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Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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More than 3,300 union members and activists fromย 125 countries have signed messages of solidarity sent through the IUF to the BCTGM members on strike against Hostess Brands. The IUF is an global federation of trade unions that represents workers employed in the agriculture, food and beverage and tobacco industries. The BCTGM is one of ย 336 trade unions from 120 countries that belong to the IUF, which represents more than 12 million workers. It is based in...

15 November, 2012

The following statement was issued by BCTGM International Union President Frank Hurt in response to claims by Hostess Brands that it would begin liquidation should union members not end the strike and return immediately to production facilities: “The crisis facing Hostess Brands is the result of nearly a decade of financial and operational mismanagement that resulted in two bankruptcies, mountains of debt, declining sales and lost market share.  The Wall Street investors who took over the...

15 November, 2012

Below are photos of Locked-Out American Crystal Sugar workers handing out boycott information in the Red River Valley last week. ย Read more aboutย their struggle here, and click here toย sign the pledge to boycottย American Crystal Sugar! ย  ...

14 November, 2012

In a desperate attempt to break the solidarity and resolve of striking BCTGM members across the country, Hostess Brands is falsely claiming that its decision to close three of its bakeries -- St. Louis, Cincinnati and Seattle -- is the result of the nationwide strike against the company by BCTGM members. In fact, according to the companyโ€™s 1113 filing with the bankruptcy court earlier this year as well as its last/best/final and non-negotiable proposal to its...

13 November, 2012

On Friday, November 9 BCTGM members employed by Hostess Brands across the country began to strike. These workers, many of whom have worked at Hostess and its predecessor companies for decades, are on strike in response to the companyโ€™s unilateral imposition of a horrendous contract that was rejected by 92 percent of BCTGM Hostess workers in September. NEW:November 16 Fact Sheet NEW: November 16 press statement from BCTGM International President Frank Hurt November 15ย press statement from BCTGM...

13 November, 2012

โ€œThe re-election of Barack Obama represents a major victory for this nation and working people. โ€œPresident Obama has spent the past four years fighting to level the playing field for the American middle class.ย  He has stood with working people and the labor movement time and time again on workersโ€™ rights, workplace health and safety, job creation and economic growth.ย  Today, that fight continues. Now it is time to stand with our President, united, to pursue...

07 November, 2012

Here are SIX SIMPLE STEPS you can take on Election Day to protect your voting rights. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE LOCATION of your polling place and your correct precinct. Many have changed, and a vote at the wrong place may not be counted. BRING IDENTIFICATION TO THE POLLS, preferably a government-issued photo ID with your registered address. Check your stateโ€™s website NOW to ensure you have the proper ID. Several states have passed strict photo ID...

01 November, 2012

ย  [caption id="attachment_2463" align="alignleft" width="195" caption="Union Member and co-owner Sergio Flores has been a baker at Dianda's for more than 30 years."][/caption] Union bakers at San Franciscoโ€™s famous Diandaโ€™s Italian-American Pastry Co. have been creating some of the cityโ€™s most loved cakes and pastries since the Mission district bakery opened its doors in 1962. What is the secret to their long success? Happy workers, time-honored recipes and loyal customers. This well-loved neighborhood bakery is renowned for its immense...

24 October, 2012

With the endorsement of theย AFL-CIO, working families throughout the country haveย launchedย a nationwide consumer boycott of American Crystal Sugar products in response to Crystalโ€™s Sugar 14-month lockout of 1,300 BCTGM members.ย  The AFL-CIO noted that the boycott will be called off if the management of Crystal Sugar, which has denied its workers the opportunity to do their jobs, returns to the bargaining table in good faith and concludes a contract. ย  This consumer boycott is part of the...

16 October, 2012

Please take a moment to watchย this moving video of children of locked out workers that illustrates the unnecessary human cost of corporate greed. ย American Crystal Sugar and its increasingly well-paid CEO, Dave Berg thought record profits and skyrocketing CEO pay were not enough, and instead of expressing gratitude to their workers have instead denied them the chance to work to make a living. This video, shot at East Grand Forks, MN at the American Legion on...

10 October, 2012

by Tulla Connell Itโ€™s hard to miss a burly firefighter in a bright pink T-shirt. And for tens of thousands of Fire Fighters (IAFF) union members across the country, thatโ€™s exactly the point. When the public sees them in pink tees, they are reminded that breast cancer is a deadly disease requiring regular exams and mammograms. And they are urged to help women who canโ€™t afford regular check-ups. Although firefighters put their lives on the line every...

27 September, 2012

(This is a cross-post from the AFL-CIO NOW Blog written by Mike Hall) If you were building a bridge, would you hire a work crew with a few hours of metal shop on their resumes, or trained and certifiedย Iron Workers? Would you go into surgery with someone who only has a CPR certificate, or a real doctor with a medical degree? If youโ€™re NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, or one of the 32 NFL team owners, you'd go...

25 September, 2012

AFL-CIOย - Just who was Mitt Romney referring to in his secretly recorded comments at a Boca Raton, Fla., fundraiser as people who donโ€™t โ€œtake personal responsibility and care for themselvesโ€? 61 percent of them work but donโ€™t earn enough to owe income tax. 17 percent are students (who will pay plenty of taxes once theyโ€™re out of school), military families, people with disabilities and people who have lost their jobsโ€”including victims of outsourcers like, well, Mitt Romney. 22...

19 September, 2012

BCTGM membersย employed by Hostess Brands rejected the companyโ€™s Last/Best/Final proposal by 92 percent. Union members in every region of the country and every segment of the companyโ€™s operations overwhelmingly opposed the proposal.ย  In many locations, the vote to reject the proposal was unanimous. In announcing the vote results, BCTGM International President Frank Hurt stated, โ€œThroughout this entire bankruptcy process, I have been crystal clear with Hostess management that our members will determine the outcome.ย  On August...

17 September, 2012