CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Around 50 members of the Teamsters Local 175 union who work at the Beverage Market in the Capital City are officially on strike, citing unfair labor practices.
The Local 175 union members unanimously authorized a strike on May 2 due to concerns over concessionary proposals from the Beverage Market.
The union claimed that the Beverage Market was asking for unfair increases in health care premiums, as well as elimination of significant portions of employee retirement benefits, during contract negotiations.
The contract between the union and the Beverage Market expired a week ago.
Teamsters Local 175 union members distributed information flyers during Saturday’s Foam at the Dome event in Charleston — an event where the Beverage Market was a vendor.
Local 175 released a statement Tuesday evening to announce the strike.
“The Beverage Market has been playing games with our members, and they will no longer take it,” Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference Director Jeff Padellaro stated. “These workers make this company the success that it is and deserve a contract that honors their worth. We will continue to support this group and urge the Beverage Market to come to the table and negotiate a fair deal.”
The Beverage Market is located in Charleston and distributes products such as Miller, Coors, Modelo and Red Bull to 30 counties in the state.
The Beverage Market had released their own statement Monday, saying it hoped to continue negotiations.
“We value our employees and respect their right to organize and engage in collective bargaining. While we are disappointed that an agreement has not yet been reached, we remain committed to negotiating in good faith and finding a fair resolution that supports both our workforce and the long-term growth of our company,” the Beverage Market statement said. “During negotiations, the Teamsters Local 175 union has demanded the company to present a “last and best” offer. Because we believe there is still an opportunity to work together toward a mutually beneficial agreement, we have chosen not to take that step and instead remain committed to continued dialogue.”
Teamsters Local 175 Secretary-Treasurer Luke Farley called out the Miller company for not intervening in this dispute.
“It’s disturbing that Miller would allow this distributor’s disgusting behavior to negatively impact its market share in [West Virginia],” Farley said. “This Company has treated these negotiations like a joke and its unreasonable concessionary demands show a fundamental lack of respect for these members and their families.”
Local 175’s release to announce the strike included a quote from Beverage Market shop steward and driver Ken Samms. Samms said he’s worked for the company for 17 years to provide for his family.
“I want to retire from this place, but management is trying to take that away,” Samms said. “My fellow Teamsters and I don’t want to strike but the company’s aggressive corporate greed has given us no choice. We will continue to fight to keep and secure our hard-earned benefits.”