Fighting for a fair contract at Coke (800% increase in health insurance premiums!)

[Hannah Bell]

FIVE HUNDRED members of Teamster Local 117 who work for Coca Cola bottling plants in western Washington ended a one-week strike on August 31 without a new contract. The return to work was a "gesture that demonstrates their willingness to bargain a fair and equitable contract in good faith," according to a statement from Local 117.

The drivers and production workers at Coke plants struck on August 23 over several issues, primarily the company's refusal to bargain.

The company was demanding an increase in workers' health care premiums by 800 percent and an end to health care coverage for retirees. Other issues included surveillance of employees, intimidation and bad-faith bargaining. A background issue was Coke's attempt to lay off workers, using the excuse of the purchase of CCE North America by Coca Cola earlier this year.

Although the strike was short, it was active and eventful. The union vigorously picketed the plants creating a gigantic backlog of work for the company. Workers leafleted a Seattle Mariners game to win community support, and press coverage was widespread. They also won international support from the International Union of Food and Allied Workers...Coke showed its ruthlessness by immediately cutting off health benefits to all 500 striking employees. Since health insurance premiums are paid month by month, it means that the workers had already paid their premium for August, but still had their August coverage cut off...

http://socialistworker.org/2010/09/03/contract-struggle-at-coke

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[Kolesar]

2. "Giant Eagle" store brand cola tastes like Coke

IIRC, the company's "security" murdered labor organizers in Latin America.

[maryf]

8. Union busting is the order of the day...

We need to strengthen workers rights to organize and maintain their unions' strength!

http://www.jwj.org/freechoice/index.html?source=w

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Time for a boycott

[ThomCat]

4. Why does anyone still drink this shit?

Boycott their horribly unhealthy products!

Boycott their horribly unhealthy company!

They have a nasty history of poisoning entire communities around their bottling plants worldwide, over-using available water resources so that local people have to go without, and treating employees and retirees like total shit.

Do not support Coke!

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[otohara]

6. Brown Toxic Liquid

12 years ago, a doctor told me to stop drinking Coke, I said, I only drink a few per week. She said, NO MORE - it's crap, toxic, garbage.

Haven't had one since

[maryf]

7. K&R of course: some issues could be solved

or wouldn't be able to arise if we had Medicare for all! Unions often buck it as they've negotiated so hard for the bennies, but if it wasn't in the equation they'd have more oomph to fight for the working conditions and bargaining issues...

[lonestarnot]

9. K & R!