Embattled beer giant Anheuser-Busch — which has seen its market share and sales plummet in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco — could face a possible work stoppage at its US breweries after members of the Teamsters overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.
The union representing about 5,000 workers at a dozen US breweries said Dutch conglomerate AB InBev has been dragging its feet on negotiating about “job security issues” since talks on a new contract broke down last month, Teamsters leaders said.
The union is asking for higher wages, job, health and retirement benefits protections, but did not disclose details about these issues.
“Anheuser-Busch can’t kick this can down the road much longer,” Jeff Padellaro, director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink conference, said in a statement after Saturday’s vote.
The two side did reach “tentative agreements to end tiered health care and restore retiree health benefits,” according to a statement from the labor union.
The jobs covered under the contract — which ends at the end February — include workers who “brew, package and ship beer,” a spokesperson for the Teamsters told the Post.
“Teamsters stand firm in our fight for the best contract at Anheuser-Busch, and this powerful strike vote proves it,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “Our members’ labor, talent, and sacrifice are what put Anheuser-Busch products on the shelf, and we are committed to getting a contract that rewards and recognizes their hard work.”
“If Anheuser-Busch’s executives can’t get their act together to negotiate an agreement that respects workers, we will see them out on the streets,” O’Brien added.
The union has also criticized Anheuser-Busch’s decision for $1 billion in stock buybacks “to wealthy investors as it simultaneously ignores the need to protect good jobs.”
“Anheuser-Busch is aware of the Teamsters’ strike authorization vote, which is common during labor negotiations,” a company spokesperson told The Post on Monday.
“We are committed to negotiating in good faith with the union to reach an agreement that recognizes and rewards the talent, commitment, and drive of our employees.”
But Light had been the top-selling beer in the US for more than two decades, but was dethroned this summer by Modelo after its tie-up with the transgender influencer Mulvaney led to calls for a boycott.
Other brands, including smaller, independent beers like Yuengling, have also taken Bud Light’s market share and are aggressively trying to grab more shelf space from Anheuser Bush brands’ at retailers, as the Post reported.
The backlash against the company, which started in April, ultimately resulted in about 400 job losses – or 2% of Anheuser-Busch’s US staff – in July.
The cuts did not include the brewery’s warehouse staff and drivers, among others.
The 5,000 union members identified by the Teamsters is about 750 fewer than the 2022 contract, according to a CNN report, which relied on company filings.
The Teamsters members recently rallied in New Hampshire, California and Florida and threatened more actions across the country if the company doesn’t set a date for negotiations, the union said.
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