BCTGM: Justice for Wendy's Bakers!

Working Without a Contract, Bakers Take Fight to the Streets

January 19, 2010

For decades, BCTGM Local 57 (Columbus, Ohio) members in Zanesville, Ohio have produced the buns that are used in Wendy’s restaurants across the United States. Now, after months of fruitless negotiations and the implementation of the company’s last unacceptable offer, workers at the two Wendy’s bun production bakeries are taking their fight for a fair contract to the public.

Why?

For nearly three decades, BCTGM Local 57 and Wendy’s International of Dublin, Ohio had a healthy and constructive relationship. That changed after Wendy’s merged with Atlanta-based Arby’s Group in 2008 and management was overhauled.

In early December 2009, Wendy’s New Bakery Co. implemented the terms of a proposed new contract at its bakery in Zanesville, Ohio where 150 members of BCTGM Local 57 work. The union members have been working under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement that expired in March 2009.

The last offer made by the company eliminates the workers’ pension, guts their health care coverage and takes away many of their rights.

Local 57 filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on December 8 following the company’s actions. Additional ULP charges have been filed by the union concerning the plant manager’s efforts to intimidate workers through surveillance of union activity, as well as specific efforts by management to circumvent the union by bargaining directly with individual employees.

What is Wendy’s Asking For?

Negotiators for Wendy’s/Arby’s Group are demanding unconscionable concessions that would render the union contract virtually meaningless. Those concessions include:

The elimination of decent and affordable health care coverage;

The elimination of the defined benefit pension plan;

The elimination of seniority rights.

Simply put, Wendy’s is attempting to gut the collective agreement. They are offering a substandard wage package while also attempting to change many of the working conditions to the detriment of the workers. The company further proposes to eliminate five paid holidays and a week of vacation from the workers.

Corporate Greed

The Wendy’s/Arby’s Group – headquartered in Atlanta — is very profitable company, with $12 billion in system-wide sales. Additionally, of the 23 bakeries in the United States that produce buns for Wendy’s, the two Zanesville plants are ranked within the top five in productivity and quality of products. Satisfaction has risen to 93 percent and both bakeries have received the highest superior ratings on sanitation and food safety by an independent audit by the American Institute of Baking (AIB). In addition, the bakeries are ranked among the best in quality as measured by Silliker, another independent auditor for Wendy’s.

BCTGM Local 57 is one of 164 Local unions affiliated with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. The BCTGM represents workers at Kraft-Nabisco, The Kellogg Company, Hostess Company, Sara Lee, Schwebels, Nichols, Kroger, General Mills, among others.

The BCTGM International Union has asked its members throughout the U.S. and Canada to boycott Wendy’s/Arby’s until the matter is resolved. In a letter to all BCTGM local unions, BCTGM International President Frank Hurt stated, “Wendy’s/Arby’s management must know that together, the local unions in our International have the power to significantly affect their business throughout the system and will do so in order to defend our Brothers and Sisters in Zanesville.”

The Georgia AFL-CIO calls on local unions across the state to help BCTGM Local 57 in their fight for a fair and just union contract. Please come out and support these hard working union members:

WHEN:      Thursday, January 21, 2010

TIME:         From 11:00 a.m.- 1 p.m.

WHERE:     Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Corporate Headquarters | 1155 Perimeter Center West | Atlanta, Georgia 30338

Return to Justice for Wendy's Baker's! Home Page | Return to BCTGM.org Home