5,000 Brewery Teamsters Fight for Strong Contract as Feb. 29 Strike Deadline Looms

(WASHINGTON) — In a major development in the fight for a strong contract protecting 5,000 Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced today it will more than double strike pay to $1,000 per week for Anheuser-Busch Teamsters nationwide.

The increase will go into effect in the event Anheuser-Busch forces the Teamsters who brew, package, and ship Budweiser, Bud Light, and dozens of other beverage brands out on strike March 1. Anheuser-Busch Teamsters at 12 U.S. breweries are fighting for a fair contract that rewards and respects their hard work and sacrifices, which bring in $58 billion a year for the global beermaker.

“With its ongoing refusal to invest in and protect American jobs, Anheuser-Busch is a legitimate threat to hardworking Teamsters. We’ve been clear with this company that the Teamsters have a strike fund of more than $300 million and we will use it to defend our members against those who threaten to destroy their livelihoods,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “It’s important to increase benefits now in the event Anheuser-Busch puts itself on strike, so we make certain Teamster families don’t suffer undue burdens and can hold the line against corporate greed.”

In December, Anheuser-Busch Teamsters across the country voted by a resounding 99 percent to authorize a strike if the company does not come to terms on a strong agreement by the expiration of the current agreement on Feb. 29.

Anheuser-Busch dragged its feet in negotiations for months, refusing to commit to job security for its Teamster workforce. On Feb. 1, the Teamsters demanded Anheuser-Busch deliver its last, best, and final offer, after the company wasted another negotiating session putting forth an unacceptable proposal intended to kill Teamster jobs by closing breweries and permanently laying off workers systemwide.

O’Brien, Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman, and the Teamsters General Executive Board approved the increase in strike benefits in a special vote today, which was announced at the union’s annual Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference.

“Anheuser-Busch needs to respect and reward the Teamsters who make the company the billions of dollars it is now wasting on glitzy Super Bowl ads and greedy stock buybacks. Workers are fired up and ready to fight back. This increase in strike benefits makes sure our members are protected,” said Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference.

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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