West Virginia Teamsters Kick Off 'Miller Beer is Tasteless' Protests

Tag : Health Beverage

Workers at the West Virginia distributor of Miller and Coors beerswill kick off a summer handbilling series at local bars andrestaurants today. The workers say they want to bring attention tocontract demands by SABMiller's West Virginia distributor, CapitolBeverage Company, that would hike workers' cost for family healthcare.
Approximately 30 workers, represented by Teamsters Local Union 175,will distribute handbills outside a busy strip of bars andrestaurants in downtown Charleston. The leaflets read, "CuttingHealth Care at Miller Beer is Tasteless." The summer leafletingseries comes after Capitol Beverage broke off negotiations with itsworkers on May 2, 2008, in an attempt to force them to acceptgrossly substandard wages and health care coverage.
Capitol wants to pay its Miller and Coors beer drivers up to 40percent less than other beverage distributors in the area and forcelongtime employees to pay as much as $11,000 a year for familyhealth care. Capitol's plan would also eliminate health carecoverage for retired Miller and Coors beer delivery drivers.
"Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Pepsi are willing to pay their employeesthe industry standard for the beverage market and provide them withgood benefits," said Ken Hall, Teamsters International VicePresident and President of Local 175. "Miller's distributor needsto stop being greedy and step up to the plate."
The dispute could lead to a strike against Capitol, a companyfounded in 1935 that now delivers a variety of beers -- includingCorona and Guinness -- along with Miller and Coors to stateretailers.
"We aren't asking for too much," said Mike Clark, a 23-yearemployee with Capitol Beverage. "We just want respect and a faircontract that lets us share in the success we helped create."
Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters