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Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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On April 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) substantially weakened workplace protections for essential infrastructure workers โ€“ like BCTGM members โ€“ from COVID-19. The new CDC guidelines for businesses allows employers to require workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 to continue to work following exposure, provided they remain asymptomatic and some additional precautions are implemented. โ€œThis recommendation to put essential workers back to work after being exposed to COVID-19 is irresponsible and...

10 April, 2020

Payroll Tax Cut Scheme is a Severe Threat to Social Securityย  The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding President Trumpโ€™s April 7 statement that he supports cutting the payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.  โ€œDuring President Trumpโ€™s press conference yesterday with members of the Coronavirus Task Force, he made cavalier yet deeply disturbing comments that a permanent payroll tax cut would be a...

08 April, 2020

A new inspector general report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirms what frontline workers at hospitals have been saying for weeks: Hospitals across America do not have the supplies they need to fight the coronavirus.  Instead of trying to shift blame or continue to jeopardize state preparedness, the Trump administration must make up lost groundโ€”and fastโ€”to get supplies to hospitals.  Meanwhile, big businesses like Amazon have failed to prevent the spread of COVID-19...

08 April, 2020

byย the Union Veterans Councilย  COVID-19 - Experts tell us, social distancing is our strongest life-saving tool when it comes to fighting the novel coronavirus, but for veterans, social distancing isn't as easy as it may be for others. Along with social distancing, many are facing sudden job loss and loss of wages during this pandemic, creating the "perfect storm" for a mental health crisis in our veteran's community. A large number of veterans are at risk of...

04 April, 2020

Frontline workers in food manufacturing, in distribution centers, stocking shelves at grocery stores and delivering food have become a lifeline for millions of working people who are staying home during the COVID-19 crisis. Jobs Report Payrolls dropped by 701,000 in March, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent from 3.5 percent. Businesses who receive federal funding from the CARES Act have a legal and moral responsibility to put their payroll before profits....

03 April, 2020

This official obituary for President Durkee appears in the Evansville, Ind. Courier Press Evansville - David Butler Durkee departed this life at home, surrounded by his family, on March 30, 2020. He was born in Cortland, NY on Oct. 11, 1953, to the late William and Marguerite (Butler) Durkee. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 46 years, Sharon (Jordan) Durkee; his daughter Kristen Burnett (Jim); sons Joshua Durkee (Becky) and Colin Durkee (Lauren);...

03 April, 2020

Democratic congressional leaders are working now on the next emergency legislation to deal with the catastrophic economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Schumer are fully supportive of laborโ€™s call for including multiemployer pension relief as a top priority in the next round of stimulus and recovery legislation. Labor had fought to include multiemployer pension relief in the most recent stimulus legislation, but Senate Republican Leader McConnell blocked...

02 April, 2020

From Pittsburgh trash collectors and Amazon warehouse pickers, to Instacart shoppers and Whole Foods workers, workers throughout the U.S. have either walked off the job or held protests for higher pay and better protections during the coronavirus pandemic. Read this article by Dave Jamieson about how nonunion workers are rising up and demanding safe workplaces during this global health crisis. The pandemic has revealed just how poorly many companies treat their employees. Will workers continue...

02 April, 2020

โ€œBrother Durkee was the definition of a true union activist and fought to protect his members at every turn. I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in the fight against corporations who outsourced jobs overseas. He was a tireless advocate who was committed to the principles of the labor movement. The news of his passing hurt myself and our IAM family deeply. We offer our thoughts and prayers to Davidโ€™s family...

31 March, 2020

Press Release MARCH 31, 2020 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today, mourning the passing of BCTGM International Union President David B. Durkee: โ€œDavid Durkee was one of my heroes in the labor movement. He fought like a lion on behalf of his members, unafraid to take on giant international corporations with courage, conviction and determination to preserve their jobs, their pensions and their communities. His ability to...

31 March, 2020

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the passing of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) President David B. Durkee: AFL-CIO 3/31/20 Statement  The entire labor movement is saddened by the death of Dave Durkee. We have lost a brother, a friend and a fierce defender of working families. Dave spent his life fighting for workersโ€™ rights and advocating for a fair and just society. His dedication to our movement and our...

31 March, 2020

The BCTGM International Union is deeply saddened to announce the passing of BCTGM International Union President David B. Durkee, who died March 30 after a long and valiant battle with cancer. He was 66. Brother Durkee's distinguished 47-year career as a member and leader of the BCTGM was marked by an unwavering, untiring and relentless commitment to protecting and advancing the rights and standard of living of union members and their families. There was no fight...

30 March, 2020

While the vast majority of companies that employ BCTGM members have enacted new emergency policies to protect the health and welfare of its workers during the Coronavirus pandemic, a few have not. One such company is the Sara Lee Frozen Bakery in Traverse City, Michigan. Owned by the $7.5 billion private equity firm Kohlberg and Company, management has not offered any added protections or incentives to workers who have continued to work as part of the...

30 March, 2020

COVID-19 is a new disease and we are still learning much about it, including how it spreads. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has developed a training tool that is designed to aid in the development of awareness-level courses for workers in a broad array of industries and will be updated with new information as the situation evolves. COVID-19 is a new disease and we are still learning much about it, including how...

30 March, 2020