IBT increases future strike benefits* for Anheuser-Busch workers
* Updated Feb. 8 to include Molson Coors Teamsters. Feb. 5, 2024 | 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. 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. On February 8, the Union announced it would increase strike benefits to $1,000 per week for Local 997 members who are fighting for a new contract at Molson Coors in Fort Worth, Texas. Learn more here.
Applications available for the 2024 Local 355 Scholarship Awards
Feb. 12, 2023 | For the past 49 years, our Local has offered scholarships to the children and stepchildren of Local 355 members who seek to fulfill their dreams through higher education. Applications are now available for the Teamsters Local Union No. 355 50th Annual Scholarships to be awarded during the May 2024 regular monthly membership meeting. Eligibility requirements: You must be in continuous good standing in Local 355 for 12 consecutive months before May 2024, and your student must be a graduating senior this year. There are no tests and no lengthy application process. Additional information and application here.
Washington State Teamsters lead the way with pro-union legislation
Feb. 15, 2023 | Thanks to the dogged advocacy of Washington Teamsters, three pivotal bills aimed at safeguarding workers’ rights, enhancing safety measures, and addressing critical issues impacting the labor movement are making their way through the state legislature. “The issues we are advocating for in Olympia will determine the future of the labor movement in our state and nationwide,” said Rick Hicks, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 28. Learn more here.
Teamsters strike Molson Coors
Feb. 20, 2023 | Members of Teamsters Local 997 at Molson Coors in Fort Worth, Texas, were forced to strike [Saturday] over the company’s disgusting pay package and complete unwillingness to reach a fair agreement with workers. Teamsters walked off the job after Molson Coors failed to come to terms on a new three-year contract that respects the 420 workers who make, package, and warehouse the company’s beer and beverage brands. The strike shuts down production at the only brewery that services the entire Western region of the United States with major Molson Coors products. Learn more here. Related: ‘Honk for beer’
Colorado Teamsters applaud introduction of Worker Freedom Act
Feb. 26, 2023 | The Worker Freedom Act is critical legislation that seeks to enhance workers' rights by outlawing employers from forcing workers to attend captive audience meetings. “We thank our allies in the state legislature for introducing this important piece of legislation that will uplift the rights of working-class people in our state,” said Dean Modecker, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 455, which represents over 10,000 members working throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon have all passed similar legislation banning mandatory captive audience meetings. Learn more at Local 455.
President Biden to meet with Teamsters leadership March 12
Feb. 27, 2023 | The union will host a rank-and-file Presidential roundtable with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, March 12, at the union’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. President Biden has committed to meet with union members, the Teamsters General Executive Board, General President Sean M. O’Brien, and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. The union held a roundtable with former President Donald Trump in January, and convened roundtables with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Asa Hutchinson, Marianne Williamson, Dr. Cornel West, and Dean Phillips in December. Nikki Haley declined to participate. Learn more here.
Teamsters applaud FTC’s block to grocery merger
Feb. 28, 2023 | President Sean M. O’Brien and Teamsters Warehouse Division Director Tom Erickson issued a statement Monday on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger: “The Teamsters commend the FTC for taking decisive action against the Kroger-Albertsons merger, recognizing the detrimental impact it would have on workers at both companies.“We extended numerous opportunities to Kroger and Albertsons to prioritize our members, but they repeatedly declined. Rather than cooperating and working with us, Kroger and Albertsons chose to partner with C&S Wholesale Grocers, the grocery industry’s worst operator for organized labor.” Learn more here. Related: The lawsuit alleges that a combined grocery giant would make elective bargaining more difficult.
Tentative agreement reached with Anheuser-Busch
Feb. 29, 2023 | Yesterday, the Teamsters Union reached a five-year tentative agreement significantly raising pay, improving health care and retirement benefits, and providing critical job security for all 5,000 Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch breweries nationwide. Texas Teamsters at Molson Coors continue to hold out for a fair contract. Learn more here.
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