Dr Pepper Ignores Employees’ Heartfelt Pleas to Save PPO & Gets Caught in a Lie

| April 25, 2019

The Teamsters Local 727 bargaining committee opened today’s bargaining session with the American Bottling Company, a Keurig Dr Pepper subsidiary, by describing to management the impact a PPO health care plan has had on employees.  Each member of the Union bargaining committee shared personal stories—from the joyful births of new babies, to struggles with long-term diseases, even the battle against a brain tumor—to emphasize how essential Dr Pepper’s current PPO plan has been to the health and survival of their own families and pleaded with the Company to reconsider their current health care proposal.

When Dr Pepper representatives returned to the bargaining table this afternoon they seemed unmoved by their employees’ heartfelt stories.  Instead, as has become typical of Dr Pepper, the Company dismissed their employees’ concerns and refused to make any movement on its proposal to completely eliminate the current PPO plan and replace it with a new HSA plan.  Insultingly, Dr Pepper yet again tried to “educate” the Union on the proposed HSA plan, seemingly equating their employees’ resistance to the plan with a lack of understanding.

“Dr Pepper is wasting valuable time explaining this outrageous proposal over and over again.  The Company must stop explaining and begin listening to their employees,” said John Coli, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727.

To make matters worse, while discussing the Company’s proposal, Local 727 caught Dr Pepper in a lie.

Dr Pepper representatives had previously told the Union that the proposed HSA plan would be introduced company-wide and, following its implementation, the current PPO plan would no longer be available to any Dr Pepper employee.  Today, however, Local 727 reminded the Company that Dr Pepper drivers covered by the Outside collective bargaining agreement must be offered the PPO plan for the next 3 years and the Company agreed.

“How can our members trust an employer that lies to them?” added Coli.  “Dr Pepper must cease their games and bad faith bargaining and begin working in earnest to reach a fair agreement.”

The parties are scheduled to resume negotiations tomorrow, April 26.  The current Inside CBA is set to expire Tuesday, April 30.

Members with questions should contact 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

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