Workers Celebrate Winning a Voice with Union-Made Craft Beer in Seattle

(TUKWILA, Wash.) – Workers at the Elysian Brewing Co. have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 117. The group of 33 brewery, packaging, quality assurance, and warehouse workers, employed at the company’s Georgetown production facility in Seattle, cast their ballots in favor of the union in an election with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday, August 22.

Workers at the Elysian came together three months ago to discuss how to win a voice over issues like equitable wages, job security, and favorable working conditions. For many, the love of producing quality craft beer and perfecting recipes were driving factors in choosing the Teamsters.

“My decision to support this union campaign is a demonstration of my commitment to the well-being of my friends and colleagues,” said Derek Bargerstock, a brewer who has been with the company for nearly three years. “This is an opportunity for us to shape the future of the industry and to pave the way for other breweries by showing them that union representation is possible. It’s time for us all to stand up for what is right and make history in the process.”

In the high-demand brewery industry, workers at the Elysian said becoming Teamsters would give them a greater opportunity to advance and earn family-sustaining wages so they could make a career at the company.

“I love the people I work with at the Elysian and uniting as a team to fight for what we deserve has been a dream of mine for years,” said Shannon Mullins, a quality assurance technician with five years at the company. “When we stand together, we have the power to get what we want.”

John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117, congratulated the group on winning their union.

“We are thrilled to welcome workers at the Elysian to Teamsters Local 117,” Scearcy said. “These workers showed tremendous courage and solidarity in demanding a voice on the job. We look forward to bringing their priorities to the bargaining table and negotiating a strong Teamster contract that gives them the respect they deserve.”

The Elysian Brewing Co., a Seattle-based craft brewery founded in 1995, was purchased by Anheuser-Busch in January 2015. Anheuser-Busch is a Belgian multinational and the largest brewery in the world with 40 percent of the beer market share in the United States.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, including thousands of workers in the brewery and soft drink industry.

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