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December 2002
- The Weston's Bakery in Carlisle, Pa. has been organized by BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia). This is the fourth Weston's bakery production facility organized by the International Union and Local 6 in the last five years, gaining a total of 569 new members, according to International Secretary Treasurer & Director of Organization David B. Durkee.
- Local 114 (Portland, Ore.) won an organizing election at the Safeway in-store bakery (# 1489), in Portland.
- The Interstate Baking Company route sales drivers located in Wellsburg, W.Va. have been organized by Local 12 (Pittsburgh).
- Workers employed at the Interstate Baking Company thrift store in Syracuse, N.Y. has been organized by Local 116 (Syracuse).
November 2002
Local 9 (Seattle) has successfully organizing Pacific Northwest Baking Company located in Sumner, Wash. This bakery produces buns for McDonald's restaurants. This is not the first campaign at this location, as Local 9 lost an election at this location in 1997 by one vote. This year things were different as this election was won by one vote. Local 9 Business Agent & Financial Secretary Lillian Gainer stated, "We were never going to quit trying to assist these bakers and their families, and we know we only have to win once!" Local 9 Business Agent Bob Davis lead the campaign along with the in-plant committee and was assisted by Local 114 (Portland, Ore.).
Local 611 (Ft. Payne, Ala.) won their organizing campaign with the office workers and the quality control workers at the Sara Lee-Earthgrains Bakery located in Ft. Payne, Ala. The organizing drive included an extensive NLRB Hearing, where company attorneys attempted to carve the unit up, but failed. This organizing campaign is yet another good example of organizing non-union portions of an existing union facility. Congratulations to Local 611 Business Agent & Financial Secretary Larry Aultman and his committee and also to International Representative Anthony Shelton who assisted in the campaign. The BCTGM welcomes the 12 office workers and seven quality control workers who have chosen to become part of our Union.
October 2002
International President Frank Hurt is pleased to announce that the BCTGM has won an impressive organizing election at Rich Food Products in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Rich's is believed to be the largest family owned baking company in the world.
The organizing campaign was led by International Representative Joe Sardina, coordinated by International Representative John Price and assisted by International Representatives Anthony Shelton and Barbara Fields. Public Relations/Communications Director Corrina Christensen coordinated all of the organizing web site work for the campaign, which appeared as a special feature of www.bctgm.org. Rich's workers will be represented by Local 25 (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who was assisted in the campaign by Local 280 (Evansville, Ind.).
The Rich's Murfreesboro plant has been an organizing target of the BCTGM for more than 10 years, and union organizers have consistently maintained contact with these workers.
BCTGM International Secretary-Treasurer/Director of Organization David B. Durkee encourages locals to increase organizing efforts, noting, "If you have an organizing target in your hometown, be persistent and stay in touch with the workers. Some day they will call you, wanting to become BCTGM members."
Congratulations to all those involved in this effort and to the 275 new BCTGM members.
September 2002
BCTGM Vice President Tony Johnson reports two recent organizing victories at Sara Lee (Earthgrains Baking Company). The first campaign was with the quality control department at the Paris, Texas baking facility. The second campaign was with the parts department at the same facility. It is important to note that the BCTGM now has every department of this major baking facility organized now. The campaign for these organizing efforts was led by Local 111 (Dallas, Tex.).
The BCTGM RCN (Rebuild Canada Now) Organizing Program had yielded its third victory. In Hamilton, Ontario 101 workers at the Olivieri Pasta Company (owned by Canada Bread) recently voted to be represented by BCTGM Local 264 (Toronto, Canada). The organizing campaign was led by International Organizer Karl Walker, who was assisted by Local 264 Secretary-Treasurer Ron Piercey, Business Agent Tim Rock and the Olivieri Pasta organizing committee.
Congratulations to all of our new members and the BCTGM organizers that have worked so hard to improve these worker's lives!
July/August 2002
The BCTGM RCN (Rebuild Canada Now) Organizing Program, while still in it's infancy, continues to show immediate and positive results, according to Secretary-Treasurer & Director of Organization David B. Durkee.
In late June, BCTGM Local 264 (Toronto, Canada) organized the Toronto Bagel manufacturing plant. The results of this organizing election were 100 (BCTGM Union Yes) to 3 (no) votes!
Vice President Sean Kelly reported that International Organizer Karl Walker, Local 264 Secretary-Treasurer Ron Piercey, Business Agent Tim Rock, and the Toronto Bagel employee organizing committee did all the work on this campaign.
The Minster Farmers Cooperative-St. Anthony Mill located in Minster, Ohio has been organized by BCTGM Local 382G (Minster, Ohio). This campaign which ended in recognition was performed by International Vice President Richard Johnson and the Local 382G Officers.
June 2002
Local 102 (New York, N.Y.) organized the Caravan Baking Products Distribution Warehouse in Fairfield, New Jersey.
The organizing effort was lead by Local 102 President Angelo Aquilino and Secretary-Treasurer Ray Aquilino.
Local 245 (Wichita, Kan.) organized the Interstate Baking Company thrift store in Wichita, Kansas. Business Agent Jim Clapper reported that all of the thrift store workers that participated in the election voted "Union Yes!"
We welcome all of these new BCTGM members into our union family!
May 2002
In the March 2000 it was announced that the International Union and Local 253 (Cincinnati, Ohio) had successfully concluded a then five year effort to organize the Keebler's Emerald Biscuit plant in Florence, Ky.
This extensive campaign began on April 25, 1996 with the conclusion of the National Master Agreement between the BC&T and Keebler. An important part of the agreement included language for neutrality and card-check at the Emerald facility.
Prior to this agreement, on January 26, 1996, Flowers Industries acquired 49.6 percent of INFLO Holdings and at the same time INFLO bought 100 percent of Keebler from United Biscuits of the United Kingdom.
On November 20, 1997, INFLO merged with Keebler and became known as Keebler and on February 3, 1998, Flowers acquired additional stock which brought it's holding to 55 percent and control of the company.
On February 8, 2000, Cincinnati Municipal Judge John Andrew West performed an impartial third party authorization card check and certified the BCTGM as the exclusive bargaining representative. This organizing campaign was won in spite of a daily anti-union campaign run by management, which was in full violation of the Master Agreement.
Keebler/Flowers promptly rejected the recognition based upon their claim of technical violations that resulted as part of their anti-union campaign!
The BCTGM knew that the organizing recognition was in full compliance of the Master Agreement negotiated in 1996 and maintained the position that these workers had chosen the BCTGM to represent them. The organizing campaign never stopped as our Union fought every day to right the injustice of the workers.
On October 26, 2000, Kellogg's announced that it intended to purchase Keebler from Flowers and the sale was completed during 2001.
On May 10, 2002, another impartial third party authorization card check was performed and the BCTGM was again certified as the exclusive bargaining representative. Kellogg's/Keebler officials have confirmed that the BCTGM is the exclusive bargaining representative of these bakers, thus officially successfully concluding this intensive organizing drive.
BCTGM Secretary Treasurer and Director of Organization David B. Durkee credits all of the organizers from the International Union and Local 253 as well as the bakers at the Kellogg's Keebler Emerald facility who participated in this seven year struggle. Organizers included International Vice President Bob Oakley, International Assistant to the President Robert Harbrant, International Representatives John Price and Jim Condran, Local 253 President David Richardson, former officers Gary Bainum and James Tipton and Local 253 rank-and-file organizers and the Keebler organizing committee.
President Frank Hurt stressed the importance of never giving up on an organizing campaign, which has always been an important part of our Union's history and success.
All of us at the BCTGM family warmly welcome all 135 bakers at the Kellogg's Keebler Emerald production facility!
April 2002
- The Journeyperson Baker I and Journeyperson Baker II baking position at Albertson's (store #258) in Spokane, Wash., voted to join BCTGM Local 74 (Spokane, Wash.), according to Vice President Randy Roark. Local 74 recently merged with BCTGM Local 9 (Seattle, Wash.). These workers specialize in cake decorating.
- Vice President Jeanne Graham reports that the loaders at the Sara Lee (Earthgrains) depot, in Dubuque, Iowa have been organized by Local 36 (Davenport, Iowa).
- Local 406 (Moncton, N.B.) scored another organizing victory by utilizing their power at the bargaining table according to Vice President Sean Kelly. Thirty-four workers employed at Moncton Community Residence, Inc. (MCRI) who were not in the bargaining unit have been accreted into the existing unit that is under contract.
The International welcomes all these new members into the BCTGM family!
March 2002
- Internal Organizing during 2001 was very successful, according to BCTGM International Secretary-Treasurer/Director of Organization David B. Durkee.
In 2000, President Hurt mandated the Organizing Department to focus 2001 internal organizing efforts in the "right-to-work-for-less" states. Twenty local unions ran 100 internal organizing campaigns of various sizes resulting in a gain of 1,550 new members. Significant improvements were made at Sara Lee/Earthgrains where 427 members were gained and at Interstate Baking where 457 workers joined the BCTGM. Congratulations to all 20 local unions that participated in this project. - Local 85 (Sacramento, Calif.) recently completed two successful organizing drives, according to International Vice President Randy Roark. Local 85 Financial Secretary Marty Zimmerman and his staff organized the depot workers and driver salespersons at the Bimbo Tia Rosa facility in Elk Grove, Calif.
Meanwhile, the local's popularity among workers also reaches employees in other non-traditional BCTGM occupations. Local 85 recently organized the registered dental assistants and clerical workers at Bright Now Dental in Fresno, Calif.
February 2002
- BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Ore.) had a successful organizing year in retail baking. In 2001, Local 114 organized Cloud Nine Catering. Cloud Nine caters banquets, parties and weddings and also prepares home dinners, and box lunches for large events. To add sweetness to their plate, Local 114 organizers organized two of the new Albertson's retail bake shops, and four new Fred Meyer retail bake shops, all in the Portland area. Congratulations to Local 114 on another fine year of organizing!
- BCTGM Local 503 (Charlotte, N.C.) won a significant organizing drive with Interstate Bakeries (IBC). IBC workers in sales and thrift store locations in Cayce, Charleston, Fayetteville, N.C. and Augusta, Ga. will now have the benefits of BCTGM membership. The BCTGM welcomes these bakery route sales drivers and thrift store workers into the union family!
- Additionally, Intl. Vice President Bobby Mercer reports that thrift store workers and drivers at the IBC in Albany, Ga. have been organized by Local 482 (Jacksonville, FL)
January 2002
- In late September 2001, a sophisticated organizing strategy called BCTGM RCN (Rebuild Canada Now) was unveiled at the BCTGM Eastern Canada Conference. Part of this plan included the commitment of more resources by BCTGM International President Frank Hurt. Three months later, we have won the first organizing victory under the BCTGM RCN Program.
The bakers at Del's Pastry, located in Toronto voted on January 10, 2002 to be represented by BCTGM Local 264 (Toronto). Local 264 worked closely with BCTGM International Organizer Karl Walker to bring this victory home by a 3 to 1 margin. Del's Pastry is a large high quality baking company that produces Danish, donuts, muffins, tarts, turnovers, and a variety of cakes. BCTGM RCN is off is tremendous start! - How can workers vote in a government run election in July 2001 and not have their secret ballots counted until December 2001? Just ask the grain workers who are employed at the Cargill Elevator in Topeka, Kansas. After the ballot box was closed during the July 27th organizing election, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) froze the ballots because Cargill made a claim that workers in another completely separate location, should have also voted in this election. After a four-month investigation, the NLRB concluded that Cargill's claims had no merit and the ballots were counted on December 18, 2001. Guess what? BCTGM Local 57G won the election! Congratulations to these workers, Local 57G and also BCTGM International Representative Pete Negrete who assisted in the campaign.