TEAMSTERS PROTEST MILLER COORS

Members of Teamsters Local 325 in Rockford, IL, protested at the yearly Rocktoberfest this weekend in opposition to plans by MillerCoors’ (NYSE: TAP) largest distributor in Illinois, Hayes Beer Distributing Company, to destroy any guarantees of health care coverage.

Nearly one year ago the drivers, merchandisers and helpers at the MillerCoors distributor voted to become members of the Teamsters Union. Since then they have been retaliated against by having money taken out of their paychecks in violation of federal law. Hayes is also trying to impose upon its workers a contract that refuses any guarantee of health care coverage.

“It’s commendable to support an event whose proceeds go to the fight against breast cancer,” said Jeff Porter, Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 325. “But I’d bet the organizers of this great event would be shocked to learn that the distributor of Miller and Coors products here in Rockford would support this important cause on the one hand, and then on the other not ensure that their hardworking employees have health insurance if they or their wives or children need it.”

“We work hard to service local businesses so we can support our families,” said Jim Stilson, a driver with Hayes Beer Distributing. “We just want the community to know that their neighbors and their families are having their health care coverage threatened. Destroying my health care guarantees destroys community standards. MillerCoors needs to make sure it lives up to those standards.”

“Forcing employees into a health care plan with no guarantees is irresponsible,” said Porter. “The loss of health coverage could easily bankrupt a family and we won’t stand for that.”

The employees of Hayes Beer Distributing distribute MillerCoors beer brands to the Rockford metropolitan area, the Chicago suburbs and northern Illinois.

The Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference also represents more than 1,200 employees of MillerCoors breweries in the United States and Canada. The Conference is part of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters which was founded in 1903 and represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.