Oregon Beer strike brings holiday panic
By Oregon Small Business Association,
The General Distributors strike has begun its second week as it heads into the critical Thanksgiving weekend. Below is a KOIN TV 6 news clip followed by quotes by the key players.
Alameda Breweing
“Basically, it’s kind of put us at a standstill with product”
Teamsters 162 said of their strike
“The concessions amount to a per employee average reduction of $19,000 per year. This attack on our hardworking members is difficult to understand given the history and even harder to understand since the company is as strong and as profitable as they have ever been. “
General Distributors GM Steve “Tiny” Irwin in Oregonian [5]…
Irwin said the company was operating at “50 to 60 percent of normal operations” because of the strike, noting that it was the first time workers had walked off the job in more than 50 years of representation by Local 162.Irwin said union employees receive a total compensation package of $32.79 per hour compared to $27.21 by workers at the company’s primary competitor, Maletis Beverage. Those workers also are represented by Local 162, he said.