ST. LOUIS — A strike is set for 2024 if Anheuser-Busch fails to negotiate a new agreement with their employees, according to the Teamsters National Negotiating Committee. Around 99% of the brewery's unionized workers reportedly voted in favor of the strike.
The members of the union are demanding the following changes:
- improved wages
- protection of jobs
- secure healthcare
- retirement benefits
The union estimated that 5,000 members across 12 US breweries would benefit from these changes. The current contract agreement expires on February 29, 2024. There are reportedly no dates scheduled for negotiations.
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"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," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. "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.”
The union said Anheuser-Busch ended tiered healthcare and recommitted to retiree health benefits in November after pressure from the union. Since then, the company has not negotiated on " important job security," despite multiple requests from union members.
"We represent the brewery workers that actually produce the product," Jeff Padellaro, director of the Teamsters Brewery Conference, said. "We're in all 12 breweries. If our members don't go to work, there is no Anheuser Bush products to purchase. That's the beginning and end of it."
Anheuser-Busch released the following statement to 5 On Your Side:
Anheuser-Busch is aware of the Teamsters’ strike authorization vote, which is common during labor negotiations. 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.
The brewery's St. Louis location is reportedly not the only location willing to strike. Union members in New Hampshire, California, and Florida may also join the strike.
"My Teamster brothers and sisters have a lot of fight in us and, by all means, we will stand united,” said Josh Blanton, an Anheuser-Bush worker with Teamsters Local 947 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Anheuser-Busch reported "double-digit revenue growth" and "all-time high full-year volumes" in its 2022 end-of-year earnings report released this past March. Despite a drop in the brewer's North American beer sales widely attributed to fallout from a company promotion with a transgender influencer, the company's revenue still saw a 5% increase for the July-September period.
Tentatively, Teamsters was scheduled to meet next week with Anheuser-Busch but the brewers unions says the company's negotiators have yet to come back to the table.
Dr. Bonnie Wilson, an associate professor of economics at Saint Louis University said in a statement that with a relatively strong labor market, "workers have options. As a result, workers may well have the upper hand in the negotiations that will be taking place to find a deal both sides can accept."
"We're prepared to negotiate it," Padellaro said. "But we need the commitment on job security. We need the commitment that the company is willing to take this seriously and come to the table to address these issues. Short of that, on March 1 this problem gets a lot worse for them."
Anheuser-Busch has not yet responded to 5 On Your Side's request for comment about the strike announcement.
