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Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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Yesterday afternoon, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the University of Chicago as part of a 4-day educational tour discussing the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). When he arrived, Trudeau was greeted outside by BCTGM Nabisco 600 workers and union activists who called on the Canadian Prime Minister to demand labor protections in any renegotiation of the flawed trade agreement. Demonstrators rallied on behalf of American jobs and urged Trudeau to fight for...

08 February, 2018

On Saturday, February 3, BCTGM Local 22 joined forces with the Minnesota AFL-CIO and the greater Twin Cities labor community in support of Franklin Street Bakery workers at A Taste of Justice. The event represented the bakery workersโ€™ response to the Taste of the NFL party hosted on the same day by their part-owner, Wayne Kostroski. BCTGM Local 22 President Bruce Peglow reported tremendous support from the labor/progressive community in the Twin City area, with an...

05 February, 2018

In January, more than 3,000 BCTGM members and retirees sent email messages to members of the U.S. Senate urging their support for theย Butch Lewis Act of 2017 (S.2147). The Butch Lewis Act of 2017ย would put pension plans back on solid footing, ensure they can meet their obligations to current retirees and workers for decades to come without cutting the benefits retirees earned, and safeguard them for the future. Email your Senators TODAY and add your voice: Please...

02 February, 2018

"NAFTA talks need to take a look at Mexico keeping wages down to compete with the U.S. and Canada." Checkย out this BBC World News report with AFL-CIOโ€™s trade and globalization policy specialist Celeste Drake as she discusses the latest as the sixth round of NAFTA talks wrap up in Montreal.   [video width="720" height="576" mp4="http://www.bctgm.org/media/2018/02/drake-v2-BBC_World_News-2018-01-29_14-31-24.mp4"][/video]  ...

02 February, 2018

The Mexican government has filed legislation that would substantially weaken rights for working people. In response, the AFL-CIOย filedย a complaintย alleging that Mexico is violating the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation, the NAFTA labor side deal. Mexicoโ€™s bill would lock in low wages and poor working conditions. It also would frustrate legitimate unions' efforts to negotiate together on behalf of Mexican workers, who work the longest hours for the lowest pay among all countriesย that are members of...

27 January, 2018

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report on union membership, which found that the number of union members rose by 260,000 in 2017. This reflects critical organizing victories across a range of industries, which have reaped higher wages, better benefits, and a more secure future for working people around the country. โ€œIn the face of a challenging year, the power of working people is on the rise,โ€ said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. โ€œTogether,...

19 January, 2018

The Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, has sent a letter to the CEO of the Super Bowl Host Committee, condemning the actions of "Taste of the NFL"ย  director and Franklin Street Bakery owner Wayne Kostroski. "For more than a year, Franklin Street Bakery workers have been exploring whether to exercise their freedom to form a union so they can have a voice in the workplace and negotiate for a better life for...

12 January, 2018

Under the Trump administration, the number of federal workplace safety inspectors has sharply declined. Since President Donald Trump took office, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lost 40 inspectors through attrition and as of October 2, has not hired new inspectors to fill the vacancies, according to data obtained by NBC News. According the the findings of NBC, the departing inspectors made up 4 percent of the OSHA's total federal inspection force, which fell below 1,000...

10 January, 2018

It is vital that Congress address the nationโ€™s growing pension funding crisis. The BCTGM believes that a legislative solution which provides pension plans with the funding necessary for long-term solvency without forcing trustees to reduce participantsโ€™ hard-earned pension benefits would be an important first step. After careful and comprehensive analysis, the BCTGM has determined that theย Butch Lewis Act of 2017 (S.2147)ย is the most effective legislative proposal to address the pension crisis. Email your U.S. Senators urging them...

05 January, 2018

A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Just Born against BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia) workers who went on strike in 2016. In a 15-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl ruled on December 29 that the company failed to prove that the Local 6 members violated a no-strike clause in the collective bargaining agreement. About 400 Local 6 members went on strike on September 7, 2016.ย Workers returned to work in late October 2016, although...

04 January, 2018

As BCTGM members and their families prepare to celebrate the holidays and welcome a New Year, we can look back at 2017 as a source of pride and optimism for our Union. While the BCTGM and our members certainly continue to confront serious and difficult challenges, we head into 2018 fully prepared to take whatever action is necessary to improve the lives of our members and bring the benefits of BCTGM membership to more workers...

20 December, 2017

In less than two months, Superbowl 52 will be held in Minnesota. As part of the festivities, a charity called โ€œTaste of the NFLโ€ will hold a party with the rich and famous to raise money for food shelves to help โ€œKick Hunger.โ€ Raising money for food shelves is a great cause, but โ€œTaste of the NFLโ€ Executive Director Wayne Kostroskiย  reportedly pays workers at his Franklin Street Bakery so little that they must use these...

19 December, 2017

Plan to buy gifts to give this holiday season? If you buy union, you’re helping keep good jobs in America and supporting businesses that pay working families a living wage with benefits. Union-made gifts and services can be hard to find. Here are some ideas to consider: Clothing American Rootswear is 100% American Made, Union Made! The company mission: “To create good jobs in the United States, deliver a quality product, have a commitment to our community, our...

18 December, 2017

Days after Congressman John Lewis stood with Nabisco workers and faith leaders in Washington to release the IWJ report on Mondelez/Nabisco outsourcing, Representatives Donald McEachin (D-Va.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.) have sent a joint letter to U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer urging a dramatic NAFTA rewrite. McEachin and Lewis are asking for strong, enforceable labor standards that raise wages in Mexico, reduce incentives for outsourcing to companies such as Mondelez/Nabisco, encourage domestic investment and support American...

15 December, 2017

During a press conference held at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington D.C., Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) released a detailed report, โ€œBreaking Faith: Outsourcing and the Damage Done to our Communitiesโ€ย  that reveals the impact of Mondรฉlez-Nabiscoโ€™s outsourcing and exploitation of workers in both the U.S. and Mexico. Over the last several months, Interfaith Worker Justice led a coalition of faith and labor representatives to cities where BCTGM members produce Nabisco products at Mondรฉlez-Nabisco bakeries.ย  In each locationโ€”...

12 December, 2017