The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is being awfully quiet about UPS announcing that it will soon be laying off hundreds of warehouse workers. That is to say, the union is ignoring the issue other than to claim that jobs are not being lost for union workers. Whether or not that is true, the union only cares to focus on what President Sean O’Brien insists was a “historic” 2023 union “win” for the company’s drivers and package sorters.
Not coincidentally, those UPS layoffs coincide with the rollout of automation at one hub with more scheduled for the same, and it doesn’t take a giant leap of logic to guess that this push could be related to increased labor costs from the new contract. Yet the Teamsters have dollar signs on their brains and are ignoring the effects of their maneuvering on workers. And they are now onto their next agenda: multiple strikes and boycotts for beer breweries.
We already warmed up the discussion for this brewing kerfuffle, which could toss a wrench in St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Earlier this month, the union doubled strike benefits for brewery workers to $1000 per week, and here is how the union is using that boost:
Molson Coors: Over the past weekend, 400 Teamsters members hit the picket lines at the company’s Fort Worth, TX brewery following months of stalled contract negotiations.
Anheuser-Busch: An almost certain strike – described as “unavoidable” by Sean O’Brien – looms for Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch, where the current union contract expires on February 29. Suppose the union’s wage, benefit, and job security demands are not met. In that case, the Teamsters plan to swiftly put 5,000 workers on strike at 12 breweries across the U.S. and urge a “nationwide boycott” against parent company AB InBev.
Will this strike be averted at the twelfth hour, which was the case for UPS negotiations last year? Well, O’Brien walked out of AB InBev negotiations in late January, so he is amping up the drama.
In the meantime, prepare for a potential shortage of Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and Stella Artois right in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Perhaps the beer-drinking public should plan on acquiring Guinness instead.
Yes, that joke was “too soon,” but fair warning to these brewery workers: automation can replace them in breweries, too. And if that happens, the Teamsters will already be moving on to reframing their beer battles, as with the UPS contract, “as a template” in their quest to organize Amazon.
Additionally, alcoholic beverages aren’t the only current Teamsters focus:
- Teamsters at Marathon Petroleum in Detroit, MI, authorized a strike for 273 workers who process crude oil.
- Teamsters pilots of Omni Air International, based in Tulsa, OK, overwhelmingly voted for a strike following three years of failed contract negotiations.
- Teamsters in California are lobbying for SB 915, which would “require autonomous vehicle (AV) companies to secure local approvals prior to starting operations.” The bill is aimed at halting operations such as the California Public Utilities Commission’s approval of Waymo’s expansion of its robotaxi fleet.
- Some lucky union members are now ex-members. That’s the case for Keurig Dr. Pepper drivers and warehouse workers who recently removed the Teamsters from power across Wisconsin.
Hopefully, workers who scored a decertification and partake in beer have already located their preferred variety to celebrate freedom from union representation. After all, ale shortages might be on the horizon soon.
