Dive Brief:
- Members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 705 began striking Monday at a Mauser Packaging Solutions facility in Chicago that produces reconditioned steel drums. The strike “extended” to Los Angeles and Minnesota this week, said Colin McCullough, Teamsters spokesperson, via email Thursday afternoon. While Mauser employees at those locations are not striking, they are supporting the Chicago effort by not crossing the picket line and not reporting to work, he said.
- The Chicago workers are requesting “higher wages, better benefits and safer working conditions,” and the union says Mauser failed to present a fair contract. "We don't want to be on strike, but management left us no choice,” said Leon Garrett, a Local 705 member and warehouse worker at the Chicago facility, in a union statement.
- The Teamsters “decided without prior notice to initiate a strike” in Chicago, affecting 120 employees, said Kimberly Braam, communications director at Mauser Packaging Solutions, via email. The strike is “impacting essential services and the livelihoods of our employees and their families,” she said, and Mauser “remains committed to reaching a fair agreement and safeguarding the long-term viability of our operations.”
Dive Insight:
This new round of labor activity that started June 9 comes on the heels of a Teamsters contract dispute at a Mauser location in Seattle earlier this year.
On April 14, the company locked out 20 members of Teamsters Local 117 in Seattle, according to the union. Later that month, the union held a rally there that drew prominent attendees, including Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. As of Thursday afternoon, that lockout was still ongoing, according to McCullough.
In the Seattle dispute, the Teamsters accused Mauser of cutting workers’ hours leading up to negotiations, while the company’s management reportedly said the cuts were due to business slowing. Mauser said in April that it was committed to reaching a resolution in Seattle.
In response to this week’s strikes, Braam said via email: “It is regrettable that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union in Washington DC has chosen to engage in economic actions that will immediately affect the represented employees and their communities. We regret the Union's choice to strike during a time of economic uncertainty but are dedicated to protecting our employees' health and safety, supporting our customers, and maintaining operational continuity.”
Besides steel drum reconditioning, the company also specializes in manufacturing intermediate bulk containers and jerrycans, among other packaging products. Mauser Packaging Solutions formed in 2018 via M&A activity, and it now has more than 170 sites globally, according to its website.
Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify how Mauser employees in Los Angeles and Minnesota are supporting the Chicago strike.
