Two strikes show the importance of community union support

Tom Strickland, Secretary-Treasurer, and Dan Boley, Business Agent for Teamsters Local 662, joined the America’s Work Force Union and spoke about the reactions by different groups to a strike at the Leinenkugel plant. They also discussed a strike at New Dairy Select Milk and explained the importance of community support and how it gives the striking workers leverage at the bargaining table.

Teamsters Local 662 represent workers at the Molson/Coors Leinenkugel plant in Wisconsin. Since July 10, workers at this plant have been on strike. According to Boley, despite management’s claim they wanted the strike to come to a quick resolution, they continue to act in poor faith toward negotiations. In the meantime, management has attempted to bring in workers from Molson/Coors’ corporate headquarters to run the operations. Not surprisingly, they have not kept up with production requirements, Strickland added. Since the strike began, local bars and restaurants have pulled Leinenkugel’s from their beer selections to show solidarity with those on the picket line.

Strickland then discussed New Dairy Select Milk, where employees have also been on strike since July 10. Local 662 attempted to negotiate improvements to their member’s health and welfare benefits, but the employer has not negotiated in good faith, as they have denied every proposal put forth by negotiators. Among the rejected offer was a Teamsters health plan that would have lowered employee costs and overall costs to the employer, Strickland noted. 

In each case, the local communities support the striking workers. Both Strickland and Boley believe that community support is vital and will provide the workers with extra leverage in the negotiation process. For the employer to continue to negotiate in bad faith and attempt to replace workers could turn the community against the company. This would lead to a bigger impact on the workforce at these plants than the employers might expect, Strickland said.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more.