The indefinite strike called yesterday morning by the 420 workers at the Molson-Coors brewing plant in Longueuil could cause beer shortages by May, according to the union.
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“If the labor dispute continues, there could be beer shortages within two months,” warned Stéphane Lacroix, spokesperson for Teamsters Canada.
Contacted on the subject, the employer was quick on the contrary to be reassuring.
“We have a contingency plan in place that will allow us to ship beer to our customers and consumers,” assured Frédéric Bourgeois-LeBlanc, to Molson communications.
Milwaukee Decisions
At the stroke of 10 a.m. yesterday, the union announced that Molson workers were going on an indefinite strike. Employees then parked trucks to slow down Molson’s activities.
“Since the merger with Coors in 2005, our working conditions have deteriorated. Decisions have been made from Milwaukee since the merger with Miller a few years ago, and it’s even worse, ”denounced the local union president of the Teamsters, Éric Picote, by press release.
Photo Chantal Poirier
Strikers expressed their dissatisfaction yesterday in front of the factory on Route de l’Aéroport, on the South Shore of Montreal. They believe that the American multinational has nothing to do with the company of yesteryear in Quebec.
On Sunday, nearly 320 workers present at a union meeting had voted 99% against the latest employer offers and in the same proportion to give a strike mandate to their union.
Meager salary increases under inflation, a layoff system that no longer respects seniority… union members do not digest the employers’ offers.
According to them, the employer’s attitude demonstrates that Molson’s “family” approach is well and truly a thing of the past.
2.25% increases
On Tuesday, Le Journal told the story of two workers disappointed with the progress of negotiations with their bosses.
“With salary increases of 2.25% per year, while inflation exceeds 5%, it’s a bit of a laugh at me,” lamented Patrick Villeneuve, who works in brewing beer in Longueuil.
Photo Chantal Poirier
Stéphane Lacroix, Spokesperson for the Teamsters
“Since 2009, we have lost a lot of benefits, including insurance, pension plans and several benefits at the normative level,” lamented Giovanni Spallone, who repairs the trucks used to deliver beer.
Yesterday, Molson again lamented the turn of events. “Molson Coors has a long history of providing well-paying jobs here in Quebec. We are offering Teamsters Local 1999 a more than competitive salary, so it is disappointing that they left before we even made a final offer,” said Frederic Bourgeois-LeBlanc of Molson.
“As the union failed to negotiate in good faith, we are turning to our contingency plan. We will continue to meet consumer demand,” he concluded.
Last year, Molson Coors sales topped $13 billion.