Breakthru Beverage Workers Enter Third Week of Strike: “Our Spirits Are High”
Breakthru Beverage truck drivers have been on strike against the company since June 13th, 2022. They stood outside on June 21st, 2022 at the intersection of Laramie Ave. and 34th St., where the company is located, as they entered another week of strikes (Photo by Ankur Singh).
By Ankur Singh
Despite the record breaking temperatures, Brian Hill has been standing outside on the corner of Laramie Avenue and 34th St. every day for the past three weeks along with his co-workers, demanding that their employer, Breakthru Beverage, treat them with dignity and respect.
“We're standing for what we believe in,” said Hill, a driver at Breakthru Beverage. “We have finally absolutely 100 percent had enough of feeling like being punished and kicked every day we walk in [to work] and here we are.”
“Everybody has reached a breaking point,” added Jimmy Drews, another Breakthru Beverage driver.
Over 100 delivery drivers who are members of Teamsters Local 710 have been on strike since June 13 after they overwhelmingly rejected a tentative agreement bargained with Breakthru Beverage. The drivers are responsible for delivering wine and spirits from the company to various restaurants, bars, stores and other establishments with liquor licenses throughout the state.
“The members expressed grave concerns about safety on the job, increasing load sizes, the inability of members to use their earned personal time and retirement benefits,” according to a statement from Teamsters Local 710. “The members are sending a message to the Company that it needs to address these concerns. We hope that this strike finally wakes them up.”
Hill, who has been employed at Breakthru Beverage for the past 19 years, said that the workload has increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic and the company has been increasing the load size by bringing in bigger trucks. The result: an additional 200 - 300 cases per truck. Despite the larger workload, drivers like Hill are upset that the company has not hired additional workers and often relies on undertrained and inexperienced temp workers. “It's a skilled job,” said Hill. “We just don't throw stuff behind on a truck and it just automatically delivers itself to Walmart.”
Breakthru Beverage employees and members of Teamsters Local 710, strike as they expressed job safety concerns, increasing load sizes, and the inability of members to use their earned personal time and retirement benefits. They stood outside on Tuesday, June 21st, 2022 in Cicero, Ill. as they entered another week of strikes (Photo by Ankur Singh).
Workers are also fighting for an increase in safety.
“We’ve had four drivers robbed in the last year and they [Breakthru Beverage] have done nothing,” said Drews.
Hill recalls how one day, after delivery, he was walking out of a building back to his truck. When he opened the door, a man was lying in the truck with an AR-15 rifle.
“He put it to my head,” Hill said. “Thank God I got away. That was a big turning point here.”
“The reason they [Breakthru Beverage] haven't done anything is because they don't care,” said Drews. “They only care about getting the product out.”
“We are disappointed that the Teamsters Local 710 have initiated a work stoppage, especially after the Company agreed to a significant number of union demands and reached a tentative agreement,” said a Breakthru Beverage Illinois Spokesperson on June 21. “We have contingency plans in place and the business is operating as usual. We hope to reach a resolution soon and are committed to maintaining an open dialogue with our union partners.”
According to the workers on strike, they have not yet heard anything from the company as of Tuesday, June 21 and future bargaining dates have not been set yet. However, the drivers said they are ready to continue staying on strike.
“We have retirees coming and sitting with us and supporting us and other unions coming to support us,” said Hill. “So our spirits out here are pretty high.”
Ankur Singh is a co-founder and steering committee member. He is focusing on our efforts to become a 501c3 and developing our internal organizational infrastructure.
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