Members of Teamsters Local 830 have ratified a new contract with Delaware Valley Importing Distribution Association, ending their nearly week-long strike against three Philadelphia-area beer wholesalers.
“This was a fight for economic fairness and a better quality of life for our members. I am proud to say we’ve achieved our goals and today’s overwhelming ratification by the Teamsters Local 830 membership attests to the great gains we’ve realized in this new four-year agreement,” Local 830 secretary-treasurer Daniel Grace said in a press release. “The Local 830 members who stood shoulder to shoulder on our picket lines for the past week are the real heroes in this victory. Their solidarity was truly inspiring.”
Picket lines at Muller Inc. and Origlio Beverage in Philadelphia and Hatfield-based Penn Beer Sales & Service were dismantled on Saturday.
The new four-year contract with Delaware Valley Importing Distribution Association, a trade group representing the three wholesalers, includes a 10.5% wage increase in Year One with additional raises in subsequent years, increased pension contributions starting annually in Year Two, additional 401(k) contributions, and an additional paid holiday. In addition, the contract shortens work days, which were a key concern for members. Five work days will be limited to 10 hours and two will be limited to 11 hours.
Union members return to work as the beer industry begins to ramp up for the July 4 weekend, its biggest selling period of the year. During the strike, Origilio, Muller and Penn Beer stopped taking orders for parts of their respective territories. Affected counties for all three included Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks.
Both Origlio and Penn Beer noted they had “contingency plans” in place to sustain service. Contingency workers were brought in to cross the picket lines but were met with “limited success,” a spokesperson for Local 830 told Brewbound.
As of Sunday, only Origlio has updated its website to indicate the strike has ended with the following statement:
“Today, the Delaware Valley Importing Distributors Association and Teamsters Local 830 reached an agreement on a new 4-year labor contract. It’s a fair and comprehensive agreement that includes significant wage and benefit increases and enhanced flexibility. The agreement honors the hard work of the drivers, warehouse/production workers and sales teams and highlights the distributors’ ongoing commitment to their employees. It ensures beer will be flowing during the July 4th holiday, making it a happy one for the people of the Delaware Valley and the thousands of small businesses that rely on the beer industry for their livelihoods.”
Both Origlio and Muller sell Molson Coors products. Origlio also carries the portfolios of Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard, Truly Hard Seltzer, Dogfish Head), Mark Anthony Brands (Mike’s Hard Lemonade, White Claw), Heineken USA (Heineken, Lagunitas, Dos Equis, Tecate, Red Stripe), Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico) and D.G. Yuengling & Son.
Beyond Molson Coors, Muller’s portfolio leans toward craft beer, with offerings from SweetWater, Deschutes, Brooklyn and Boulevard, as well as the portfolios of FIFCO USA (Genesee, Labatt, Seagram’s Escapes) and Pabst.
Penn Beer’s portfolio includes Anheuser-Busch InBev and craft offerings from breweries such as New Belgium, Troegs and Artisanal Brewing Ventures (Victory, Southern Tier, Sixpoint, Bold Rock).