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

Local 270T Wins Accretion Election in Wilson, N.C.

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 ...

08 October, 2008

Local 163 Wins Election at Bimbo Bakery in Houston by 3:1 Margin

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....

27 September, 2008

Local 68 Asks Interbake/Weston to “Count all the Votes”

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...

08 May, 2008

Local 358 Organizes Altria/Phillip Morris, their Third New Location

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. ...

08 March, 2008

More than 300 Dannon Workers in Minster, Ohio Join the BCTGM

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...

08 January, 2008

Local 358 (Richmond), Setting Goals and Making Organizing Happen!

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?  Just ask Local 358 (Richmond, Virginia) Financial Secretary Ted Constable and President Ray Daniels, because they have been there!  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. They also believed they would...

09 December, 2007

Weston’s Cake Bakery in Hazelton, Pa. Joins Local 6

BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia) organized Weston's new cake bakery in Hazelton, Pa., according to International Vice President Bob Oakley.  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. 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...

09 November, 2007