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