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(updated 12/13/04)
December 2004
International Vice President Sean Kelly reports that BCTGM
Local 406 (Moncton, New Brunswick) has successfully organized another
Canada Bread facility. On November 19, 2004, the New Brunswick Labour
Board officially certified Local 406 as the official bargaining representative
of the workers at Canada Bread's Grand Falls, N.B. facility. Because
New Brunswick labor law allows certification through card check recognition,
the Local was able to avoid an election by easily showing majority support
by the workers in the facility.
The Grand Falls plant, which employs approximately 100 people, produces
pastries, donuts and cookies for the eastern Canada market.
The Organizing drive was led by Local 406 Business Agent Mark Robar
and International Organizer Steeve Begin. Local 406 recently organized
Canada Bread's Woodstock, N.B. facility and also represents Canada Bread's
production workers and drivers in Moncton.
November 2004
The BCTGM received official notice
from the NLRB that the three-and-a-half year organizing struggle at
Sara Lee's Redding French Bakery in Redding,
Calif. (with two winning elections and two winning administrative
judge trials) has finally ended in certification.
The BCTGM had won this organizing
election in 2001, however, the company challenged the election and tied
up the union in court ever since. The organizing campaign was led by
International Representative & Organizer Marco Mendoza, assisted
by International Representative & Organizers John Price and Blaine
Williams. The organizing campaign was led on the local level by BCTGM
Local 85 Financial Secretary and Organizer Marty Zimmerman.
October 2004
In Burlington, N.J., the long-fought battle for union
representation came to a victorious close on September 22 for 160 workers
at Mother's Kitchen (owned by Rich Products), when they overwhelmingly
voted to become members of BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia).
The struggle to join the BCTGM began in December 2003
when a majority of the workers signed union authorization cards. However,
in the 50 days leading up to the NLRB vote, managers threatened workers
with a loss of beneifts, wages, working conditions--and worse--the loss
of their jobs if they voted for the union. The BCTGM filed unfair labor
charges with the NLRB and the company settled the case prior to trial.
The settlement set aside the results of that election and ordered a
re-run election on September 22.
The organizing campaign was led by BCTGM International
Representative & Organizer Jim Condran with the asistance of Local
6 rank-and-file organizer Edwin Prosper. According to Condran, the assistance
of Prosper, who speakes both English and Spanish, greatly enhanced communication
with the workers who collectively speak more than seven languages. Also
vital to the campaign were Local 6 Business Agent Joe Medley and International
Representatives & Organizers Joe Sardina and John Price.
July 2004
Region Five Vice President Sean Kelly reports that the
International Union and Local 480 (Ste-Marie,
Quebec) have successfully organized the production bakers
at Bagel Tradition'L Bakery (owned
by Weston's Baking Company) in Ste-Foy, Quebec. There was an election
and the BCTGM received 89 percent of the votes. Assisting the officers
of Local 480 and the organizing committee in the shop was International
Representative & Organizer Steeve Begin.
Local 480 have concluded negotiations with the new plant and have a
collective agreement. Congratulations to Local 480 and our new BCTGM
members, who continue to utilize the RCN (Rebuild
Canada Now) Organizing program to build their local union!
June 2004
Local 203T (Richmond, Va.)
has organized the highly skilled production technicians who work at
the Williamsburg, Va. Philip Morris "York"
manufacturing facility. Tobacco Industry Vice President T.
J. Warren credits this successful organizing effort to International
Representative & Organizer Barry Baker and Local 203T President
Oscar Giles, Jr.
According to Region 6 Vice President Randy Roark,
Local 401 (Salt Lake, Utah) has organized the workers
at a recently renovated shipping terminal in Twin Falls, Idaho owned
by Interstate Baking Company (IBC).
IBC purchased this terminal from Consolidated Freightways and renovated
the building to use as a shipping depot. The new union members at this
location are bakery shippers. BCTGM Local 401 Business Agent & Financial
Secretary Rod Reineccius worked with International Representative &
Organizer Eric Anderson on this successful organizing project.
Local 163 (Houston, Texas) has organized
the Sara Lee-Earthgrains' shippers
and loaders at the company's Harlingen, Texas location, according to
BCTGM Vice President Tony Johnson. These bakery workers were organized
by International Representative & Organizer Dale Nichols.
We welcome all of our new members who are shippers and technicians into
the BCTGM family of proud union members!
May 2004
BCTGM International President Frank Hurt is pleased to
report that the San Diego Bread Company
production plant, located in San Diego, Calif. has been organized by
the International Union and BCTGM Local 315
(San Diego). The organizing campaign ended with a National
Labor Relations Board election, which our Union had won, by more than
a three to one margin. According to Local 315 Financial Secretary/Business
Agent Deborah Lacey-Zuelsdorf, "The organizing issues at this bakery
were about being treated with dignity, justice and respect by the local
plant management."
"Communications with the employee's was key to our campaign,"
according to International Representative Marco Mendoza, who worked
with Zuelsdorf to keep important information flowing to the bakers via
housecalls, mailings and also utilized a telephone tree for phone calls.
Both Mendoza and Zuelsdorf gave credit to International Vice President
Randy Roark for his assistance during the campaign and the plant organizing
committee for all the hard work they performed on behalf of their fellow
bakers. San Diego Bread produces only sourdough baked products, which
include rounds, loaves, baguettes, and sculpted breads. Sourdough breads
ingredients are all-natural and contain no added fats. The only ingredients
used are unbleached flour, water, salt and sourdough starter.
Also in California, the drivers and utility workers who are employed
by Boudin Baking Company (also a
sourdough baker) located in San Francisco, Calif. are now members of
BCTGM Local 24 (San Francisco).
While the Boudin Bakery bakers are already members of the BCTGM, the
drivers and utility workers were non-union. These workers are now proud
members of Local 24 and are part of the existing bargaining unit.
Lastly, the mechanical engineers at Nords Dairy
Systems located in Los Angeles, Calif., have become members
of BCTGM Local 37 (Los Angeles).
At this particular plant, Nords Dairy produces ice cream wafer cones
for their ice cream plants. The Nords Dairy cone plant production workers
are already members of Local 37, but the mechanical engineers were non-union.
Working on this organizing effort was International Representatives
Marco Mendoza and Blaine Williams, and Local 37 President Danny Polanco.
We welcome all of our new members from California into the BCTGM family
of proud union members!
April 2004
International Vice President Sean Kelly reports that Local
333 (Montreal, Quebec) organized approximately 40 workers
at the Comfort Inn in Laval, Quebec.
The workers at the Comfort Inn, include chambermaids, restaurant workers,
and the reception department. The organizing campaign was led by Local
333 leadership, with assistance from International Organizer Steeve
Begin. Local 333 is currently involved in negotiations with the company.
In March, 2004, Local 480 (Ste. Marie, Quebec)
won an organizing campaign at Pro-Fab Residences,
when approximately 85 workers unanimously signed certification cards
supporting BCTGM representation. Located in Valee-Jonction, Pro-Fab
manufactures pre-fabricated housing for the Quebec market. These workers
originally belonged to the Centrale de Syndicats Democratique (CSD)
but disaffiliated from them in November 2003. International Organizer
Steeve Begin, and the Local 480 leadership, led this successful organizing
effort.
March 2004
In October of 2002, Chicago based Gonnella Baking Company
started initial production in their new 65,000 sq.-ft. facility
in Aurora, Ill.
The Aurora plant had previously been an Earthgrains-Metz production
plant (which closed). Gonnella completely gutted the building and installed
new equipment. The plant produces fresh baked, fresh baked frozen and
frozen dough products for in-store bakeries and food service operators
for the entire U.S. market.
The BCTGM Union is proud Gonnella decided to recognize BCTGM Local
1 (Chicago, Ill.) as the bargaining representative for the bakers
at this plant. BCTGM bakers have been part of a rich tradition at the
Gonnella Chicago and Schamburg plants (which produces 1.5 million pounds
of product weekly) and have played a very important role in the company's
success. The Gonnella Aurora plant produces 80,000 pounds of product
daily and employs 50 workers.
In the first campaign, 32 pastry bakers at Sweet Hereafter, L.L.C.,
(Tom Cat Baking Company), located in Long Island City, N.Y., received
representation rights by Local 3 after the company recognized
the BCTGM after the organizing effort.
Also, the office and clerical staff, who are employed at M&A Baking
Company located in Plainview, N.Y., were organized by Local 3.
President Hurt stated that, “These two recent organizing campaigns
are part of the rich organizing history of Local 3, which will always
make them a viable force in representing their members.”
Next month, we will give you an update on successful organizing in Canada.
February 2004
BCTGM Local 232 (Phoenix, Ariz.) continues to build
on the success of its new organizing program, Rebuild Phoenix Now
(RPN). In an eleven-month period, the local has won two organizing
campaigns at bakery production facilities. The most recent organizing
victory occurred at E.P.I. Breads Phoenix, L.L.C., in Tempe,
Ariz. E.P.I. Breads actually resides inside the Tempe Holsum Baking
Company plant, which is represented by Local 232.
E.P.I. was formed as a limited liability corporation owned by Ed-E
(which is a corporation controlled by Holsum Phoenix Bakery owner Ed
Eisle) and a Georgia corporation called Lavoi. The company was created
to produce and distribute "E.P.I. Bread Products," including
frozen parbaked French and Italian breads for distribution in the Western
U.S. This resulted in a non-union bargaining unit, inside a BCTGM union
plant.
Local 232 lost a lengthy and exhaustive National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB) unit clarification legal battle, however, it only caused the
E.P.I. bakers to want BCTGM representation even more. With this support
and a great organizing committee, we won an election on September 11,
2003!
We would like to congratulate International Representative Marco Mendoza
who led this campaign, International Vice President Harry Guildner who
assisted and the Local 232 Financial Secretary Greg Bell, and the E.P.I.
committee. We are proud to have the 55 bakers at E.P.I. in our BCTGM
family!
January 2004
International Vice President Jeanne Graham reports that
Local 280 (Evansville, Indiana) has organized the newly built Ferry
Morse Seed warehouse and shipping facility located in South Fulton,
Tennessee.
This facility is a high tech product deployment center that ships seeds
all over the world. Local 280 also represent the workers at the Ferry
Morse Seed production facility in Fulton, Kentucky. Graham credits Local
280 Business Agent & Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Howard for pursuing
this organizing target. Ferry Morse has been in business since 1856
and produces seeds and seed starter products.
Congratulations to our new members at Ferry Morse Seed!
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