UPDATE: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Lawhorn and Teegardin Return to Work; CBC Workers Await Union Vote

Fired CBC workers Bill Lawhorn and Russ Teegardin will be met by co-workers when they return to work today at the Consolidated Biscuit plant in McComb, Ohio.

A rally will be held outside the plant when Lawhorn and Teegardin report to work for the first time since they were fired and led out of the facility for their support of the BCTGM.

"The return to work for Lawhorn and Teegardin symbolizes a new beginning for all CBC workers," reflects BCTGM International Representative John Price. "After a six year wait, workers here are excited because they will be able to vote for the BCTGM under the protection of the NLRB and Federal Courts."

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UPDATE: November 18, 2008

CBC Ordered to Rehire Workers, Comply with NLRB Order or Face Contempt Charges!

After more than six years, Justice will finally prevail for workers at Consolidated Biscuit Company in McComb, Ohio.

On November 14, 2008 the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered CBC to comply with the National Labor Relations Board's Decision in its entirety. This includes the reinstatement of fired BCTGM supporters Bill Lawhorn and Russ Teegardin. The Court further ordered full back-pay for both Lawhorn and Teegardin with all wages lost, plus compounded interest.

The National Labor Relations Board has informed CBC their Decision will now be enforced. If the company does not comply with the order, CBC will face Contempt Charges, which could cost the company thousands of dollars in fines and possible jail time.

The Board's Order also states the 2002 election results be set aside due to misconduct and a new election for CBC workers will be scheduled by the Regional Director.

BCTGM International President Frank Hurt reflected on this recent CBC victory and the need for labor law reform. "This is the very reason why the Employee Free Choice Act must become law. It is an absolute disgrace what these workers went through because they wanted to become members of the BCTGM and then be forced to wait more than six years for Justice to be served. It is outrageous for workers to be treated like this in modern America."

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Background

In 2002, when workers at the Consolidated Biscuit Company (CBC) plant in McComb, Ohio decided they wanted a say in the working conditions, wages and benefits that affect their lives and families, they called the BCTGM.

Despite the company's massive anti-union campaign, the majority of the more than 800 workers decided to exercise their right to form a union and signed recognition cards.

In an attempt to stop workers from exercising their legal right to sign union recognition cards, management of CBC committed numerous violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Questioning employees about their union activities, spying on union events, threatening to move or close the plant if the union is voted in and threatening to reduce or eliminate wages and/or benefits are among the 40 complaints filed against the company after more than six months of investigation by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Unfortunately, the struggles working people face are not exceptions to the rule--when a majority of workers say they want a union, employers routinely threaten their right to make their own free choice with a campaign of coercion, harassment and firings.

Ninety-one percent of employers, when faced with employees who want to join together in a union, force employees to attend closed-door meetings to hear anti-union propaganda; 80 percent require immediate supervisors to attend training sessions on how to attack unions; and 79 percent have supervisors deliver anti-union messages to workers they oversee.