A-B Boycott Grows in Hometown
Retailer support grows in St. Louis for distributor employees on strike
As many as 50 bars and restaurants in St. Louis are reported to have joined a boycott of Anheuser-Busch products in support of a dispute by drivers working for Lohr Distribution, the brewer’s exclusive distributors in the area.
Lohr drivers, members of the Teamsters Union, have been on strike since May 22nd.
“We now have a critical mass of St. Louis bars and restaurants honouring our members,” said Martin Giorgi of Teamsters Local 600. “The community support we’ve received has been great but this greedy company just won’t budge on our requests. Lohr still wants us to accept lower wages, eliminate full-time jobs and increase our health care costs.”
A-B filed unfair labor practice charges against the Teamsters involved in the dispute with Lohr Distributing Co., alleging they encouraged the employees of third parties to avoid A-B products. It also says the unions pressured A-B to interfere in the labor dispute.
By pushing for a boycott of AB, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are violating US labor laws, the brewer claims.
The workers, who have been on strike since 22 May, say they are fighting Lohr’s plans for lower wages, the elimination of full-time jobs and an increase in health care costs.
The National Labor Relation Board is expected to rule by next week on claims that the Teamsters union is illegally boycotting Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. products over the union’s dispute with a local beer distributor, an NLRB official said Thursday.
If the board rules the boycott illegal, it will ask the union to stop the campaign and A-B will have the opportunity to file a civil lawsuit and collect lost revenue, said Ralph Tremain, director of the NLRB’s St. Louis regional office. If the board sides with the Teamsters, the boycott can continue.