The BCTGM Voices Project

In 2022, the AFL-CIO Executive Board established a commission on strengthening state federations and area and central labor councils, with the purpose of recommending ways to modernize and revitalize these organizations.

Given the tremendous collaboration with the area Councils and State Feds during the BCTGM’s high profile strikes in 2021 and 2022—namely at FritoLay, Nabisco and Kellogg’s—AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler asked President Shelton to be a commissioner in this endeavor.

Shelton was among a select group of AFL-CIO Executive Council members to conduct site visits throughout the U.S. to facilitate discussions with Union members. He also incorporated messaging to BCTGM members at regional meetings, telling them, “the good and admirable work done by state federations and CLCs benefits EVERY BCTGM Local Union—whether the Local is a dues-paying affiliate or not.”

Shelton reminded BCTGM Local Union leaders that if we are not contributing, we are “free loaders” and no different than those workers in right-to-work states who won’t join the Union but claim all the benefits.

A handful of years later, the BCTGM Voices Project rounded up several Local Union leaders to offer more on what that contribution looks like.

Guests:

• Taylor Almond – Financial Secretary/Principal Officer, BCTGM Local 114 (Portland, Ore.); sits on the Executive Board for the Northwest Oregon Labor Council as well as the state level Oregon AFL-CIO,
• Kevin Bradshaw – Member, BCTGM Local 252G (Memphis, Tenn.); President of the Memphis and West Tennessee Central Labor Council and Vice President for the state level Tennessee AFL-CIO.
• Wally Borgan – President, BCTGM Local 22 (Minneapolis, Minn.) talks about being affiliated with the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation and the state level Minnesota AFL-CIO.
• Jake Watkins – Financial Secretary, BCTGM Local 372A (Indianapolis, Ind.); Recording Secretary for both the Central Indiana AFL-CIO and the Hoosier Heartland Labor Federation.
• Mark Lee – Financial Secretary/Principal Officer, BCTGM Local 57 (Columbus, Ohio); Vice President of the Central Ohio Labor Council, AFL-CIO, also affiliates with the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council and the state level Ohio AFL-CIO.

Following a brief journey through the history of the Tobacco Workers International Union (TWIU), we review what led to its merger with the Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union in 1978.

Leaders at three different BCTGM Tobacco Local Unions then discuss the current status of the tobacco industry, its Union density in the South, the effects of the changing culture around tobacco use, and a little about the differences in tobacco products that are BCTGM-made in Canada vs. the United States.

Guests: 

• Aaron Graves, JTI Liggett, President, BCTGM Local 176T / International General Executive Board Member
• Pierre-Luc Doucet, Rothman’s, Benson and Hedges, President, BCTGM Local 261T / International General Executive Board Member
• Kevin Lindsey, Swedish Match/ZYN, President, BCTGM Local 196T
• Chris Graves, Swedish Match/ZYN, Vice President, BCTGM Local 196T
• Mike Aldrich, Swedish Match/ZYN, Financial Secretary, BCTGM Local 196T

Most people believe the sugar they use and consume everyday comes from sugarcane, but in the United States about 60% of it is Union-made from sugar beets in the cooler climates of the northern Midwest and Western regions of the country.

BCTGM members in Michigan, North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Idaho and Wyoming process nearly 100% of the sugar from sugar beets – for companies like Michigan Sugar, Amalgamated Sugar, Wyoming Sugar, Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, American Crystal and Sidney Sugar. Much of it ends up in bags on your grocery shelves, but a lot also goes into other food products, such as BCTGM-made Kellogg’s and General Mills cereals and other sweet snacks.

In this episode, two BCTGM Local Union leaders at Amalgamated Sugar in Idaho discuss their unique jobs and the importance of their Union contracts.

Guests: 

• Shawn Fowler, President, BCTGM Local 282G
• Brendan Van Sickle, President, BCTGM Local 283G

Supporting:

• David Woods, BCTGM International Secretary-Treasurer/Dir. of Organization
• Shad Clark, BCTGM International Vice President, Western Region

Different than the external act of going into facilities where there is no union and attempting to start one—Internal Organizing is fundamentally about building a union culture in your workplace where, when given the choice to belong or opt out of the Union, workers would ultimately desire to be a part of it.

This is the only way to strengthen our Local Unions against the rising threat of Right-to-Work laws. Learn how BCTGM local Unions are doing it in the Right to Work states of Indiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

We hear from: 

• David Woods, BCTGM International Secretary-Treasurer/Director of Organization
• Clint Lathrop, BCTGM Local 372A (Indianapolis, Ind.) Business Agent
• Rob Gaskins, BCTGM Local 57 (Columbus, Ohio) Business Agent
• Karlos Brothers, BCTGM Local 366G (Oklahoma City, Okla.) President
• Darian Haggins, BCTGM 366G (Oklahoma City, Okla.) Vice President
• with historical clips from former BCTGM Director of Organization John Price

We dedicate this episode to our late Organizing Director John Price, who dedicated his entire working life to helping workers organize with the BCTGM. We will continue the fight in his honor. 

Learn the legislative and political challenges of Labor in the last century, which inform the BCTGM's political positions today. 

We hear from:

• Joe McCartin, Georgetown Univ. Professor, Executive Director of Kalmanovitz Initiative fo Labor and the Working Poor
• John Price, BCTGM Director of Organization

References from this episode:

• Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike that Changed America - Book by Joe McCartin
• Labor’s Great War: The Struggle for Industrial Democracy and the Origins of Modern American Labor Relations, 1912-1921 - Book by Joe McCartin

• Bargaining for the Common Good Initiative

On July 22, 2024 a wire transfer of $3.3 billion in relief funds from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to the B&C Industry International Pension Fund was completed. The fight for the Butch Lewis Act - which began in 2017 and passed as a pension provision in the 2021 American Rescue Plan - was realized.

President Shelton sent a memo to U.S. BCTGM Local Unions that day announcing: "Our money is in the bank. The promise of pension reform has been realized for more than 100,000 BCTGM retirees."

We hear from BCTGM Leaders who worked for many years to save our pensions:

• Anthony Shelton, BCTGM International President
• Harry Kaiser, Retired Asst. to the President/Political Director
• Elizabeth Briere, Pension Fund Manager, B&C Trust Funds
• with historical clips from Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and former BCTGM International Presidents David B. Durkee and Frank Hurt

We dedicate this episode to our late president David B. Durkee, who fought for his entire time in office to fix the pension crisis. His legacy now underscores the security of generations of BCTGM Retirees, who will live the sunset years of their lives in dignity thanks to his passion and diligence. 

Get the decades-long backstory on this multi-location organizing campaign and save the date for London, Ky.’s Union election on May 7 and 8.

We hear from:

• John Price, BCTGM Director of Organization
• Jason Maynard, Forklift Operator, 22-year employee of Hearthside Foods (McComb, Ohio)
• Lisa Gregory, BCTGM East-Central Region International Rep.
• Liticia Horton, Oven Operator, 29-year employee of Hearthside Foods (London, Ky.)
• Roxanne Hallman, Mixing Machine Operator, 12-year employee of Hearthside Foods (London, Ky.)
• Veronica Hopkins, BCTGM Midwest Region International Rep.
• Ryan Hocke, BCTGM Midwest Region International Rep.

References from this episode:

• Workers File for an Election in London, Ky.
• January 2022 Hearthside Update from John Price and Jason Maynard

An update on the Local 390G #IFFStrike in Memphis, Tenn. – now approaching its 5^th month.

We hear from:

• David Woods, BCTGM International Secretary Treasurer
• Jason Thomas, BCTGM International Representative/IFF Lead Negotiator
• Cedric Wilson, BCTGM Local 390G President, 10-Year Operator at IFF
• Kevin Passeretti, BCTGM Local 390G Shop Steward, 35-year QA Analyst at IFF

Resources from this episode:

• 4 Ways to Support the IFF Strike
• IFF Strike Facebook Page

Workers give their take on the issues at play in the #IFFStrike.

We hear from:

• Jason Thomas, BCTGM International Representative/IFF Lead Negotiator
• Cedric Wilson, BCTGM Local 390G President
• Cometris Morgan, BCTGM Local 390G Vice President
• Tanya Walker, 21-year member, Shop Steward/Trustee
• Zandra Lee, 28-year member 
• Jessica Merriweather, 6-year member
• Bob Thompson, 1-year member (22-year employee of IFF)

Resources from this episode:

• 3 Ways to Support the IFF Strike
• IFF Strike Facebook Page

Covering all sides of the BCTGM’s Education and Training programs:

• Part One: An overview with the program director/head of the BCTGM's Research and Education Department, Matthew Clark.
• Part Two: Trainees from the most recent New Officers Training at the Maritime Institute in Baltimore, Md. give their feedback and insight.

Also hear from International Secretary-Treasurer David Woods, Organizing Director John Price and Local 6 President Hank McKay - on-site to contribute their mentorship and wisdom. 

Interested in attending, setting up or sending someone to a future leadership training? Contact Research & Education Director Matthew Clark at mclark@bctgm.org.