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December 2008
Lawhorn and Teegardin Return to Work; CBC Workers Await Union Vote
Fired workers Bill Lawhorn and Russ Teegardin were met by co-workers when they returned to work on December 4 at the Consolidated Biscuit Company plant in McComb, Ohio.
A rally was held outside the plant when Lawhorn and Teegardin reported to work for the first time since they were fired and led out of the facility for their support of the BCTGM six years ago.
"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."
Strike Report
On August 14, 121 members of BCTGM Local 50 went on strike at the Stella D'Oro bakery located in Bronx, N.Y. The strike continues.
November 2008
On September 26, 2008, BCTGM Local 163 (Houston, Texas) won the organizing election at the Bimbo Baking Company Warehouse in Houston. The election was won by a 3:1 margin. This organizing campaign was lead by Local 163 Financial Secretary Donald Pierce, according to BCTGM Region Four Vice President Tony Johnson.
Region Six Vice President Randy Roark reports that effective October 5, BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Oregon) represents the sanitors at the Bimbo Bakeries/Oroweat production plant in Beaverton, Oregon. This group was organized via accretion and the effort was lead by Local 114 Financial Secretary Terry Lansing. The sanitors join our existing members who are the bakers that produce the product at this location.
Congratulations to Local 163 and Local 114 on their successful organizing efforts! The BCTGM is both proud and honored to represent these new members!
Strike Report
On August 14, 121 members of BCTGM Local 50 went on strike at the Stella D'Oro bakery located in Bronx, N.Y. The strike continues.
October 2008
BCTGM Local 270T (Wilson, N.C.) was forced into a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) hearing after employer Alliance One Tobacco filed a petition to clarify the bargaining unit of our BCTGM members employed at the Stantonsburg Road and South Tarboro Street (Cut Rag) facilities in Wilson, excluding the newly created Baldree Road facility, also in Wilson.
In this federal hearing, the BCTGM's primary argument was that the Baldree facility should be combined with our other units (accretion). Our Union's secondary argument was that there should be an NRLB election to determine the bargaining unit.
The result of the Hearing was that the NLRB rejected the employer's argument to exclude these workers from the Union and also rejected the Union's accretion argument, but accepted the Union's secondary argument that there should be an election for a separate bargaining unit. The election was held on August 5, 2008, and our Union won!
Congratulations to Local 270T and International Representative Bill Daunhauer, who handled the legal work and led the campaign.
____________________________________________________________
Region Six Vice President Randy Roark reports that effective October 5, BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Oregon) represents the sanitors at the Bimbo Bakeries/Oroweat production plant in Beaverton, Oregon. This group was organized via accretion and the effort was lead by Local 114 Financial Secretary Terry Lansing. The sanitors join our existing members who are the bakers that produce the product at this location.
September 2008
On September 26, 2008, BCTGM Local 163 (Houston, Texas) won the organizing election at the Bimbo Baking Company Warehouse in Houston. The election was won by a 3:1 margin. This organizing campaign was lead by Local 163 Financial Secretary Donald Pierce, according to BCTGM Region Four Vice President Tony Johnson.
May 2008
Despite a relentless anti-union campaign initiated by Weston Bakeries, including firing workers for union activity, a majority of workers at the new Interbake/Weston plant in Front Royal, Va. voted to become members of BCTGM Local 68 (Baltimore). Unfortunately, the vote is in limbo because the company is not recognizing the "yes" votes of five workers that were fired for their union activity--a right that is protected under the National Labor Relations Act.
Local 68 has filed 32 unfair labor practice charges against the company. The charges assert that the company: threatened job termination for union supporters; kept union supporters under surveillance; fired union supporters; interrogated workers on their union involvement; and threatened workers current benefits. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is currently investigating the federal charges against the company.
The anti-union campaign carried out by Weston was one of the most ruthless campaigns the BCTGM has seen in decades. The illegal actions taken by the company during the organizing effort illustrate yet another example of why major labor law reform, specifically the Employee Free Choice Act, is so desperately needed.
More information on the campaign, and the latest updates can be found on the special Weston/Interbake organizing site by clicking here.
March 2008
Avid readers may recall that this past December, we ran a story about an aggressive organizing approach being conducted by Local 358 (Richmond, Va.). The local's goal is to add more than 350 new members to the local by organizing members at new locations.
We are pleased to report that the local has now organized their third new location! Local 358 now represents the new Altria/Philip Morris smokeless tobacco plant in Richmond. Depending on the success of these new products, employment could reach 100 workers by February of 2009 and could reach 200 workers thereafter.
According to the Maxwell Report, smokeless tobacco sales had increased by six percent in 2006.
Special congratulations to Local 358 Financial Secretary Ted Constable and President Ray Daniels, who are leading the organizing effort at the local union. They are well on their way to achieving their goal of 350 new members!
January 2008
More than 300 workers at the Dannon yogurt plant in Minster, Ohio became members of the BCTGM following a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election on December 6, 2007, when an overwhelming majority voted to join the BCTGM.
The Dannon workers first reached out to the BCTGM through the union's online organizing contact form in early January. A group of workers met with BCTGM International Representative John Price in late January to discuss their desire to become unionized.
The Dannon Company Inc. is a subsidiary of France-based Groupe Danone, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies. Groupe Danone is the world's leading producer of fresh dairy products, the second largest producer of biscuits and cereal products and a leading producer of bottled water. In the United States, Dannon has yogurt manufacturing facilities in Minster, West Jordan, Utah, Fort Worth, Texas, and Londonderry, New Hampshire.
The BCTGM's affiliation with the global International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations (IUF), played a large part in the organizing effort. The majority of Danone's worldwide operations are unionized and the IUF has a formal relationship with Groupe Danone dating back to 1986.
The IUF reached out to unions in Europe and Asia that represent Danone workers to inform them of the organizing efforts in Ohio. Upon learning of the Dannon workers' desire to join a union, Danone unions from around the world began sending letters of solidarity to the Minster workers. Letters were received from Belgium, Russia, Germany and other countries.
"Within this global economy, this was an overwhelming show of global solidarity," concludes BCTGM International President Frank Hurt.