Support BCTGM Workers Striking Redco Foods/Salada Tea!
BCTGM members have been on strike since November 1, 2007 against Redco Foods, makers of Salada and Red Rose teas and Junket dessert. The Local 50 members have braved frost, ice storms and blizzards to defend American living standards.
Redco/Salada, with production facilities in Little Falls NY, was bought by a German multinational company, Teekanne Group, in 1995. Management is now trying to impose inferior terms and conditions of employment on new hires that undermine those the American workforce gained over many years of hard work.
The BCTGM contract with Redco expired on July 1 2007. Months of bargaining proved fruitless as Redco management was determined to impose its giveback demands. US management, acting for the German owners, did not bargain constructively with the workers who, on average have 23 years of service to the company. So, reluctantly, union members voted to strike in defense of their living standards.
The company has responded to the strike by bringing in scabs, including technicians from Germany, and using management to keep the machines running. The company still refuses to bargain constructively, rejecting without consideration union offers of compromise
What Can You Do?
Write Redco's German owners and urge them to instruct US management to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith for a mutually acceptable contract that recognizes and respects its hard working American employees.
You can send your own message to Germany and support the Local 50 strikers by clicking here or send your own email to rainer.verstynen@teekanne.de
The basic principal at stake in the strike is simple: Working Americans should not be treated as simple commodities or soul-less wage slaves. Workers in Little Falls deserve the same rights and respect that workers in Germany get. Support the Local 50 strikers!
What is Redco Foods?
Redco Foods, Inc., manufactures and distributes three product brands from the Little Falls New York Operations Facility. Brands include Salada and Red Rose tea as well as Junket brand dessert mixes.
Redco is the Hot Tea licensee for Snapple, and distributes both Pompadour tea, Garden of the Andes tea and Teekane teas.
Customers include all major supermarket chains, specialty and natural food distributors, and northeastern foodservice distributors.
All manufacturing occurs in Little Falls, NY with US headquarters in Windsor, CT.
Who owns Redco Foods?
Teekanne Group
Redco Foods is owned by Teekanne GmbH of Dusseldorf, Germany. The privately held, family owned Teekanne Group of companies has substantial interests in the European tea industry.
'Teekanne", which means "Tea Pot", is Germany's dominant brand for both black and herbal teas. Teekanne is the premiere brand of specialty herbal and fruit teas in Europe. The Group also designs and manufactures tea bag equipment. Inventors of the flow-through tea bag, the majority of tea bags sold in the United States over the last thirty years have been manufactured using Teekanne equipment.
One of the oldest tea companies in the world, Teekanne has been under the continuous ownership of the Anders and Nissle families since 1882. Mr. Steffen Anders and Mr. Ronald Nissle represent the third generation of family executives.
CLICK HERE to send an email to Teekanne CEO, Rainer Verstynen
OR
CLICK HERE to participate via the BCTGM e-Activist Network