USA: Teamsters organizing win at Danone's YoCream plant

Dairy workers with YoCream, a division of French food group Danone, voted overwhelmingly to join IUF-affiliated Teamsters Local 305 in Portland, Ore., seeking better conditions and a voice at work.

YoCream is the second organizing success by the Teamsters working with IUF support and signals again the IUF's ability to influence management attitudes to organizing efforts in Danone.

"These two significant victories, coming only about a month apart, are the first organizing wins to be coordinated by the Teamsters Dairy Conference in years, and mark a big step forward in our renewed efforts to build power for workers in this industry," said Rome Aloise, International Vice President and the newly appointed director of the Teamsters Dairy Conference.

Similar coordinated work with the IUF had led to earlier organizing successes for IUF-affiliated BCTGM in Ohio and Utah and all these successes have significantly increased union density in Danone in North America.

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is an international federation of trade unions representing workers employed in agriculture and plantations; the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages; hotels, restaurants and catering services; all stages of tobacco processing. The IUF is composed of 394 affiliated organizations in 126 countries representing a combined membership of around 2,6 million.

How to contact the IUF:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Rampe du Pont-Rouge, 8, CH-1213, Petit-Lancy (Switzerland)
Phone: + 41 22 793 22 33
Fax: + 41 22 793 22 38