Negotiations between Local 727 and Dr Pepper Remain Slow-Moving
Teamsters Local 727 dove straight back into negotiations this morning, presenting the American Bottling Company, a subsidiary of Keurig Dr Pepper, with a new proposal to amend sales warehouse productivity and efficiency standards.
The Union bargaining committee has proposed scrapping and replacing the current outdated productivity and efficiency standards, which were revealed in yesterday’s bargaining session to not be based on any relevant data or measurements. To ensure the new productivity and efficiency standards are fair and attainable, Local 727 has proposed a process by which the standards will be checked and ultimately resolved by an industrial engineer.
Today, Dr Pepper representatives continued to push for an expansion of the workweek, stating that the current CBA gives them the authority to make such a change—an interpretation the Union vehemently disagrees with. The Company’s proposal could ultimately lead to nearly two-thirds of employees’ workweeks changing and would lead to employees working on Sundays for straight-time pay.
“It’s an inherent and long-standing practice that Union members who work on Sunday are paid overtime—plain and simple. This Union won’t allow Dr Pepper to weasel its way out of paying our members their fair share,” said John Coli, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “We will continue to fight to preserve the workweek and not relent until we secure fair compensation for all of our hardworking Dr Pepper Brothers and Sisters.
The parties will resume negotiations tomorrow, Friday, March 22nd.
Members with questions should contact Business Representative Caleen Carter-Patton at (847) 696-7500 or [email protected].
Nothing in this article should be read as the union’s waiver of any legal argument, position or additional grievance. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
Category: BEVERAGE
