Juniata Park (WPHL) — A local Teamsters 830 Union has gone on strike against one of the largest Coca-Cola distributors in the tri-state area.
Over 400 employees at the Liberty Coca-Cola plant are represented by the Teamsters local 830 union. As of Saturday, their contract expired, and the strike went into motion on Sunday.
This comes after Liberty Coca-Cola and the Teamsters union spent the last few months negotiating a new contract, but were unable to reach an agreement.
Daniel Grace, Secretary-Treasurer for Teamsters Local 830, said, “The hardworking members of Teamsters Local 830 have had enough and, frankly, so have I.”
In response, Liberty Coca-Cola issued a statement saying, “We have been negotiating in good faith with union leadership over the last few months. We presented a contract for our 400 members that offers the highest wage increases in Coca-Cola/Teamster Local 830’s history, along with a generous health and welfare benefits package.”
As the union workers plan to stay on the picket line until fair wages and benefits are reached, Liberty Coca-Cola says they “have a strong contingency plan in place that allows for the continued delivery of our products to our customers and consumers throughout the Philadelphia region market. We will continue to work with the union to reach a fair and equitable solution quickly.”
Liberty Coca-Cola is the main distributor for Coca-Cola, Dasani Water, Fanta, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Gold Peak Iced Tea, Minute Maid, and other popular beverages.