Labatt pickets ten months into their strike (CBC RADIO)

 

CBC Radio story about striking Labatt workers giving back to the community by supporting those in need during the Christmas season.

You can listen here – CLICK HERE

Beer cases come with cards encouraging Labatt boycott (NTV)

 

You can watch the video here – CLICK HERE

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate Release:

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

NAPE Calling on Government to Appoint Conciliation Board in Effort to Resolve Labatt Strike

ST. JOHN’S, NL – The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE) is calling on the provincial government to appoint a conciliation board in an effort to end the strike at Labatt in St. John’s which is now in its seventh month.

“We are calling on the government to appoint a conciliation board with the hope that this move will help put an end to the strike at Labatt which has been dragging on for months,” said NAPE President Carol Furlong.

Section 107 of the Labour Relations Act (Appointment of a conciliation board) states: “Where a conciliation officer fails to bring about an agreement between the parties engaged in a collective bargaining or in a case where the minister considers it desirable to do so, the minister may appoint a conciliation board for the purpose of trying to bring about an agreement between the parties.”

“The legislation was clearly designed to deal with labour disputes such as the one at Labatt’s,” stated Furlong. “It also clearly indicates that government has an important role to play in assisting parties who find themselves unable to reach a collective agreement.”

“After numerous failed attempts at the bargaining table with a conciliation officer, it is clear that additional steps must be taken in order to move the bargaining process forward with this employer,” said Furlong. “This strike requires the assistance of a third party and government has the power to make this happen. As such, we are calling on the Minister of Justice, Darin King, to appoint a conciliation board for the Labatt strike.”

Workers with Labatt Brewing Company (Labatt) in St. John’s, who are members of NAPE, have been on strike since April 10 of this year.

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For further information please contact:

Keith Dunne, NAPE Campaigns and Communications Coordinator

(phone) 709.570.2501

(cell) 709.631.9737

(e-mail) kdunne@nape.nf.ca

NAPE Convention Delegates Join Striking Labatt Workers for Solidarity Rally

 

Over 300 delegates of the 200th NAPE Biennial Convention in St. John’s, including labour leaders from sister unions across Canada  joined striking Labatt workers for a solidarity rally at the Labatt plant on Leslie Street.

This show of support and solidarity was a welcome boost for the striking workers. Speakers at the rally called on the employer to get back to the bargaining table. Speakers also called ont he government to take concrete measures to end the current strike and protect workers from future lengthy labour struggles with giant multinational corporations by enacting anti-scab legislation.

 

NUPGE Labour leaders from across Canada send a message of solidarity to striking Labatt workers in St. John’s

 

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Listen to CLC Secretary-Treasurer, Hassan Yussef, talk about the Labatt Strike/Boycott on Radio Canada International (RCI)

 

LISTEN HERE

 

Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Endorses Consumer Boycott of Labatt Imports

OTTAWA ― The Canadian Labour Congress has endorsed a national consumer boycott against a number of imported brands of Labatt beer and is calling on the company to return to the bargaining table.

“This is a David and Goliath struggle between about 50 local workers and the world’s largest multi-national brewing corporation trying to force its employees into a race to the bottom,” says CLC President Ken Georgetti. “Canadian workers and their unions are not going to stand idly by and allow this to happen.”

The workers in St. John’s have been on strike since April 10. They are members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public Employees (NAPE/NUPGE). Their employer is the Canadian division of the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewing corporation, which has after-tax profits of more than $9 billion.

“This multi-national company is trying in St. John’s to impose concessions and roll-backs on its employees which would establish a precedent for its other unionized workers across the globe,” says Georgetti. “We can’t allow them to get away with that.” 

The national consumer boycott was requested by the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the national union to which the striking workers belong. The Labatt imports being targeted for boycott include Stella Artois, Becks, and Lowenbrau. The focus is on imported products in order to prevent other unionized Labatt employees in Canada from experiencing a loss of work.

In Newfoundland and Labrador people are also being urged to boycott a number of other Labatt beers, including Budweiser, Labatt Blue, Alexander Keith’s and Kokanee.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils.

National and Local Labour Leaders Bring Solidarity to Striking Labatt Workers 

Jerry Dias, Assistant to the CAW National President, and Dave Coles, President of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union (CEP) brought solidarity to striking Labatt workers during a visit to St. John’s this week.

NAPE President Carol Furlong, NAPE Secretary-Treasurer Bert Blundon,  NL Federation of Labour President Lana Payne, and FFAW President Earle McCurdy joined them.

 

Striking Labatt workers host info picket at George Street Festival. Workers also visited by Leader of the Opposition and the Federal NDP, Tom Mulcair, as well as NDP MPs Jack Harris and Ryan Cleary.

 

Brewery workers across Canada show Solidarity for Striking Labatt Workers in St. John’s

Brewery workers across Canada showed their support and solidarity for striking Labatt workers in St. John’s yesterday by holding information pickets in Montreal, London, and Edmonton. Info pickets will be set up in coming days at other plants across Canada. 

The message was clear – get the employer back to the table to reach a fair collective agreement. 

Letter of support from the Canadian Brewery Council 

 

Letter of support for striking Labatt workers in St. John’s from the Canadian Brewery Council which is an alliance of ALL unionized brewery workers in Canada.

The letter urging the employer to get back to the table to reach a fair deal is signed off by union representatives from 16 plants across Canada.

Solidarity!

 

Information pickets continue across various locations on the Northeast Avalon. Public support has been incredible! (June 26-30, 2013)

National Union Calls For Boycott Of Labatt Imports, Launches Email-Writing Campaign

 

OTTAWA, ON – In support of almost 50 striking Labatt workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, the representatives of hundreds of thousands of provincial government and private sector employees from across the country have voted unanimously to take part in and promote a national boycott of imported Labatt beers – including Stella Artois, Becks, and Lowenbrau.

The striking brewery workers are members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE) and are also members of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). NUPGE, which represents more than 340,000 workers from across the country, held its triennial convention in Ottawa this past weekend. The more than 300 delegates to the covention voted unanimously to support the boycott, which only targets Labatt’s imported products in order to prevent the brewing company’s other unionized employees in Canada from experiencing any loss of work.

The Labatt/AB-InBev imports being targeted for boycott are:

• Stella Artois
• Stella Artois Light
• Becks
• Brahma
• Hoegaarden
• Leffe
• Staropromen
• Boddingtons
• Bass
• Lowenbrau
• Ozujsko Pivo

NUPGE is also launching a national email-writing campaign in support of the striking Labatt workers.

The boycott and email campaign will increase the pressure on the owners of Labatt – the multinational corporation Annheuser-Bush InBev – to offer a fair and respectful contract to the workers who have been on strike since April 10. Last year, AB InBev posted after-tax profits of more than $9 billion.

To take part in the email-writing campaign, NUPGE is inviting its members and the general public to visit www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1867

NUPGE President James Clancy said there was no question of his union’s support. “Our members are outraged by the way this incredibly profitable corporation is treating its employees in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Clancy. “Through our boycott on Labatt’s imports and our email-writing campaign, we intend to remind these business leaders that there are consequences for trying to take advantage of hard-working Canadians.”

NUPGE is one of Canada’s largest labour organizations, with more than 340,000 members from coast to coast, including the more than 25,000 members of NAPE.

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Solidarity for striking Labatt workers in St. John’s from brewery workers in Argentina! (June 25, 2013)

Workers bring boycott message to Bay Roberts (June 21, 2013)

Striking Labatt workers bring boycott info campaign to ‘Beerfest’ (June 14, 2013)

Info campaign continues – Mt. Pearl (June 12, 2013)

Striking Labatt Workers Start Information Campaign (June 10, 2013)

LABATT BOYCOTT LAUNCHED (June 7, 2013)

NAPE, in conjunction with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL), held a press conference today regarding the ongoing strike at Labatt.

At the press conference, a boycott of Labatt and associated imports was announced. 

Workers at Labatt, NAPE Local 7004, have been on strike since April 10, 2013.

Their employer, a huge multinational corporation, has made massive profits around the world. Despite this fact, the employer is asking for numerous concessions from their workers at the bargaining table.

We thank the people of the province for their amazing support for our striking workers thus far and we humbly ask for their continued support in our call to boycott Labatt products until we can reach a fair deal at the table to end this strike.

The list of Labatt products that we are asking the people of the province to boycott include the following: Budweiser, Bud Light, Becks, Stella Artois, Labatt Blue, Labatt Lite, Blue Star, Alexander Keith’s, Labatt Maximum Ice, Jockey Club, Hoegaarden, Michelob, Kokanee, and Leffe. 

DOWNLOAD BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN MATERIALS HERE

Labatt -Boycott-Poster

Labatt-Boycott-Flyer

Facebook Profile Picture

 

ABOUT LABATT 

Labatt Brewing Company (Labatt) is a member of Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is the world’s largest brewer. It has annual revenue of approximately $40 billion. The company posted $9.4 billion in profit (post tax) in 2012. AB InBev has over 200 beer brands including three global brands: Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Beck’s.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

The Canadian Brewery Workers Alliance (CBWA), an organization that represents all Labatt Brewery Local Unions in Canada, is supporting us by calling on its members to boycott all Labatt imports across Canada.

In addition, we have received support and encouragement from members of AB InBev Global Brewery Workers Alliance, a sub-committee of the International Union of  Food Workers.  We have received support from their members around the globe from Argentina, to the United Kingdom, to Belgium to name a few.

This show of national and international support will send a powerful message to AB InBev and Labatt that their treatment of workers in Newfoundland and Labrador is recognized as unacceptable across this country and around the world.