Anchor Brewing Co. employees are unionizing

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by deadwolfbones, Feb 7, 2019.

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  1. deadwolfbones

    deadwolfbones Pundit (783) Jun 21, 2014 Oregon

    Maybe a first in American craft brewing?

     
  2. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,393) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
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    Anchor Steam is one of the most iconic and important beers in America. It’s right up there with SNPA and Boston Lager and a very small handful of others, IMO — and delicious, too.

    I hope that Sapporo (which bought Anchor in 2017) can bring it upon themselves to stay neutral in this process and to allow their employees to choose for themselves whether they want a union. If it becomes an ILWU shop, I will definitely have them in my fridge a lot more often. If they bust the unionization attempt by their workers, I won’t be drinking them again.
     
  3. deadwolfbones

    deadwolfbones Pundit (783) Jun 21, 2014 Oregon

    Ditto all of that.
     
  4. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,677) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
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    I have a long history with Anchor Steam and I love all of them. Whenever I go to San Francisco, I stay at The Argonaut and relish Anchor Steam on tap. It is special. Living in or near San Francisco is very expensive and I think and feel that a tight union operation can only be good for such an iconic American brewery. Good luck to them.
     
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  5. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    There was a brewery that the Machinists organized quite a while back in California - Mad River, maybe? Not sure of many others, except for the obvious ones like those that date - along with their union locals- from the pre-craft era like BBC in OH (as successor to Hudepohl-Schoenling), F X Matt, Schell, etc. The ILGU is great union and an iconic San Francisco institution.
     
    #5 jesskidden, Feb 7, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
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  6. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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  7. Milktoast75

    Milktoast75 Initiate (0) Oct 27, 2012 Wisconsin

    Congratulations to all the new Anchor Brewing union members. Also, congrats to the hard working union organizers that help to make this possible.
    As a retired Teamster Local 344 Wisconsin member, I support as many union members as possible with my pocketbook.
    I don’t need much of a reason to try a new brewery, but I have not enjoyed an Anchor beer. Shame on me . . but not for long!
     
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  8. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
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  9. LADEDA

    LADEDA Initiate (0) Jul 29, 2014 Florida

    Retired Local 79 Florida freight humper agrees. I've got an honorable discharge, a bad back, and a fair pension. We ain't got a lot, but we haven't missed any meals, and we don't have to borrow to buy our meds. Work hard and stand tall, brothers at Anchor.
     
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  10. TrojanRB

    TrojanRB Grand Pooh-Bah (3,185) Jul 27, 2013 Texas
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    Pretty poor reporting. Lacking description on what happens next.

    Filing a petition with the NLRB is just the first step in a long process. It may eventually lead to a vote. Statistically most times it doesn’t.

    Management will almost certainly embark on a communication and engagement campaign. Can’t threaten, intimidate, or promise.....but they can educate and rebutt union promises and propaganda. Generally the discussion between management and workers improves the work environment and erodes union support.

    If the union feels the vote is in doubt, they usually withdraw to avoid the embarrassment of a loss.
     
  11. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,677) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society

    This is certainly an interesting story that I will continue to follow. To me, the definition of what is and is not a "craft" brewery doesn't matter. As a 17 year old in 1968 I got a job working for Kelly Brick Company of Philadelphia helping to build the new Schlitz Brewery in Winston-Salem. I was a union dues paying and hard-working well paid kid. As far as I know my good friend Scott A.-a noted jazz musician- still holds the record for sleeping in a Port-a-Let. We had a good time.
     
    #11 rgordon, Feb 8, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2019
  12. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    Reads to me like the union expects/hopes the company will voluntarily recognize the union and avoid an NLRB election (rare these days but it happens)
    but, yeah, "The ILWU declined to say what percentage of the bargaining unit had signed union cards" doesn't sound good - a union would want to have well over a majority of employees signed given many will drop out once an aggressive anti-union campaign is mounted by the employer. You'd think the union would at least hint at a percentage in the letter.

    Edit - Checked the net again this AM - the SF Weekly story reports:
    The "Splinter" article said "There are approximately 70 full- and part-time employees in the bargaining unit..." but I expect that's confusion on their part, since the workers' jobs that would fall under the Bargaining Unit would yet to be decided by agreement with the union and company.
     
  13. 5thOhio

    5thOhio Initiate (0) May 13, 2007 South Carolina

    Just curious---if the employees vote against unionization will you still drink Anchor?
     
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  14. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,393) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
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    From the thread above it sounds like 70% of the workforce has already signed union cards. If that’s the case, Sapporo can and should recognize the union already and sit down to negotiate a contract.

    What I suspect will happen instead is that the company will insist on going through the lengthy NLRB election process, during which time they will likely spend ridiculous amounts of money they could have spent elsewhere to hire union-busting consultants to help “educate” the workforce on the “dangers” of unionizing. They’ll probably implement some modest improvements in compensation or working conditions in the short run for the majority of the workforce, too, while illegally firing or otherwise making life difficult for the loudest pro-union voices.

    Hope I’m wrong about that, or that even if I’m right, that the workers trust one another enough to still support unionizing. I would love to drink Anchor Steam with the ILWU bug on the label.
     
  15. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (4,568) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
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    This makes sense to me. If 'big craft' is going to unionize then Anchor makes the perfect candidate for a campaign--iconic brand, progressive/liberal SF area, & all too pressing workplace issues. I'd hope to see others follow suit. Is Lagunitas (under Heineken) now union?
     
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  16. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
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    i would be surprised if Sapporo is not union.
     
  17. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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  18. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,282) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    IATSE Local 15 member here, and I support this development.
     
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  19. TrojanRB

    TrojanRB Grand Pooh-Bah (3,185) Jul 27, 2013 Texas
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    In my personal experience, many people have no idea what signing a card means. And those that think they do, only know what the union has told them. Which isn’t always consistent with the law.

    That is PRECISELY why there is a formal election process.

    And for the record, the business CANNOT provide any compensation changes or improvements to the workplace before the election takes place. Can’t even promise they will happen if/after the union goes away. That is an Unfair Labor Practice.

    Getting 70% of a workforce to sign a union card isn’t hard. It’s basically equivalent to getting 70% of BeerAdvocates to say they’d like free beer.
     
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  20. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,393) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
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    Companies frequently engage in Unfair Labor Practices because they know they’re unlikely to get busted for it and even if they are the penalties are generally quite modest.

    Also... Yes, I will gladly take a free beer. You in the 30% of BAs that doesn’t want free beer?
     
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