Production slowed yesterday at the Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre with 94 members of Brewery Workers Local 367 hitting the picket line after rejecting the company’s last contract proposal in a dispute over health care.
The collective bargaining agreement between the two sides expired at midnight on Wednesday. According to a Scranton Times new article, the contract was rejected by a 90-0 vote and a strike authorization passed 89-1.
Though willing to accept a co-pay provision, union members were not willing to accept a $1,000 deductible and a provision that they be responsible for any increases in premiums, he said.
Private security guards were on site when the strike began, as were an estimated 14 replacement workers. It is not clear how much or what kind of work was completed by replacement workers.
Also on site are 30 nonunion workers who were hired in April. Union officials said the company hires temporary help each summer to maintain staffing levels during the summer.