Workers at Third Dannon Plant Join BCTGM Union

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/08/28/workers-at-third-dannon-plant-join-bctgm-union/



by James Parks, Aug 28, 2009

Workers at the Dannon Co. yogurt plant in West Jordan, Utah, became the third group of dairy production workers to join the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM).

The plant, which employs about 125 workers, plans to double its workforce in the near future.

Over the past two years, dairy production facility workers at the largest Dannon plant in Minster, Ohio—the largest dairy production plant in North America—and at the Dean Foods dairy in Richmond, Va., have voted for BCTGM.

The victory in West Jordan showed the value of solidarity and international support. Nearly 75 percent of the employees of Dannon’s parent, the Paris, France-based Danone Group, are union members. Danone, the largest dairy food producer in the world, recently signed an agreement with the International Union of Food Workers (IUF), a federation of 336 unions in 120 countries representing agriculture, food, hotel, restaurant and tobacco workers. Under the pact, union representatives meet every year with the chairman and CEO of Dannon to discuss policy and practice and air the views and issues relevant for the workers they represent.

In a letter of support, the French Dannon workers wrote:

We understand that Dannon local management is interfering with the democratic process by attempting to discredit the BCTGM. This goes against the letter and spirit of the agreement signed by the IUF and Dannon top management.