The Teamsters have issued a statement saying a strike at the beer giant “appears unavoidable,” after the two parties failed to reach a labor agreement. The union says unless the situation is rectified, 5,000 employees will go on strike, perhaps as early as March 1.þþ“The halting of beer production at Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. breweries appears imminent and unavoidable,” said Teamsters general president Sean M. O’Brien in a statement. “They can throw billions of dollars at Super Bowl ads and Wall Street, but they can’t seem to bargain a contract that respects the Teamsters who do the real work inside these breweries.”þþThe Teamsters claim the company’s latest offer included closing breweries and laying off workers. The union also accused Anheuser-Busch of delaying contract negotiations for two months and proposing union workers give up Juneteenth as a paid holiday. þþAnheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to Fast Company’s request for comment about the Teamsters statement, but told The Wall Street Journal, “The Teamsters social media posts are false—we have not made a decision regarding our breweries, and beer production will continue uninterrupted—and we invite union leadership to return to the bargaining table to reach an agreement that continues to recognize and reward our brewery employees.”þþUnion members both brew and package Anheuser-Busch beers, including Budweiser and Bud Light, as well as maintain the breweries and take care of the company’s Clydesdale horses.þþUnions have seen some big successes in the past year, with the Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, and United Autoworkers Union being some of the most visible. Walkouts in Hollywood shut down wide swaths of the entertainment industry for months, but ultimately did result in pay increases and better working conditions for the union members.þþRhetoric from both sides is not uncommon in the course of negotiations, as tempers flare and negotiations drag on. Strikes are never a first choice for unions, though, as they do have an impact on workers, whose income is severely reduced during the work action, as well as on local businesses. Unions, however, often hold strike authorization votes to show employers their level of seriousness.þþAnheuser-Busch, meanwhile, could use a break from negative publicity. The company is still trying to win back people who abandoned Bud Light after its sponsorship of transgender influencer and activist Mulvaney. (Meanwhile, others have critcized the brand for seemingly turning its back on decades of LGBTQ allyship.)þþSales of Bud Light plunged as the backlash grew, with revenue in the United States for the July-September period tumbling 13.5%. U.S. sales of Bud Light were down 29% in the four weeks ending October 21, compared to the same period a year ago, according to Nielsen data compiled by Bump Williams Consulting. The company has said sales have stabilized since then.þþAnheuser-Busch is hoping to turn things around with its Super Bowl ads. After last year stepping away from the humorous ads it has been known for, Bud Light plans to introduce a new brand character, which it hopes will become as well known as the Whassup guys and the Bud Light Knight. The Clydesdales will also be making an appearance.
Source: fastcompany.com
