48 Coca‑Cola Consolidated workers in Anderson walk off job, press for new contract
Forty‑eight employees at Coca‑Cola Consolidated’s Anderson facility, represented by Teamsters Local 135, began a strike Sept. 2 after a four‑year contract expired Aug. 29. Union leaders say talks collapsed over unauthorized company negotiators and insufficient wage and healthcare proposals; the company says it has bargained in good faith.
Forty‑eight workers at the Coca‑Cola Consolidated truck lot in Anderson, represented by Teamsters Local 135, went on strike Sept. 2 and have been picketing for more than a week. Union leaders allege the company engaged in unfair labor practices and say negotiations failed after management personnel not authorized to bargain were brought to the table; the company counters that it has negotiated in good faith and is willing to continue talks.
The union reports members twice rejected company offers it deemed inadequate on pay and benefits and says many Anderson workers earn below the $28‑per‑hour living wage cited for Madison County by MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. Teamsters president Dustin Roach said union members in Ohio have also mounted solidarity pickets and that striking and solidarity workers are receiving $1,000 per week plus help with health costs from the union.
BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.
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