Sixty-one warehouse workers from Teamsters Local 688 in Saint Louis are striking against Breakthru Beverage Missouri (formerly Major Brands), citing a failure by the company to negotiate over so-called "boiler plate" contract issues.
"We've had labor contracts going with them for years and years and never had a problem. When Breakthru bought Major Brands suddenly everything that we do is an issue for them," says Local 688 executive officer Chris Tongay.
Tongay tells KMOX the company is trying to change common union standards involving things like dues payment and the honoring of other picket lines. He says his members are also not happy about wages and the rejection of a union-based health care plan. Breakthru Beverages has not commented on the strike. Tongay says local 710 in suburban Chicago is striking over some of the same issues voiced by workers here in Saint Louis.
Teamsters Local 688
