BOLINGBROOK, IL – The Teamsters Local 710 Bargaining Committee for Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits met with the company today and last Friday to continue negotiations.

The Union has boiled down open issues to those that are most important to the members, but the company accused the committee of not focusing on the entire membership’s interests and individual bargaining during Friday’s session.

Given the lack of movement on the company’s side after today’s session, Local 710 representatives will conduct a strike authorization vote at all four facilities this week.

“It was truly insulting for the company to say that we’re individually bargaining,” said Local 710 Business Agent Bernie Sherlock. “We have legitimate proposals from the membership and our entire committee is together and committed to reaching an agreement that we can bring back to the membership with confidence. We’re taking the strike authorization vote to show the company that the membership feels the same.”

The company’s focus remains on increasing flexibility in scheduling, decreasing absenteeism, and placing monetary increases in incentive programs versus regular wage increases.

The Union’s priorities include:

• addressing the five-by-eight workweeks;
• the equation to hire a full-time driver when temporary drivers are being utilized;
• allowing a driver to work as a helper in his or her depot while they work to get their license back due to medical or other reasons;
• not taking depot drivers off of their bidded runs during peak;
• hourly wage increases and bringing downstate rates in line with Bolingbrook and Rockford.

Results of the strike authorization vote will be posted at the facilities once they are conducted, and further information will be provided after they are completed.

Teamsters Local 710 represents more than 12,500 members across the Midwest and is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union for Chicago, Illinois and northwest Indiana.

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