Molson Coors Workers Go on Strike in Texas, Anheuser-Busch Employees Hold Practice Picket in Florida

The Molson Coors facility is seen in Milwaukee, on Feb. 27, 2020. Morry Gash/AP Photo

Members of the Teamsters union went on strike on Feb. 17 at the Molson Coors facility in Fort Worth, Texas, following months of failed negotiations over a new three-year contract.

Negotiations over the new three-year contract for 420 workers who make, package, and warehouse the company’s beer and beverage brands—including Coors Light, Topo Chico, Simply, Pabst, and Yuengling, among others—initially began in November.

In a press release announcing the strike, the Teamsters said workers were forced to walk off the job due to the company’s “disgusting pay package and complete unwillingness to reach a fair agreement with workers.”

The strike shuts down production at the only brewery that services the entire western region of the United States with major Molson Coors products.

Molson Coors “presented insulting and regressive contract proposals, including offering less than a $1 per hour wage increase for the majority of Teamsters members,” the union said.

Members of Teamsters Local 997 are asking the drink and brewing company for pay rises that reflect the rising cost of living over the term of the expired contract, along with the elimination of two-tiered health care and retirement benefits.

The union said it has also filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board Molson Coors’ alleged “bad faith bargaining.”

“As long as the profits keep flowing to the top, Molson Coors doesn’t give a damn if the workers inside its breweries can afford to take care of their families. They put pennies on the table for the workers behind these products. They want to strip working families of their health care. The greed and abuse from Molson Coors must end now,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a statement.

‘We’re Not Taking the Disrespect’

“Executives shamelessly brag to investors about the company’s incredible growth and historic earnings. Millions go to the CEO, billions go to Wall Street, and a middle finger goes to the workers. We’re not taking the disrespect, we’re not accepting the crumbs, and we’re not making concessions. The Teamsters are taking this fight to the streets, and we will hold the line until our members get what they have earned,” Mr. O’Brien added.

Earlier this month, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said it had increased strike benefits for union members walking off the job at Molson Coors in Fort Worth to $1,000 per week.

The strike comes after Molson Coors this week reported its highest year-end earnings in 19 years after spending more than $50 million on advertising in the fourth quarter.

The beer maker posted fourth-quarter profits of $103.3 million in the three month period ending Dec. 31, while revenue was $3.33 billion in the period—both of which topped Wall Street expectations.

In a statement to CBS News, Adam Collins, Molson Coors’ chief communications officer, said: “While we respect the union’s right to strike, we have strong contingency plans in place, and those plans are already well underway.”

Bud Light, made by Anheuser-Busch, sits on a store shelf in Miami, Fla., on July 27, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Anheuser-Busch Workers Hold Rally

Mr. Collins noted the company has deliberately built up distributor inventories across the country in recent weeks in anticipation of the strikes, with five of its other U.S. breweries having extra capacity, and being “well-equipped to ensure that consumers will be able to buy their favorite Molson Coors products.”

“At this point, the union has not responded to our last offer, which exceeds local market rates for similar unionized roles, but we remain committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to both our employees and to the Fort Worth Brewery,” the spokesperson said.

The strikes also come after hundreds of Teamsters members and workers at the Jacksonville Anheuser-Busch brewery in Florida held a rally over the weekend amid stalled contract negotiations with the beer maker.

An additional practice picket was held at Anheuser-Busch’s Houston facility in Texas, ahead of possible upcoming strikes, Fox News reported.

The Teamsters union said in December that 99 percent of its union members had voted to authorize a strike at the Bud Light-maker’s U.S. breweries if it was unable to reach an agreement on a new labor contract by early next year. The contract is set to expire on Feb. 29.

The union is seeking improved wages, job protections, and improved healthcare and retirement benefits for 5,000 of its members at 12 breweries operated by the beer giant, which is still grappling with the impacts of a boycott following Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney last year.

According to the latest statement from Anheuser-Busch published on its official website, the company hopes to reach a “timely agreement that recognizes the talent, commitment, and drive of our brewery employees,” with the union.

In the meantime, it continues to implement a “number of precautionary measures to guarantee business continuity,” and is prepared to operate its breweries and keep beer stocked “in the event there is a work stoppage.”

The Epoch Times has contacted Anheuser-Busch for further comment.