The Teamsters Union reports:
Over 400 workers at the Molson Coors facility in the Shenandoah Valley have voted to join Teamsters Local 29. The packaging, warehouse, brewing, interplant distribution, utilities, and maintenance workers organized for increased wages, improved benefits, and a voice on the job.
“These workers remained determined and refused to let management’s union-busting tactics stand in the way of organizing,” said Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference. “We are proud to welcome these new members and we are ready to support them as they prepare to negotiate a fair first contract.”
“This vote is a proud moment for the workers at Molson Coors and the beginning of a positive new chapter,” said Jeff Vaughan, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 29. “The members voted for structure, clear standards, and a seat at the table. Our goal is to negotiate a comprehensive contract that delivers for these members and their families.”
The workers overcame an aggressive union-busting campaign by Molson Coors. The company spread false information regarding status quo bargaining and purposefully conflated dues and DRIVE contributions in an effort to discourage workers from unionizing. Despite the campaign, workers remained united and voted to join the Teamsters.
Although Congressman Ben Cline has not publicly reacted to the union victory at the Elkton facility, it’s hard to imagine him celebrating it – especially considering this:
During his career in the Virginia House of Delegates and Congress, Cline has done everything he could to make it harder for workers to unionize.
Cline Watch has documented the congressman’s support for anti-union right-to-work-for-less laws in Virginia and elsewhere, and his opposition to the Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would remove some of the barriers that make union organizing so difficult– even when a clear majority of workers want to join.
In June Cline voted NO on the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which would prevent employers whose workers have unionized from endless delays in negotiating a first agreement.
The Molson Coors workers in Elkton have sent a powerful message that most of the people Cline represents in Congress don’t hate unions as much as he and other Republican politicians think they should.
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