Alcohol Distributor’s Customers Should Prepare for Significant Product Shortages

(NATIONWIDE) – Teamsters at Breakthru Beverage in Florida have extended their unfair labor practice (ULP) strike to operations in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. As a show of solidarity, more than 700 Teamsters in those states are refusing to cross the picket line.

More than 160 drivers at Breakthru locations across Florida were forced on strike after the company illegally fired workers for union activity and refused to bargain in good faith with the Teamsters. The strike has slowed liquor distribution in Florida for the past two weeks. With actions spreading, more restaurants and liquor stores nationwide can expect disruptions to product delivery in light of Breakthru’s violations.

“Breakthru Beverage has chosen to learn its lesson the hard way, and that’s a mistake that corporate management must own,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Breakthru has broken the law. They are disrespecting the workforce at every turn. But the Teamsters are here to hold them accountable. With solidarity at our backs, we will continue to extend picket lines where we can until Breakthru finally chooses to do right by working people.”

“Breakthru should never have let things get to this point — they chose this strike,” said Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference. “It is well past time for Breakthru to come back to the table, to reinstate workers the company unlawfully fired, and to make a fair deal to the families who have made Breakthru successful in Florida. Let’s stop this nonsense from management and get people back to work.”

Breakthru’s last offer included pay cuts of $15,000 to $30,000 annually per worker and no improvements to benefits. Teamsters in Florida have been asking the company to offer them the same wages and benefits that Teamsters at the company’s other locations already receive. Instead of granting the workers a fair contract, the company is attempting to break the strike by hiring scabs and notorious union-busting firms.

“The cost of everything is going up — my mortgage, my taxes, my kids’ sports. Then Breakthru tells me they’re cutting my pay?” said Tarrence Rhodes, a driver in Tampa and member of Teamsters Local 79. “I’ve worked for this company for years. I’ve done everything right. The position that Breakthru is taking against working families is simply cruel. There’s no other way to spin it.”

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

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