Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: BCTGM

[Omaha Steve]

https://aflcio.org/2025/6/16/get-know-afl-cios-affiliates-bctgm

This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 63 of our affiliates. Next up is the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM).

Name of Union: Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.

Mission: The primary goal of the BCTGM has not changed in more than 130 years—to bring economic justice in the workplace to all workers in our jurisdiction and social justice to workers throughout the United States and Canada.

Current Leadership of Union: Anthony Shelton has served as BCTGM international president since he was elected to fulfill the term of David B. Durkee, who passed away on March 30, 2020. He was unanimously reelected on July 29, 2022, by delegates to the 41st BCTGM Constitutional Convention. Prior to that, Shelton served as BCTGM international secretary-treasurer. Shelton has been a member of BCTGM since 1973 when he became a member of Local 25 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In March 1992, Shelton was appointed as Southern Region international representative, a position he held for 23 years. He was elected as international vice president of the Southern Region in September 2015 and reelected in 2018. Shelton is a second-generation BCTGM member, his father, Walter Shelton, having been a member for 62 years.

David Woods serves as international secretary-treasurer and director of organizing. BCTGM has five international vice presidents: Roger Miller (East-Central Region), Zach Townsend (Southern Region), Jason Davis (Midwest Region), Ron Piercey (Canadian Region) and Shad Clark (Western Region).

FULL story at link above.