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Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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In 2011, 4,693 workers were killed on the job, according to a new AFL-CIO report, “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.” That is an average of thirteen workers every day. In addition, another estimated 50,000 die every year from occupational diseases – an average of 137 a day, bringing the total worker fatalities to 150 a day.  North Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and Arkansas had the highest workplace fatality rates, while New Hampshire, Rhode...

07 May, 2013

BCTGM represented bakers can be found in Safeway bakeries from coast to coast. From intricately decorated cakes for every special occasion, to delectable fruit pies and gourmet cookies, the union bakers take pride in the products they provide. Featured here are the dedicated and proud bakers of Local 85 (Sacramento, Calif.) in Safeway bakeries in Fairfield and Sacramento, California. [caption id="attachment_3230" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Debra Colvin decorates a special order cake at the Fairfield bakeryKristopher Brady (left) and Kent...

03 May, 2013

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), crippled by a January court ruling against two recess appointees, has the potential to get back to full strength if the Senate confirms nominations President Barack Obama made April 9. Previous attempts to fill the NLRB have failed over congressional opposition to Board actions and Obama's nominees. The President's move to nominate a full five members to the Board comes on the heels of a possible vote in the House...

01 May, 2013

"MARKET GAINS PUMP CEO PAY – Corporate chiefs pull in $50 million or more" - USA Today, 3/21/13 "Last year I attended a Thanksgiving dinner at Harris Elementary School…in Decatur (IL), where I learned that 92 percent of the kids are on free or reduced-cost lunches."  —Howard G. Buffett, leading advocate for U.S. and global hunger relief and son of  Warren Buffett, USA Today, 12/2/12 __________________________________________ Corporate CEO’s take home tens of millions of dollars a year and...

30 April, 2013

Jackie Tortora, AFL-CIO In response to Metropoulos & Co. CEO C. Dean Metropoulos' statement to The Wall Street Journal that the company will not hire union workers when reopening four former Hostess Brands bakeries, BCTGM International President David B. Durkee issued the following statement on behalf of all BCTGM members: The BCTGM is pleased to see that Hostess Brands LLC, the newly formed snack cake company created by Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co, has announced...

26 April, 2013

In January, BCTGM President David B. Durkee sat down for a 2-part interview with Joshua Sosland of Milling & Baking News to speak from the Union’s perspective on the ongoing situation at Hostess. In part one of this interview, Sosland focuses on Durkee’s background and the philosophy of the Union. “The philosophy always was and remains, ‘It’s all about the members.’ That was drilled through us every single day. “And retired BCTGM President Frank Hurt, to the very...

02 April, 2013

Ursula Zerilli, MLive.com KALAMAZOO, MI – Daniel Wood used to carry extra baking tools in his back pack, but lately the Panera Bread lead baker dons a briefcase full of legal paperwork. Wood, who works at the Panera Bread franchise on West Main Street, has become a leader of sorts of 17 bakers from six Panera Bread franchises in Kalamazoo, Portage, Battle Creek, Jackson and St. Joseph, who were the first in the country to unionize...

28 March, 2013

Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain has approved the sale of the sweet cake business formerly operated by Hostess Brands, clearing the way for Twinkies and other brands to return to shelves. Hostess Brands Inc. is selling the Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos brands, to Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. for $410 million. Metropoulos has said it hopes to have the snack cakes back in stores by this summer. The judge also approved the sale Hostess...

19 March, 2013

Silver Spring, MD, March 14, 2013 – National Labor College (NLC) is pleased to announce the election of Bakery, Confectionery Tobacco and Grain Millers International Union President David B. Durkee to its Board of Trustees. "David has been a union activist his entire life, fighting for workers and standing up to corporations. His strong leadership skills have helped guide the BCTGM through some incredibly difficult recent struggles," said AFL-CIO President and Chairperson of the NLC Board...

16 March, 2013

By Bruce Vail, Working in These Times Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced an expanded package of benefits for more than 18,000 workers fired from their jobs at Hostess Brands, the company famous for producing Wonder Bread and Twinkies. The workers—formerly employed in 864 separate Hostess locations in 48 states—were summarily fired last November when company managers rather than reach an agreement with striking members of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers...

26 February, 2013

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that approximately 18,000 workers laid off in 48 states from 864 Hostess company locations are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance.  “As President Obama said in his State of the Union address, ‘to grow our middle class, our citizens must have access to the education and training that today’s jobs require,’ ” said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. “Trade Adjustment Assistance enables workers to...

20 February, 2013

By Dave Jamieson, Huffington Post Kathleen VonEitzen heads into work at 10 p.m. with a long night ahead of her. A trained baker, VonEitzen spends the evening and early morning hours cutting and shaping trays full of dough, shuffling between multiple ovens, and constantly checking her crusts until they're browned just right. She pulls hundreds of fresh baguettes, bagels, cookies and scones from the ovens until her shift finally ends around dawn. VonEitzen, 55, doesn't work in...

19 February, 2013

The Gordian Group's Peter Kaufman, who is assisting the BCTGM and the B&C Pension Fund during the sale of Hostess, appeared on CNBC on Tuesday to offer the latest on the sale of the brands and the BCTGM's position for potential buyers.   Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy...

07 February, 2013

“When the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union drew a line in the sand in November and said it would rather risk liquidation, it was over. It was a principled position that the brands would do better with a fresh start and new management.” Read this New York Times piece from STEVEN M. DAVIDOFF that examines liquidation not as what killed Hostess, but rather the only thing that could have saved it. PDF: bctgm.org/PDFs/NYTimes_Feb5-2013.pdf Permalink:...

06 February, 2013

Kensington, MD, January 30, 2013 - In Response to the Announcement of Stalking Horse Bidder Apollo Global Management LLC and C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. for the Majority of Snack Cake Businesses in the Hostess Liquidation, BCTGM International President David B. Durkee Issued the Following Statement on Behalf of all BCTGM Members: “We share these bidders’ goal of quickly restoring Twinkies®, CupCakes®, Ding Dongs® and Ho Hos®, among others, to shelves across America, and view new, serious...

31 January, 2013