History Of Grain Millers

A Condensed History of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC

September 2, 1885 - Call is issued for the first convention of the Journeymen Bakers' National Union.

January 13, 1886 - Founding National Union opens in Pittsburgh, Pa; Geork Block is elected first National Secretary (principle officer).

March 13, 1886 - Journeymen Bakers' National Union adopts label of Newark, NJ local, derived from the medieval guild symbol of the Austrian bakers.

February 23, 1887 - Journeymen Bakers' National Union affiliates with American Federation of Labor (AFL).

July 14, 1888 - First issue of English language Bakers' Journal is published by union.

March 3, 1890 - Fifth Union convention begins; changes name to Journeymen Bakers' and Confectioners' International Union.

April 25, 1885 - Minnesota enacts first sanitary regulation of bakeries.

May 20, 1895 - Founding convention of National Tobacco Workers of America begins; Henry Fishcher elected President, E. Lewis Evans is elected first Secretary-Treasurer.

June 28, 1895 - Tobacco Workers affiliate with AFL.

September 1, 1895 - Journeymen Bakers' and Confectioners' International Union's publication, The Bakers Journal/Deutsche Amerikanische Baeckerzeitung, adobes dual language format (German-English).

October 1, 1895 - Journeymen Bakers' and Confectioners' International Union voluntary sick and death benefit system is created.

September 28, 1898 - Fourth convention of the National Tobacco Workers of America convenes; changes name to Tobacco Workers' International Union; also votes to move headquarters from St. Louis, Mo. to Louisville, Ky. to intensify southern organizing.

April 6, 1903 - Eleventh convention convenes and changes name from Journeymen Bakers' an Confectioners' International Union to Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union.

August 14, 1904 - B&C votes to move headquarters from N. Y. to Chicago, Ill.

April 17, 1905 - Lochner v. New York, B&C case before the U.S. Supreme Court, rules that state laws limiting working hours per day or per week are unconstitutional.

March 14, 1908 - A.A. (Andy) Myrup elected B&C International Treasurer in special election; from 1908-1943 Myrup lays leading role in union affairs.

January 1, 1909 - B&C sick and death benefit system becomes compulsory.

November 16, 1911 - Anti-union American Tobacco Co. "trust" broken up by U.S. Supreme Court; end of monopoly leads to expansion of cigarette industry.

August 4, 1919 - TWIU signs first contract with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. achieving 48 hour week, 20% wage increase an time-and-a-half for overtime.

April 1, 1921 - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. refuses to negotiate second contract, fires union supporters and begins successful campaign to oust TWIU; subsequent organizing drive in 1927-1928 is crushed by mass firings leading to the first boycott of Reynolds Tobacco.

March 26, 1923 - B&C moves from Bush Temple into its own headquarters building on Wilton Ave. in Chicago, Ill.

January 1, 1926 - E. Lewis Evans is inaugurated President of Tobacco Workers International Union.

April 3, 1926 - Consent decree in federal court in Baltimore, Md. dissolves Ward Baking Corp. "trust," ends monopoly in national, branded wholesale baking industry.

May 28, 1934 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Code of Fair Competition for the baking industry under the National Industrial Recovery Act, regulating working conditions.

March 8, 1935 - Amalgamated Food Workers affiliate with B&C, ending 22 year old schism.

May 5, 1937 - First of the Nabisco employees' unions, originally organized by AFL, affiliates with the B&C.

October 23, 1939 - TWIU convenes sixth convention, first one in thirty-nine years.

September 22, 1941 - 22nd B&C Convention at St. Paul, Minn., changes titles of International officers, makes Andy Myrup B&C's first International President.

December 2, 1943 - B&C Executive Board elects Herman Winter International President upon death of Andy Myrup.

September 18, 1944 - Eighth TWIU convention convenes; elects John O'Hare International President.

May 13, 1950 - B&C Executive Board elects William Schnitzler International President on retirement of Herman Winter.

September 24, 1951 - TWIU wins strike at Imperial Tobacco, paving the way for joint negotiations with this Canadian giant.

December 16, 1952 - William Schnitzler becomes AFL Secretary-Treasurer.

December 17, 1952 - B&C Executive Board elects Jim Cross International President.

May 14, 1953 - Formal ratification of B&C Union-Industry National Welfare Fund.

April 7, 1955 - TWIU attempt to organize R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is defeated by union busting campaign; union initiated current AFL-CIO supported boycott of RJR Tobacco products.

October 28, 1955 - B&C closes Chicago office, completing move of headquarters to Washington, D.C.

December 9, 1957 - AFL-CIO convention in Atlantic City, N.J. expels B&C following McClellan hearings.

December 12, 1957 - B&C splits; American Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union is charted by AFL-CIO with Daniel Conway as Acting President and John DeConcini as Acting Executive Vice President.

May 12, 1958 - B&C moves into new headquarters building in Washington, D.C., the Solar Building.

March 25, 1961 - B&C Executive Board suspends International President Jim Cross.

May 13, 1961 - Jim Cross resigns as B&C International President.

May 17, 1961 - B&C Executive Board elects James Landriscina International President.

January 22, 1962 - Convening of the 26th B&C Convention; Max Kralstein is elected B&C International President.

June 9, 1967 - Convening of first TWIU pre-negotiations conference in Atlanta, Ga. to coordinate U.S. bargaining under the leadership of the International.

January 1, 1968 - Month-long successful strike begins at American Tobacco under leadership and coordination of International union; first test of coordinated strategy.

eptember 7, 1969 - National Nabisco strike begins; 9,000 ABC members in 13 U.S. plants conduct successful 56 day walkout in major confrontation with employer. Significant improvement in wages and benefits won.

December 4, 1969 - B&C and ABC merge, ending split; union rejoins AFL-CIO.

September 24, 1951 - TWIU wins strike at Imperial Tobacco, paving the way for joint negotiations with this Canadian giant.

November 11, 1972 - Walkout by 3,000 B&C members at ITT Continental Baking Co. escalates into strike and lockout involving 12,000 members at wholesale baking plants in five western states and selected northeastern sites; earned work credit is won in step toward five day consecutive work week.

March 21, 1978 - B&C International Executive Vice President John DeConcini elected International President by General Executive Board following the resignation of Daniel E. Conway.

August 17, 1978 - TWIU and B&C merge; BC&T International Union is formed. John DeConcini elected President, Gregory Oskoian elected Secretary-Treasurer and Rene Rondou, Graydon E. Tetrick and Joseph G. Kane elected Vice Presidents.

August 18, 1978 - BC&T convention establishes BCT-PAC to strengthen the union's participation in the political process in the U.S.; checked-off for BCT-PAC also authorized.

September 16, 1978 - BC&T International Executive Vice President Rene Rondou is elected BC&T International Secretary-Treasurer following death of Gregory Oskoian.

June 6, 1979 - Long Term Agreement with Phillip Morris company signed; precedent setting nine-year pact secures the living standards and working conditions of BC&T members while achieving stable labor relations.

November 19, 1979 - BC&T International President John DeConcini elected to serve on the AFL-CIO Executive Council as a vice president of the federation.

August 7, 1980 - BC&T moves into headquarters building in Kensington, Md., suburb of Washington, D.C.

September 19, 1981 - Solidarity Day I; 3,000 BC&T members join 400,000 union workers and their allies in Washington, D.C. protesting Reagon Administration's union-busting and calling for jobs and justice; organized by AFL-CIO, march is largest political demonstration ever in U.S. capital.

July 28, 1982 - 31st BC&T Convention begins.

May 10, 1986 - Centennial Celebration, Pittsburgh, Pa.

July 16, 1986 - 32nd BC&T Convention opens.

July, 1999 - The Grain Millers merged with the Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers International Union to become the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM).

January 4, 2016 - Local 446 of Nova Scotia was merged with Local 406 in New Brunswick. Local 406 now represents Members in both provinces.