New ULP Charges Filed against Dr Pepper for Bad Faith Bargaining and Retaliation

Bargaining between Teamsters Local 727 and the American Bottling Company, a subsidiary of Keurig Dr Pepper, has been ongoing since the Company first proposed the installation of 14 new security cameras at its Northlake facility last fall.

When Dr Pepper arrived for the parties’ first bargaining session on September 28, 2018, management was both unprepared to discuss the potential effects of new security cameras and unable to provide a satisfactory explanation as to why these new security cameras were even necessary.

In a subsequent bargaining session, Dr Pepper management claimed that the law required the installation of additional security cameras and escorted Local 727 representatives on a tour of the Northlake facility to point out the proposed locations for these new cameras.  When Local 727 reviewed the referenced law, the Union found management’s claims to be untrue—no such legal requirement existed.

Local 727 continued to press Dr Pepper management to explain the purpose for these new cameras.  The Union also asked Dr Pepper to explain why this issue was never raised during the months the Company and Local 727 spent negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement for Outside Dr Pepper workers.  The Company’s responses were illogical and nonsensical.

“After months of bargaining, Dr Pepper is still unable to produce a valid reason for installing more than a dozen new security cameras,” contended John Coli, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727.  “Obscuring and misrepresenting their true intentions does nothing more than demonstrate retaliation for the Union’s ULP strike last summer.”

Today, Local 727 filed unfair labor practice charges against Dr Pepper over the Company’s bad faith bargaining and retaliation against employees for Union activity.  All ULP charges against Dr Pepper are currently pending with Region 13 of the National Labor Relations Board.

“Local 727 has given management ample opportunities to explain the rationale for these cameras, but Dr Pepper has chosen to bargain in bad faith.  Dr Pepper will now have to justify its actions before the NLRB,” added Coli.

Any 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