Hundreds of NYC beer delivery workers go on strike
Trouble is brewing for beer drinkers in New York City and its suburbs.
Some 600 beer delivery workers went on strike Tuesday in a dispute with a major beer distributor serving New York City and the surrounding area. Their contract expired at midnight.
Employees with the Laundry, Distribution, and Food Service Joint Board Workers United/SEIU, or LDFS Union, began their strike at four of five Manhattan Beer & Beverage Distributors (MBBD) locations.
Workers turned out on the picket line at the MBBD's headquarters on East 149th Street in the Bronx. Others are picketing at MBBD facilities in Ridgewood, Queens, as well as in Wyandanch and Suffern.
The workers allege unfair labor practices by Manhattan Beer related to the workers' pension fund. Strikers allege MBBD contacted them directly, trying to build support for a switch from a pension plan to a 401(k) plan.
"We have our voice, our union to talk for us. I don't understand why they're coming to us individually trying to do this divide and conquer tactic. It's not happening," union member George Perez said.
The National Labor Relations Board is investigating the allegations.
Workers want other issues considered, too, such as additional helpers on trucks. They say deliveries in all kinds of weather can be back breaking.
"Their job is not easy. Ran, snow, sleet, they are there. That is why they deserve to have something when they retire. Not a 401(k), goes up and down, and may not even be there when they're ready to retire," union representative Stanford Dempster said.
So what does this mean for New York City's bars and restaurants?
MBBD delivers to thousands of bars and retail outlets. They're the exclusive distributors of Corona, Modelo, Heineken and other popular brands. MBBD holds the distribution rights to some 300 brands of beer.
Tuesday is usually beer deliver day of New Rochelle Farms, but empty spaces in the cooler won't be filled this week.
Jose Felipe, the store's owner, worries his stock will dwindle quickly.
"Manhattan Beer is one of our major suppliers. They supply about 75-80 percent of our total beer variety. So this will be a big impact, especially with the brands of Modelo and Corona," Felipe said. "Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and we usually start stocking up next week. With the strike, it's really going to be impactful and hurt our business."
"We're the backbone of Manhattan Beer & Beverage. We've helped it succeed. We deserve real retirement security, fair wages, and respect on the job. We're angry that they have been trying to sidestep our union and our bargaining committee on the critical issue of our pensions," beer delivery worker Joe Gonzalez, Jr. said. "No one should raise a glass to this kind of behavior."
"Manhattan Beer has provoked this and brought us to a strike by trying to get around the union and bargaining directly with the workers. This is disrespectful, an unlawful slap in the face to these workers, and has made negotiations harder. The company should know better than to commit unfair labor practices," LDFS Union co-manager Alberto Arroyo said.
Simon Bergson, president of Manhattan Beer & Beverage Distrubtors, has grown the company into a powerhouse since founding it with a single truck 45 years ago.
"A small committee of union members has decided to proceed with this strike without putting forth our offer to a vote of the full membership. We have made a very compelling and attractive offer after several weeks of negotiations, and it is disappointing that the union has encouraged a strike without presenting this offer to its members," Bergson said. "Our doors remain open as some union members have already chosen to come to work. We are working for a swift resolution and hope for minimal disruption of services."
For now, it's a beer bust, with no deliveries being made.
