(WASHINGTON) — Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien delivered a stern message to Anheuser-Busch as contract negotiations resumed today in Washington, D.C. — agree to the demands of the workers or risk another brand boycott and national walkout.

Joined by Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference Director Jeff Padellaro and the Anheuser-Busch Teamsters National Negotiating Committee, O’Brien reminded AB InBev negotiators that Teamsters will not work a minute beyond the expiration of the current contract on Feb. 29, without a new deal.

O’Brien and Padellaro gave Anheuser-Busch a full copy of the model contract that Anheuser-Busch Teamsters across the country overwhelmingly pre-ratified last week. With 94 percent approval by workers, the model agreement includes language protecting jobs, recapturing lost union work, increasing retirement benefits, and boosting wages.

After telling Anheuser-Busch to respect the workers and sign the agreement, the Teamsters General President walked out of negotiations.

“Anheuser-Busch needs to check its moral compass,” O’Brien said. “They’ve ignored workers for months. They make up excuses to not come to the bargaining table. They take our labor for granted while they pour millions into corporate advertising. It’s a disgrace. The Teamsters are more united than ever at Anheuser-Busch, and we are prepared for a full-scale strike and nationwide boycott.”

On Dec. 16, 5,000 Teamsters at 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries in the U.S. voted by 99 percent to authorize a strike. The Teamsters negotiating committee expects Anheuser-Busch to return to negotiations on Friday with a response to the members’ pre-ratified model agreement.

“Anheuser-Busch has failed to address workers’ issues, so our model contract does the heavy lifting for these executives. It’s all laid out for them in black and white — what we need, what we’ve earned, what we expect,” Padellaro said. “All Anheuser-Busch has to do is finally make a decision to respect its workforce. Let’s get this thing done. There’s no sense in Anheuser-Busch driving its brand into the ground by turning its back on the people who make the beer.”

Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch brew, package, and ship Budweiser, Bud Light, and other products, maintain breweries and equipment, and care for the world-famous Clydesdales. 

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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