Highlighting the real people who make up The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Union.
Communications Director Michelle Ellis brings monthly interviews and Digital Insights to inspire authentic online dialogue between leadership, organizers and current and future members.
041: BCTGM Local Unions on the Importance of Affiliating with State Federations and Central Labor Bodies
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.
1 Jul 2025
040: The Past, Present and Future of BCTGM Tobacco Industry Workers
Aaron Graves, Pierre-Luc Doucet, Kevin Lindsey, Chris Graves, and Mike Aldrich examine the tobacco industry's past, present, and future, including union density and cultural shifts, in this interview episode.
27 Apr 2025
039: BCTGM Sugar Locals on Milling, Refining and Having a Voice at the Table
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
Who has been a guest on The BCTGM Voices Project
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Aaron Graves
Pierre-Luc Doucet
Kevin Lindsey
Chris Graves
Mike Aldrich
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.2 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
24
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
67
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