FritoLay STRIKE Ends!

Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union

July/ August 2021

Volume 23 Number 4

the PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

SOLIDARITY Defines Local 218

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BCTGM Local 218 members employed at Frito Lay in Topeka, Kansas have shown the world that union workers can stand up against the largest food companies in the world and claim victory for themselves, their families and their communities. More than 600 BCTGM members hit the streets in a fight for a better quality of life and to have a voice over how many hours in a week they can be forced to work.

This strike was about more than wages and benefits. It was about the quality of life for these workers and their families. Despite our repeated warnings to the management of Frito Lay over the last decade, current employees were forced to work seven days a week, up to 12 hours per shift. Many of the more than 800 workers were only getting an eight-hour break between shifts and some were forced to work double and triple shifts. Workers didn’t have time to see their families, do chores around the house, run errands, or even get a healthy night’s sleep. This strike was about working people having a voice in their futures and taking a stand for their families.

This fight resonated across the country and around the world and the outpouring of support for our brave union members in Topeka was overwhelming. Labor unions, community allies, politicians, concerned citizens and the religious community all played a part in this historic victory.

The striking Local 218 members received global support as the International Union of Food and Allied Workers (IUF) sent news of the fight to union members working in the food manufacturing industry around the world. German, Ukrainian and Dutch workers sent messages and photos of solidarity to the strike line.

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Frito Lay Strike

The outcome of this strike was a testament to the tenacity and grit of the Frito Lay workers in Topeka. I could not be more proud of our Local 218 membership, the union negotiating committee, and Midwest International Vice President Brad Schmidt, International Representative Jason Davis and International Business Agent/Organizer Jared Cummings.

While this victory will go down in the history books of the BCTGM, similar fights are happening across North America where union workers are standing up to employers and demanding respect on the job and a legitimate say over their working conditions.

I salute our membership, who were left with no choice but to strike to defend the livelihoods of themselves and their families.

The BCTGM International will always stand with our union brothers and sisters in support of their fight for dignity, justice and respect on the job.

— Anthony Shelton, BCTGM International President

BCTGM News

Official Publication of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union 10401 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, Maryland 20895-3961 (301) 933-8600 www.bctgm.org Anthony Shelton, Editor Corrina A. Christensen, Assistant Editor BCTGM General Executive Board President Anthony Shelton • Secretary-Treasurer David Woods Vice Presidents Shad Clark • Roger Miller Ron Piercey • Brad Schmidt • Zachary Townsend BCTGM General Executive Board Members Joyce Alston • Pierre Luc Ducet • Paul LaBuda Keith Morris • Mary Trujillo • Earl Lublow Letitia Malone • Gary Oskoian • Paula Steig Doyle Townson • Jeff Webb • Donald Woods BCTGM News (ISSN 1525-4860) is published bi-monthly by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, 10401 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895-3961. Periodicals postage paid at Kensington, MD and at additional mailing offices.

Subscription to new members only. Postmaster: Send address changes to BCTGM News, 10401 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895-3961.

BCTGM News

AFL-CIO President

Richard L. Trumka (1949 - 2021)

Our brother and leader, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, passed away on August 5, 2021, at the age of 72.

The labor movement, the AFLCIO and the nation lost a legend.

President Trumka devoted his life to working people, from his early days as president of the United Mine Workers of America to his unparalleled leadership as the voice of America’s labor movement.

He was a relentless champion of workers’ rights, workplace safety, worker-centered trade, democracy and so much more. He was also a devoted father, grandfather, husband, brother, coach, colleague and friend. President Trumka was loved and beloved.

In a statement honoring President Trumka, BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton said, “The BCTGM is deeply saddened July/August 2021

by the tragic loss of our Brother and friend Rich Trumka. Brother Trumka was a visionary leader and powerful and highly effective voice for working men and women.

He was tireless in the defense of workers’ rights and the advancement of economic, social and racial justice at home and around the world.

Rich was a loyal and devoted friend to the BCTGM. Regardless of the cause or fight, he always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our Union and our members. The BCTGM is eternally grateful for his steadfast support and friendship.”

The BCTGM joins with the 56 unions and 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO in mourning the passing of our fearless leader and commit to honoring his legacy with action. Standing on Rich’s shoulders, we will pour everything we have into building an economy, society and democracy that lifts up every working family and community.

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Senate Hearing Focuses on the The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive legislation that will reform decades-old federal labor laws and strengthen workers’ right to organize.

The theme of the Senate hearing was, “The Right to Organize: Empowering American Workers in a 21st Century Economy.” Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the HELP Committee, set the tone for the event stating, “While our ways of working and our workforce may have changed, the need for workers to be able to join together and have a voice in their wages and working conditions— without fear—remains as important as ever. Our labor laws are overdue for an update.”

Gracie Heldman, a long-time worker at Hearthside Food Solutions in McComb, Ohio

testified before the HELP Committee urging the passage of the PRO Act. Heldman has been a vital part of three BCTGM organizing campaigns at the bakery in the last 20 years, as workers’ efforts to organize — with up to 65% of workers signing union cards — were upended by lawbreaking, union-busting campaigns led by the company.

In her testimony, Heldman told the Committee that workplace safety “was one of the main reasons so many of us have wanted to join the BCTGM since the late ‘90’s. We have been overworked, we’ve been injured on the job, disrespected by supervisors, and forced to work in bad conditions. We wanted a union to help protect us while we were at work, to give us a say about the conditions we had to work under, and to help us get just a little bit of respect from our bosses.”

According to BCTGM International Director of Organization John Price, who accompanied Heldman to the Senate hearing, “The PRO Act would have prevented Hearthside from delaying the union elections, lying about the union and

Gracie Heldman testifies before the Senate HELP Committee.

Pictured in U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office before the hearing are (from left) Senator Brown, Gracie Heldman, Intl. Asst. to the President Harry Kaiser and Intl. Director of Organization John Price.

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BCTGM News

Need for Vital Labor Law Reform intimidating workers. And it would have brought stiffer penalties on the company for firing union supporters,” adds Price.

“For more than 20 years we have fought to join the BCTGM. For over 20 years I have seen the law look the other way. Nothing protected our right to join a union,” Heldman testified. “And the worst part of it all is that the company knew that. They knew they could do whatever they wanted, and at worst, they’d get a slap on the wrist. I’m just one worker who wants to join a union. But there are millions more like me. We just want a fair chance.”

Joining Heldman on the panel testifying in favor of the PRO Act was Mark Gaston Pearce, Executive Director of the Workers Rights Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center and Dr. Heidi Shierholz, Senior Economist and Director of Policy at the Economic Policy Institute.

Gracie Heldman (left) greets U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the HELP Committee.

Heldman Meets with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Prior to the HELP Committee hearing, Heldman met with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), an original cosponsor of the PRO Act and longtime leader in the fight for comprehensive labor law reform.

At times Heldman’s eyes filled with tears as she explained to Senator Brown the many ways that the company has harassed, bullied and intimidated her and her co-workers because of their efforts to join the BCTGM. Heldman and her co-workers at Hearthside once again lost their campaign to join the union in 2020 because of the company’s vicious anti-union actions.

“Even though people were scared, I really thought we had a shot to win this election. But the company had scared the workers so bad that we were never really given a fair chance to make a decision about joining the BCTGM,” Heldman said. “We got closer than ever before in this election, but it was not enough against the company’s actions.

Senator Brown told Heldman, “Stories like yours are exactly why I’m fighting to pass the PRO Act. It’s the best thing we can do to level the playing field for workers when corporations hold all the power.”

Prior to the hearing, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) listens as Gracie Heldman (right) provides emotional details of the many anti-union tactics used by Hearthside.

July/August 2021 May/June 2021

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Intl. Secy.-Treas. David Woods, plant manager Tyler Wallace, L 334 Bus. Agt. John Jordan, Fin. Secy. Jim Anderschat, Chf. Shop Steward Jim Cleaves.

Intl. Secy.-Treas. David Woods Tours Historic B&M Factory Since 1913, the four-story B&M bean factory in Portland, Maine has been churning out cans of baked beans.

International Secretary-Treasurer David Woods recently toured the 153-year-old B&M plant in Portland, Maine to see how the baked beans are made by the proud members of Local 334.

“I was really happy to meet so many of the Local

Intl. Secy.-Treas. David Woods (left) presents warehouse member Joe Chason Jr. (right) with his 40-year membership plaque and emerald membership pin.

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334 members, generations of whom have worked in this historic facility. It is an amazing process and these workers are proud of what they do. It was an honor to see our hard-working brothers and sisters in action,” said Woods.

Woods toured the facility and spent time talking to the union members. Photos on these pages were taken by Local 334 Financial Secretary Jim Anderschat who said the union workers were happy to welcome Woods.

Sam Holbrook runs the Retorts, the process that runs the beans through high pressure steam before going to the cooling floor.

BCTGM News

Chief Shop Steward Jim Cleaves (left) explains the process of making B&M Brown Bread, a unique New England product made by L. 334 members, to Intl. Secy.-Treas. David Woods (right).

Valerie Hiebert displays packaged and boxed Underwood Chicken Spread.

Preston Thomas (right) shows Intl. Secy.-Treas.

David Woods (left) how he stirs the brick oven beans to soak in the sauce that is used in the baking process.

At 71 years old, Thomas says he still loves working at B&M.

Hung Ha runs cans of Underwood Chicken Spread to labeling.

L.334 Exec. Board member Larry Kelley is pictured in the frozen chicken processing room, where union workers prepare the frozen chicken to be cooked and processed for the Underwood Chicken Spread Line.

July/August 2021

Dragon Mojsilovic is a label machine operator.

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Jillian Pantano transports the finished baked beans to the floor below to be canned.

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Tenacity and Solidarity Help E Fierce determination and steadfast solidarity brought victory to more than 600 striking members of BCTGM Local 218 at Frito Lay in Topeka, Kansas.

For 20 days, the union members held the strike line until a new collective bargaining agreement was reached that addressed the

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workers’ demands for a fair contract.

Workers at the Topeka plant went on strike on July 5 after they had been pushed to the brink with forced overtime and hazardous conditions amid the company’s soaring profits.

The new collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified by the Local 218 members, puts an end to what union workers at the Frito-Lay plant call “suicide shifts” — back-to-back 12-hour shifts with only an eight-hour break in between. The company had refused to address their concerns about the

BCTGM News

END Local 218 Frito Lay Strike shifts, which took away time with their families and did not even allow enough time to get a full night’s sleep.

Local 218 Chief Shop Steward Paul Klemme, who has worked at the Frito Lay plant for nine years, said he once worked three months straight without a day off.

“I missed a lot of time with my children when they were in high school because of the shift that I worked and the hours that I worked,” he said. “It’s physically draining.”

The new contract guarantees one day off a week

July/August 2021

for workers, does away with forcing workers to take the “suicide shifts” and increases wages.

“We want time with our families and we want better management that is actually what we are really fighting for. Striking was our last option,” said Local 218 member Esther Fanning, who has nineyear-old twins and says she feels like Frito Lay did not prioritize families or a work-life balance.

“Our fight is to make Frito Lay better as a work environment,” Klemme said. “Our job is to make it better for the future, for our fellow employees.”

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Local 252G members pictured here, left to right, are Reginale Hale, Operator Tech; Jerry Kinney, Packing Laborer; Gary Amerson, Tank Room Operator; Kevin Bradshaw, Case Handling Operator; Vincent Mickens, Tank Room Operator; and Malcom Houston, Processing Operator.

RESILIENCE Defines Local 252G

Kellogg’s Memphis Members

Generations of BCTGM Local 252G (Memphis, Tenn.) members at the Kellogg’s Memphis plant have produced Kellogg’s cereals like Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and Apple Jacks since 1958.

According to Local 252G President Rob Eafen, throughout the pandemic, Kellogg’s union members were considered “essential workers” and worked hard during increased production schedules. “Kellogg’s workers in Memphis worked non-stop to meet the demand for our cereals while putting themselves at risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Taking time out from their break for a photo is (left to right) Marquita Turner, Operator Tech; Calandria Morrison, Laborer; Tracy Young, Tank Room Operator; Jessie Smith, Operator Tech.

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Chief Shop Steward at the Kellogg Memphis plant is Barry Walls, 3rd shift Electrician.

We never stopped,” says Eafen.

“The hard work of Kellogg’s workers in Memphis and our other BCTGM Kellogg’s plants guaranteed that cereals would continue to fill supermarket shelves and feed American families,” notes BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton.

According to Local 252G Vice President Kevin Bradshaw, a Case Handling Operator BCTGM News

at the Memphis facility, the plant has its own unique ways of making cereal that includes artesian wells that supply the water used in production. “The water is second to none.

Good water equals good tasting food,” notes Bradshaw.

In late July, the Memphis plant suffered significant fire damage when a conveyor belt malfunctioned and ignited combustibles in a rice dryer machine. All workers were immediately evacuated and there were no injuries.

“Much of our equipment was damaged from

fire, water and smoke but those things are replaceable. None is greater than human life,” says Bradshaw. The plant is operating the Froot Loops production line only while production of the remaining cereals has been sent to other facilities until the repair and renovation work is complete.

“We thank everyone who has reached out and our International Union leaders for always having our back. We trust that we will get back to normal because we are Memphis and we are BCTGM 252G strong!”

Pictured here, left to right, are Kenny Grandberry, Sanitation Operator; Carl Tate, Processing Laborer; Patrick Casey, Packing Mechanic; Renard Smith, Electrician/1st Shift Steward; and Chief Steward Barry Walls, Electrician.

Third shift workers are on their way home at 7 a.m. Pictured here, from the left, are Freeman Jamison, Mechanic Packing; Michael Tate, Processing UTO; Chris Hightower, Tankroom Operator; Greg Spann, Bulk Plant Operator/3rd Shift Steward; Jackie Young, Processing Cooker; Antonio Hicks, Operator Tech; Derrick Albright, Miller; Micah Harris, Electrician; Byron Flemming, Processing Laborer; Rajel Crump, Operator Tech; Jacob Forret, Warehouse; Jarrod White, Warehouse; Larry Freeman, Quality Control; and Willie Shields, Warehouse.

July/August 2021

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BCTGM-Made BAKED GOODS

Wegmans

fill Supermarket Bakeries Cookies, pies, muffins, artisan breads, cakes, cheese cakes, bagels and numerous other specialty bakery items sold in 106 Wegmans stores are proudly made by hard-working BCTGM Local 116 (Auburn, N.Y.) workers at the company’s flagship bakery in Rochester, N.Y.

There are 424 Local 116 union members employed at the bakery where Wegmans branded baked goods are made and shipped throughout the Northeast. The union-made Wegmans products are shipped as far south as North Carolina. Wegmans, a regional supermarket chain, has stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

Wegmans is a family owned and operated company, founded in 1916 in Rochester. It is one of the largest private grocery companies in the U.S.

Vahid Begovic (Shipping)

Corelis Matos Ross, Fardosa Said, Rodha Said and Justina Nwamadi (Sweets)

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BCTGM News

Dave Page and L. 116 Pres.

Carlos Andujar

Wegmans Union-Made Bakery Products Local 116 members at the Wegmans Rochester, N.Y. flagship bakery produce product for all of the chain’s 106 grocery stores in the Northeastern U.S. All Wegmans in-store baked goods and packaged Wegmans branded bakery products are union-made in Rochester. Even specialty cakes are made in the Rochester bakery and shipped directly to cake decorators in the stores.

The massive Rochester facility also houses all baking ingredients needed by the Wegmans in-store bakeries. From flour, powdered sugar and icing, to chocolate chips, food colors and flavorings, the items are ordered by stores and shipped out from Rochester.

Some Local 116 baked goods to look for in a Wegmans bakery include: Organic Artisan Breads

Bagels

Rye Bread

Cheese Cakes

Ancient Grain Bread

Cookies

Muffins and mini-muffins

French Bread

Donuts

Italian Bread

Specialty Cakes & Desserts

Pies

Jose Gonzalez and Alexander Daniel (Parbake)

July/August 2021

L. 116 Pres. Carlos Andujar and Ray Colon (Shop Co-Chair)

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Rosa West and Val Wheems (Sweets)

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Remembering Ray Scannell, 1951 - 2021 Raymond Francis Scannell, 70, died August 4 of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) following a long illness.

Ray served as the BCTGM International Union’s Director of Research & Education when he retired in 2014, following a 34-year career with the Union.

Scannell came to the BCTGM not long after graduating with a Master’s degree in organizational behavior from the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. His first position at the Union was staff assistant in the Department of Research.

From 1983 to 1988, Scannell was the Assistant Director of Public Relations and in 1988 he was appointed the Director of Research. In 1992, Scannell’s duties expanded and he was named the Director of Research and Special Projects. In 2000, International President Frank Hurt named Scannell the Director of the combined Research and Education Departments.

Scannell served as BCTGM liaison to the International Union of Food and Allied Workers (IUF), attending the 1993 Congress in Stockholm, Sweden and the 1997 Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. Beginning in the 1990s, Scannell coordinated IUF and foreign unions’ participation in the Union’s various campaigns including the Earthgrains strike, the Hostess strike, and the Kellogg’s Memphis lockout.

Scannell served under three International

Union Presidents: John DeConcini, Frank Hurt and David Durkee.

Taken from his official obituary in the New York Times: “Ray was a fierce and tireless advocate for the rights of working people. He devoted most of his career to the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco, and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), where he rose to the rank of Director of Research and Education. His creativity and brilliance as theorist, strategist, and teacher helped shape a generation of union stewards, organizers, negotiators, and leaders at BCTGM and other labor unions. He contributed significantly to campaigns that improved the dignity, rights, and well-being of workers in unions across the globe. Asked what he did at work, Ray described himself as a “troublemaker for corporations.””

Ray is survived by his wife Miriam Szapiro, son Raymond Joshua Scannell (Josh), and daughter Anna Zaida Szapiro; sisters Zayda Stewart and Astrid Long; and brother Herb Scannell.

At the invitation of U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), BCTGM Local 6 (Philadelphia, Pa.) President Hank McKay attended President Joe Biden’s “Buy American” event at the Mack Trucks plant in Lehigh Valley, Pa., a few miles from the BIMBO bakery where Local 6 members are employed.

Pictured here, McKay (right) gave his phone to President Biden (left) to take a selfie together following the event. McKay thanked President Biden for saving American pensions and his support of the PRO Act. 14

BCTGM News

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Printed in the U.S.A.

At press time, more than 1,000 BCTGM members are on strike at Nabisco facilities in Portland, Ore. (Local 364), Aurora, Colo. (Local 26), Richmond, Va. (Local 358), Chicago, Ill. (Local 1) and Norcross, Ga. (Local 42).

Aurora, Co.

“Nabisco has long profited from the loyalty and dedication of its U. S. workers and the exploitation of its employees in Mexico. By striking, Nabisco workers in all five locations are saying strong and clear: stop exporting our jobs to Mexico and end your demands for contract concessions.”

-BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton

Richmond, Va .

Chicago, Ill.

Norcross, Ga.

Portland, Ore .