Headline News
Teamsters Fight For Eden Jobs At MillerCoors
Teamsters representing more than 5,000 AB/InBev, MillerCoors, and Molson Coors brewery workers throughout the United States and Canada joined with Teamsters General President Hoffa, General Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall, and Brewery & Soft Drink Workers Conference Director David Laughton in the fight to save Teamster jobs at MillerCoors.
MillerCoors announced on Sept. 14, 2015 a plan to close Eden by Sept. 2016. The announcement came just two days before merger discussions between AB/InBev and SABMiller became public and only two months before the definitive merger agreement was announced along with a related transaction involving SABMiller’s sale of its 58 percent stake in the MillerCoors Joint Venture to Molson Coors. “We believe the decision to close Eden is part of a larger strategy by Molson Coors to cut production capacity, contract supply and raise prices in the U.S. market,” Hoffa said. “MillerCoors’ short-sighted strategy will be bad for workers, consumers and shareholders.”
“It’s not too late for MillerCoors to change course and keep this world-class brewery operational,” said Mike McGaha, President of Teamsters Local 391 which represents the Eden workers.
The solidarity of Teamster brewery workers at AB, MillerCoors, and Molson Coors, means a lot to our members in Eden,” said Vernon Gammon, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 391. “I worked at the brewery when it first opened in 1978. It will shatter our community if MillerCoors’ shuts the plant and abandons our state.”
“If MillerCoors doesn’t want to produce beer in North Carolina anymore, the company should sell the operation to another brewer so as to keep good jobs in North Carolina and live up to its commitments to the community,” said David Laughton, Director of the IBT Brewery & Soft Drink Workers Conference.
Teamster leaders attending the Brewery and Soft Drink annual conference pledged to take stickers and signs back to their members and engage them in the fight to save good, Teamster jobs.