SISSONVILLE, W.Va. — A nearly two-month strike from 49 Teamsters Local 175 union members against The Beverage Market shows few signs of slowing down.
The most recent contract between the union and the company expired May 2. The workers have been on the picket line since May 12.
The Beverage Market is based in Sissonville and distributes beer products to 1,900 customers and 31 counties in West Virginia. Company owners Theresa and Martin Johnson have drawn the ire of the workers, who have accused them of “not taking negotiations seriously.”
Teamsters Local 175 Secretary-Treasurer Luke Farley told MetroNews that the union has “shown a willingness” to adapt at the bargaining table.
“The union has made significant movement, we’re down to just a small handful of issues on the table,” Farley said. “The company still has over 100 proposed changes to the contract that they’re still proposing, many of them concessionary.”
Farley said Local 175 addressed The Beverage Market’s early concerns during bargaining, specifically the requests for employees to pay more on health insurance and address attendance problems.
“They want to be able to change your health insurance at the drop of a hat,” Farley said. “They want to eliminate portions of employees’ retirement, as well as retiree supplements these people have for health insurance; stuff these people have been working towards (during) their careers.”
There are workers who are on the verge of retirement on the picket line, Farley said, because their retirement benefits may be at risk. He accused the company of not “negotiating in good faith” and blasted The Beverage Market for several proposals, including one that he said demanded workers be clean-shaven.
Farley said The Beverage Market’s proposals for employees don’t make much sense.
“Some employees, they just want to go backwards in pay,” Farley said. “Some employees, they want to freeze in pay, and then some employees, they just want to give a nickel over a two-year agreement. This is at a time when we have been getting record increases over the same industry as The Beverage Market.”
The Teamsters Local 175 members have been getting the word out about the dispute in several different ways. In addition to a community event in June held in Sissonville, Local 175 has distributed information to let people know about the products that The Beverage Market distributes. Farley said those information slips have asked people to stop drinking The Beverage Market products amid the strike. He said strikers have also traveled around to spread the word.
“We do what’s called ambulatory picketing,” Farley said. “So, when the company delivers product to customers, we have employees that are on strike, they extend that picket line and follow the trucks to the locations, and hold up a sign, letting the public know that we’re on strike.”
Farley said Local 175 has tried to be “extremely reasonable” at the bargaining table. However, Farley said The Beverage Market ownership has not shown up to bargaining discussions. He said Theresa and Martin Johnson are trying to destroy the union for “no good reason.”
Farley noted that Teamsters Local 175 even tried to bring in neutral help.
“The union has offered to bring in a federal mediator into negotiations, the company has not responded to that,” Farley said. “In hopes that maybe somebody could have an idea, or just somebody else be part of this, to see how unreasonable the company is being in negotiations.”
As for next steps, Farley said that’s up to The Beverage Market. He said the strikers are willing to stay on the picket line as long as it takes, and no one is talking about giving up. Farley emphasized that strikes have a trickle-down effect to communities as well, and there are “no winners” when that happens.
The Beverage Market has not responded to MetroNews’ request for comment.