News
Winning Against Corporate Greed at Clare Rose
Workers who deliver, sell and merchandise Budweiser, Heineken and other beer products on Long Island went on strike on April 13 in what would be an 82-day strike that showed the strength of solidarity among the members of the union, but also the community at large.
The workers returned to work in July but only after weeks of rallies, community support and pressure ramped up against the employer, Clare Rose Distribution.
Clare Rose, the exclusive Long Island distributor of Anheuser-Busch products and a family-run enterprise for over 50 years, had long employed members of Local 812. Despite years of satisfactory relationships, negotiations for a new contract took a sour note as new members of the corporate family steered the talks. Management was proposing a drastic cut in salaries and the elimination of their retirement plan. The company mailed letters to workers informing them that they had been permanently replaced and brought in out-of-state temporary workers to replace those on strike.
The over 100 Teamster drivers and warehousemen voted down management’s “final offer” and leaders at the local union, joined by state-wide and local labor organizations, retailers and customers, set about fighting back.
“We are the middle-class families that make up Long Island,” said Mark Pooler, who has delivered beer at Clare Rose for 26 years. “While this company is making millions, they were trying to cut the wages and retirement benefits that our families depend on.”
Impacting Retail
“The union did everything possible to reach a fair deal with Clare Rose, but the company was putting its greed ahead of its workers,” said Local 812 President Ed Weber.
Soon after the Clare Rose strike began, striking beer delivery drivers in Long Island rallied outside Blue Point Brewery, a customer of Clare Rose, calling on the brewers’ distributor to end labor abuses.
The rally coincided with Blue Point’s “Big Brew Day at the Boatyard” party. Union members urged Long Islanders to boycott Clare Rose products. Protesters handed out leaflets and held banners reading “Clare Rose Hurts Long Island Families.”
The drivers had always been the face of Clare Rose to customers and they visited their old accounts to educate bar and store owners about the reasons for the strike and to ask for their support.
A photo of a Handy Pantry sign in Manorville went viral on social media with the store’s message, “We stand behind our drivers! Not taking Bud deliveries until contract is reached!” Many others refused Clare Rose deliveries and pledged their support to the striking Teamsters.
“As business owners, we all have a moral obligation to take care of the people who take care of us,” said Frank Girgenti, owner of My Butcher and Deli in Wading River. “In the pursuit of wealth, Clare Rose has lost sight of what’s truly important. You really can’t put a price on hardworking, loyal employees. This is evident when you see the utter disaster caused by hiring these temporary workers. The men and women of Local 812 have my full support and I hope they win the battle against corporate greed!”
“If Clare Rose cared about its customers, it will restore our wages and pensions and bring us back to work,” Pooler said. “Loyal Budweiser customers are going to have to do the unthinkable on Memorial Day: drink Miller. Clare Rose and Anheuser-Busch better hope they don’t learn to like it.”
Belmont Stakes Pulls Anheuser-Busch
On the eve of the Belmont Stakes, one of the famous “Triple Crown” horse races, Belmont Park joined the boycott of Clare Rose. Other Teamster locals that represent security guards, jockey valets and other workers at the racetrack cheered the decision to boycott Clare Rose.
“I am happy to know that the Belmont Stakes will be free of Clare Rose beer,” said Harry Rice, jockey valet at Belmont Park and Local 814 shop steward. “All the Teamsters at Belmont are in solidarity with our brothers on strike at Clare Rose.”
Teamsters also participated in the Long Island Pride Festival in New York. “There is no pride in Budweiser,” Weber said. “I am proud of the long history of solidarity between the Teamsters Union and the LGBT community.
From Harvey Milk to the Coors boycott decades ago, we have been partners for social and economic justice. We are deeply thankful of the LGBT community’s support.”
Victory did not come easy for workers at Clare Rose. But through a combination of solidarity, community support and Teamster power, a tentative agreement was reached on July 13 and a new three-year contract was ratified by the membership two days later.
The word of the win at Clare Rose quickly traveled across Long Island. After decades of watching companies cut wages or move jobs out of their community, Long Islanders could cheer this clear win for working families.
“This strike captured the imagination of Long Island workers,” Weber said. “We don’t have to make concessions every time a company wants higher profits. I hope this is a sign of things to come. We can fight back and we can win.”
Shore Point Solidarity
Clare Rose workers weren’t the only Teamsters who recently won through solidarity. Members at Local 701 in North Brunswick, N.J. were locked out by Shore Point Distributing in April and May. The community stood by the workers in the face of corporate greed.
Local 701 recently presented Belmar, N.J. Mayor Matt Doherty with its Solidarity Award for boldly standing with the 113 locked-out Teamsters.
“These aren’t just empty words. Mayor Doherty banned Shore Point from supplying beer to Belmar’s annual Seafood Festival and found a replacement vendor.” said Ernie Soehl, President of Local 701.
“I don’t think we should be hosting a company that is locking out middle-class, working-class people from their jobs,” Mayor Doherty said.
Local 701 worked with Doherty as part of a comprehensive community campaign to enlist political and local support in their fight against Shore Point Distributing. Teamsters, their family members and community allies stood outside of liquor stores educating customers about Shore Point’s unreasonable demands for concessions on health benefits and pensions. Local 701 also asked local restaurants, bars and other businesses to put pressure on the company by refusing to sell the MillerCoors products from the company.
That effort ended up being successful. The lockout lasted six weeks, and it ended after the company returned to the bargaining table and workers ratified a contract in June.