December 2003

Local 406 (Moncton, N.B.) has organized the Bonte Foods production plant, in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Workers at the plant make pasta shells, a variety of sauces and pita breads.

Bonte Foods Limited began their operations in 1977 under the name Greco Foods Limited. It supplied the Greco Donair Restaurants with donair and pizza products. The product list has grown to include meat products, pita breads, bagels, donair & pizza sauces and soups. These products are sold in Canada and Europe. The plant recently underwent its fourth expansion.

Congratulations to all involved in this effort and we welcome all of our new members at Bonte Foods into the BCTGM family!

November 2003

The International Union and Local 348 (Framingham, Mass.) completed the successful organization of the newly constructed 815,000-square-foot production facility of the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) in Revere, Mass.

NECCO is an innovative company that purchases old candy companies, uses technology to improve efficiencies and re-releases the brand to the marketplace. In the past few years, NECCO purchased non-union candy companies Durand Candy and Haviland Confectionery Company. BCTGM Local 348 has represented NECCO workers at the production facility in Cambridge, Mass. since 1958. In late 2000, with NECCO's purchases of other companies and with business booming, the company decided to consolidate their production into single plant.

Earnest negotiations regarding the accretion of the workers who were not represented by a union into the current contract and the recognition of the entire unit began in April of 2002. The result of this campaign was that theBCTGM would have one collective bargaining agreement to cover three production facilities, until these plants consolidated into the new location. The BCTGM will gain 265-300 new members from the non-union locations. During the peak confectionery season, this plant will employ 700 BCTGM members. The massive plant has ample room to expand, and as NECCO continues make acquisitions, BCTGM membership at the facility will continue to grow.

International Secretary-Treasurer & Director of Organization David B. Durkee sited the innovative approach taken by Vice President Montminy and Local 348 in this organizing campaign, by using accretion and recognition organizing processes instead of using traditional organizing efforts at the non-union plants. Durkee stated that our Union used it's power at the bargaining table, coupled with a long, good working relationship with NECCO to achieve our organizing goals and to give the workers a voice and representation at their workplace.

Congratulations to all involved in this effort and we welcome all of our new members at NECCO into the BCTGM family!

 

September/October 2003

International Vice President Sean Kelly is proud to announce that the International Union and Local 55 (St-Leonard, Quebec), with the cooperative assistance of Local 333 (Montreal, Quebec) organized the Boulangerie au Pain Dore production plant located in Montreal. International Organizer Steeve Begin utilized all of the organizing strategies of the BCTGM's Rebuild Canada Now (RCN) program during this organizing campaign. The BCTGM came back after losing an election at this facility by one (1) vote on November 6, 2002, to win certification this year! This is testimony to the will, dedication and tenacity of the Quebec BCTGM Local Unions and the International Union to the RCN Program. The new members at Boulangerie au Pain Dore work in the production, maintenance, sanitation and shipping departments and they produce breads, buns, cakes and frozen baked goods. We welcome all 151 bakers into the BCTGM.

Also in Canada, Local 264 (Toronto, Ontario) and the International Union organized the Beta Brands Chocolate plant located in North York, Ontario. International Organizer Karl Walker worked with the Officers of Local 264 in this successful effort. Local 264 is also heavily involved in the BCTGM RCN organizing program, and they have organized 354 new members at four (4) new plants in the last 18 months!

 

August 2003

The International Union and Local 37 (Los Angeles) has organized the Jon Donaire (Rich Foods) ice cream plant in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. This brand new plant is the second state-of-the-art production facility that Rich Foods has built and will employ from 168 to 208 new BCTGM members. The plant makes fully finished desserts such as the famous Donaire's buttercrunch crust, New York Cheesecake, moussecakes and other specialty ice cream cakes. These desserts are sold to chain restaurants, in-store bakeries, club stores and foodservice operators. Working on this organizing campaign was International Representative Arturo Silva (who passed away on July 24th, 2003), and Local 37 President Danny Polanco, Secretary Treasurer Felipe Lopez and Business Agent Philip Gonzalez.

Local 218 (Kansas City, MO) has organized the workers that work in quality control at Doanes Pet Foods in Joplin, Missouri. Local 218 Business Manager Brad Schmidt and his fellow officers worked on this successful organizing election.

Local 19 (Cleveland, Ohio) has organized the in-store bakers at all of the recently renovated Kroger stores in Toledo, Ohio. These stores were purchased by Kroger from Foodtown and completely remodeled. Approximately 30 to 40 bakers will join Local 19 as a result of this campaign.

We welcome all of these new members into the BCTGM and we congratulate Locals 19, 37 and 218 on a job well done!

 

July 2003

In April the International announced that Local 37 (Los Angeles) had organized the bakers at Traditional Baking Company (which is part of Voortman's Cookie Company) in Bloomington, Calif. The top concern of the workers during that drive was that the number of temporary agency workers hired by the company to work in the plant began to outnumber the company's full time workers. All votes cast in this election were for the BCTGM.

Now Local 37 have organized the 65 temporary employees who work at the plant. The company's attorneys excluded these temporary workers from the bargaining unit and did not give them a chance to vote in the first representation election. However, organizing efforts continued. Once the temporary workers were given the opportunity to vote, they cast their votes unanimously for the BCTGM.

Congratulations to these workers, who never gave up in their fight to vote for union representation!

 

June 2003

President Hurt is pleased to announce that the BCTGM International Union has organized the Interstate Baking Corporation (IBC) plant in Henderson, Nevada (a suburb of Las Vegas). This new production facility is a 251,000 square-foot plant that sits on 24 acres of land. The bargaining unit consists of the production, maintenance, shipping, receiving, sanitation and distribution departments. The plant will produce a full line of baking products. The plant will be represented by Local 37 (Los Angeles, CA).

IBC is the largest baking company in North America, producing brands such as Wonder, Hostess, Home Pride, Drake's, Beefsteak, Bread du Jour, Dolly Madison, Butternut, Merita, Parisian, Columbo, Sunbeam, Holsum, Di Carlo, J.J. Nissen, Marie Callender's and others. The BCTGM presently more than 10,000 workers at 52 of the 58 IBC plants in the United States.

 

May 2003

Local 468 (Vancouver, British Columbia) has organized two Safeway in-store bakeries located in Sidney and Mission, B.C.

BakeMark, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has been organized by the International Union and Local 50 (New York, N.Y.). BakeMark is owned by CSM N.V., located in Diemen, Netherlands. CSM N.V. is an international food and ingredient distributor and BakeMark is a division that produces bakery ingredient.

 

April 2003

Local 1-G (Minneapolis, Minn.) has organized Ethanol 2000 L.L.P. in Bingham Lake, Minnesota.

Why, you ask, would the BCTGM organize an energy fuel production plant? The common denominator is grain, or in this case-number two yellow corn, the main ingredient of ethanol production. Ethanol 2000 is a dry mill fuel ethanol plant designed to produce 3,600 gallons of fuel per hour or 30,000,000 gallons per year. To achieve this these new BCTGM members mill 11 million bushels of corn annually. In the process an additional 93,500 tons of dried distiller's grains are produced. Additionally, there is a carbon dioxide compression plant on site that produces 240 tons of liquid carbon dioxide per day. Liquid carbon dioxide is most commonly used in soft drinks, dry ice and water purification.

 

March 2003

Traditional Baking Company, which is part of voortman's Cookies, was organized by Local 37 (Los Angeles). Bakers at the production facility in Bloomington, Calif. knew they need a voice at work when the temporary agency employees began to outnumber the company's workforce. Local 264 (Toronto) represents several hundred bakers at the Vootman's Burlington, Ontario production plants.

Two new Interstate Baking company bakery thrift stores have been organized by the BCTGM. Local 57 (Columbus, Ohio) organized the Marriott, Ohio store and Local 65 (Tulsa, Okla.) organized the Oklahoma City store.

 

February 2003

BCTGM Local Unions in Oregon, Washington and Northern California have reported some very good organizing results by organizing a total of 17 new retail grocery in-store bakeries in their areas during 2002.

Local 9 (Seattle, Wash.) organized eight new retail bakeries owned by Albertson's, Haggen's Top Foods, Quality Foods and Safeway. Local 85 (Sacramento, Calif.) organized seven new Safeway retail bakeries and Local 114 (Portland, Ore.) organized two new Safeway retail bakeries.

Also, in the Region Three, Local 22 (Minneapolis, Minn.) organized five new Cub's in-store retail bakeries, one new Lunds-Byerly retail bakery and one new Byerly retail bakery during 2002. During a two year period (2001 & 2002) Local 22 organized 21 new Cub's retail bakeries, five Lunds-Byerly bakeries and one new Byerly retail bakery for a total of 282 newly organized members for their local.

All BCTGM Local Unions should check their local grocery stores to see if the retail bakers working at the in-store bakery are represented by a Union. If they are not, talk to these workers about the benefits of belonging to the BCTM, while you purchase an item from them. You just might end up with new members!

 

January 2003