Note what I’m not saying here. I’m not saying unions can fix all the inequities of the brewing industry, or even that they always get the goods for the laid-off workers they represent. Theirs is an uphill battle, particularly against a counterparty with effectively limitless resources. At Anchor Brewing Company, for example, new billionaire owner Hamdi Ulukaya appears to have effectively stonewalled the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 6’s urging to rehire the long-suffering members of Anchor Brewing Union. Compare that to the situation at Fair State Brewing Cooperative, which went into and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with its UNITE HERE Local 17-repped union intact (and with a new CBA as of August 2024, no less). The potential outcomes are varied and vast, and unions can’t guarantee the best one for craft breweries’ workers. But when it’s a multinational corporation on the other side of the bargaining table, they can be helpful for preventing the worst one.
The best time to organize a union is before you urgently need it! If you work in Minnesota craft beverage or hospitality, reach out to us here: info@here17.org
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