February 2, 2012: What do our International officials do while bakery Teamsters face production harassment, lost pensions, and threats to their jobs? They head off to the rodeo!

Bakery Teamsters are facing production harassment and concessions. Interstate Bakeries, makers of Wonder Bread, Twinkies, and Hostess products, just filed for bankruptcy and has stopped paying contractual pension contributions for thousands of working Teamsters.

The International Union’s response: Yee-haw, let’s go to the Calgary Stampede!

The Bakery and Laundry Conference announced it will hold its Annual Meeting in Calgary to coincide with the 100th Anniversary Calgary Stampede, in July.

The official meeting announcement has virtually no details about the meeting’s agenda. But it does include a spot for Teamster officials to put down their hat size—for a Stetson Hat to wear to the Stampede.

Meeting registration is $275 per officer (with the free hat). Hotel rooms run $300 to $400 a night, for the six-day affair. Teamster officials are encouraged to bring their spouses and kids.

Thousands of Teamsters at IBC (Wonder, Hostess, etc.) have lost their pensions. They didn’t even get a hat, let alone a trip on the union dime.

Hoffa and Ken Hall are right when they say there’s a War on Workers. Maybe it’s time to put the expensive golf and travel junkets on hold until the war is won.