election after the employer challenged one of the ballots. The NBLB ruled in favor of the union, giving the win to BCTGM Local 406 ( Moncton, NB). Vice President Kelly credits the efforts of Local 406...
BCTGM Local 280 ( Evansville, Ind.) Business Agent and Financial Secretary Dennis Howard reports that the organizing election at the ADM flour mill in Mt. Vernon, Indiana to represent the truck drivers bargaining unit was won by the Local Union. These drivers deliver flour to all of our Union bakeries. The mill is represented by BCTGM Local 315G (Mt. Vernon, Ind.)....
Region Three Vice President Jeanne Graham reports an organizing victory at Simmons Foods, a poultry feed processing mill in Fairland, Oklahoma. The group that was organized includes production workers and transport drivers. What made this campaign interesting was that Local 16G ( Kansas City, Missouri) and Local 51G (Carthage, Missouri) pooled their resources and jointly worked on the organizing effort. Graham credits Local 16G Business Agent & Financial Secretary Roger Catron and Local 51G President Tony Pugh....
The demographics of the workplace are changing rapidly in North America and the BCTGM must adapt quicker than employers to be successful in organizing. A recent organizing campaign at the captive bakery at the Fiesta Mart grocery chain in Houston, Texas, is a case in point. The bargaining unit of 131 bakers consists primarily of immigrant workers from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. According to the campaign's lead organizer, International Representative/ Organizer Cesar Calderon, the main...
Workers employed at Richmond Baking of Oregon voted overwhelmingly to join BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Ore.).ย The McMinnville, Ore. facility is one of three baking plants operated by Richmond Baking Company--the flagship plant is located in Richmond, Ind. and the East Coast operations are based in Alma, Ga. (BCTGM Local 372B represents the Indiana workers.) ย The bakery, built in 2001, produces organic cookies and crackers, cracker meal and batter mixes for both the domestic and...