Teamsters Local 727 Begins Bargaining for Pepsi Contract
On February 22nd, representatives for Local 727 and Pepsico {PEP} met for day one of bargaining over a successor agreement for members employed at the 35th Street, 51st Street, Elk Grove, and Kankakee facilities.
Although it was a short day of bargaining, which is common for day one, the Union’s Bargaining Committee presented proposals on Union healthcare coverage, wages, and several provisions to fix the “broken” grievance process. The Company presented no significant proposals, no economic proposals, and had no responses or counters to the Union’s initial proposals. Based on the limited information untimely provided by the Company just one day before bargaining commenced, it is notable that Pepsi currently pays an amount for employees and their families very close to the Union’s proposal for Teamsters Local 727 Benefit Fund healthcare coverage, so the Company should have no problem with reaching an agreement on the Union’s healthcare proposal.
Significantly – and for the first time – Pepsi’s Bargaining Committee included labor attorney Tom Wilde, which signals to the Union that the Company is in for a fight.
“As we start this process, Pepsi needs to understand one simple thing,” said John Coli, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 727. “Their employees are shamefully underpaid when compared to others in the Chicagoland soda industry and they have waited long enough to get their share. Local 727 has never backed off from a fight against companies much larger than Pepsi, and we certainly don’t plan on backing off now. This is your time.”
The current agreement expires on April 28, 2024.
The parties have agreed to meet on the following upcoming dates: March 5, March 7, March 19, March 21, April 4, April 5 (tentative),April 9, April 11.
Members with questions should reach out to Business Agents Melissa Senatore or Michael DeGard at (847) 696-7500.
Nothing in this article should be read as the union’s waiver of any legal argument, position or grievance(s), or as a waiver of any rights, arguments, or defenses under any contract, collective bargaining agreement, or applicable law. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
Category: Pepsi, Union News
