Coca Cola Workers On Strike

By Diana Lucio Reporter

Local union workers of the worldwide corporation are walking the picket line over a contract dispute. Coca Cola Workers On Strike

Published: Sun, July 13, 2008 - 9:16 pm Last Updated: Sun, July 13, 2008 - 9:33 pm

Diana Lucio

More than 270 union workers with Coca Cola on the Gulf Coast are out on strike in a contract dispute with the company. Union members with local 991, are upset over the company's plans to freeze contributions into the worker's pension plan.
Some of the workers have been with the company for decades and tell us by having to switch over to a 401(k) plan, they'll lose all they've gained through their pension."They're not protecting the older guys who have put in a lot of time here at this company who've worked a lot of hours, years and planned their retirement on this company,"Said Antoine Lott a worker on strike. "They want to take my pension away and tell me to start all over with a 401(k) at the age of 53 years old and I just don't have enough time to build a 401(k), I want my pension that I've worked 30 years for,"Said Richard Howell who also walked the picket line today.
Organizers tell us, they hope the strike will only last about a week, but they're preparing to continue until they get a response.
News 5 has called and emailed Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. But, we are still waiting to hear back from them.

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asda Says:

Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 11:47 am

I support these workers and their union. Unions are a their to make sure the employer does not take advanage of the workers. I have worked in both union and nonunion setting and I would pick the union shop in a heartbeat. These people do know how much insurance cost and they also see how much everything is going up except for their pay.

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rosepetal Says:

Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 11:30 am

they are lucky to even have jobs. if they are union they make enough to have their own savings account. do they even know how much hosp. insurance is to cover them. they need to put those signs down and go back to work. how are they paying for gas to and from that protest. most americans could not afford to miss a days work.

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working4u Says:

Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 6:34 am

Thats ok. Let em strike. If the company cant save money on the pension thing to avoid cutting jobs or reducing health benifits, oh well. Go ahead and start cutting jobs or trimming the fat on other key benifits. There is a reason behind the pension cuts. Now a days pensions are unheard of. You are lucky to have a 401K option. And extremely lucky if you employer contributes.
Just remember the Teamsters will not be there for you if you get layed off. Wake up people, unions dont work anymore. Polls show you loose more than you gain trying to get somewhere useing a union in Alabama.

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