UNION BEGINS BARGAINING WITH GREAT LAKES COCA COLA; SETS SIGHTS ON WINNING UNION HEALTH INSURANCE, SIGNIFICANT PAY RAISES
On Monday, March 17th, Teamsters Local 727 members at Great Lakes Coca Cola, led by 727 Business Manager Caleen Carter-Patton, General Counsel Jayna Brown, Business Agents Donaldo Leiva, Patrick Malone and a bargaining committee of 14 members, began bargaining with the Company over the Union’s next contract.
Day one of bargaining opened with the Union presenting a comprehensive proposal with Union healthcare and significant wage increases headlining the list of proposals. Other key proposals and/or discussions included:
- Increasing shift differential and training pay
- Increasing dispatch and case stipends
- Additional vacation, sick time, and holidays including Juneteenth, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve
- 10 sick days and the addition of a sixth week of vacation for all employees after 30 years
- Increases to shoe allowances
- Retirement contributions and severance package modifications
- Sunday overtime and duration between driver bids
Day one ended with the Union extending significant good faith to the Company by reaching six tentative agreements.
Day two was pointedly less productive. The Company began the day with their response to the Union’s initial proposal, only agreeing to nominal article language cleanup and replying with a resounding “no” on most everything else, including vacation single-day increments, banning AI forklifts, increased sick days, extending driver bids from one to three years, and Sunday overtime continuations. The final insult to members at the table came as the Company groused over the $3.85/hour cost difference between the current Company healthcare costs versus the Union’s significantly better, no-cost-to-members Union health insurance.
“The Union came to GLCC in good faith with a robust first proposal,” said John Coli Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 727. “Their response? A laundry list of ‘no’s’ and some language cleanup. Union healthcare was, and is, at the top of membership demands. The Company needs to come to the table and bargain in good faith for the healthcare and wages these members deserve and that honors their hard work in order to reach a deal.”
Additional bargaining dates are scheduled for March 27th, April 9th, April 10th, April 23rd and April 25th.
Members with questions should contact Business Agents Donaldo Leiva or Patrick Malone 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: Union News
