Teamsters Joined by Democratic Socialists, Dems for Omaha Strike
by John Gage
OMAHA – Teamsters Local 554, Omaha’s chapter of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has been welcoming groups and candidates to join their picket line in their strike against Premier Midwest Beverage.
The union has been striking against the distributor for three weeks, claiming the company is proposing an unfair deal for workers. As the picketing has gone on, the group has gotten support from outside the union.
Last week, members of the local Omaha chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) joined the strike line. “Teamsters Local 554 is on strike against Premier-Midwest Beer & Beverage, and need bodies to march on the picket line,” the DSA said in a statement recruiting members to join the strike.
The DSA lists pro-union organizing as one of the chapter’s primary activities. “Alone, workers are isolated and weak. But by working together, we can take the power back from the rich elites who game the system,” the group stated. “Unions are key to this power reversal, and Omaha DSA supports the creation and success of local unions in every industry.”
The Teamsters have also been supported by the Nebraska Democratic Party, which tweeted out “solidarity” for the walkout and urged donations to the effort. “The new owner is seeking to roll back contract gains that have been in place for 30 years,” the party said on X, formerly Twitter. “We stand in solidarity with Teamsters #554.”
So far, two of the Democratic candidates running for Congress, John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell, have joined the picket lines as well as Independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn. Osborn led a similar 2021 strike against the Kellogg cereal plant in Omaha that closed three years later.
The Teamsters have seen a steady stream of support from other unions, too, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Plumbers and Steamfitters, and the Nebraska State Education Association.
The strike began early in February after the Teamsters claimed the new owners of Premier Midwest Beverage, Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, had been trying to “crush” the union. “It’s all about corporate greed,” said Danny Avelyn, the Teamsters Local 554 principal officer.
“Our members have made it clear-they will not work without a fair contract that recognizes their hard work and the vital role they play in this company’s success,” he said. “This strike is a result of the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith and failure to treat its workers with the respect and dignity they deserve. Teamsters are the lifeblood of this company and they deserve a contract that reflects their contributions.”
Premier Beverage said the union is not negotiating in good faith.
“We have engaged in good-faith negotiations and while some bargaining rounds can be challenging, we respectfully disagree with the union’s criticism, which we believe ignores the major declines the beer industry has experienced,” the company said. “We are committed to doing what it takes to continue providing our customers with the service they deserve – and we hope to resolve the work stoppage as soon as possible because no one wins in a strike.”
In addition to Premier Beverage, Glazer’s owns distribution facilities across the middle of the country and describes itself as “one of the nation’s leading beverage distributors.” Their Omaha facility distributes Coors, PBR, and Miller beer across eight Nebraska counties.
John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
Thx for article. The solution is not negotiations. The two sides cannot negotiate away a problem created by government. The state government has created a monopoly or oligopolies in the the beer distribution and retailing. Licensing. State control of distribution. The consumer cannot get product outside this racket. No competition. No other distributors for these workers to work for and seek the best terms they can. And, by the way, unions themselves are anti competition. Nebraska is a right to work state. Let this company employ who they want and how they want by working directly with employees and prospective employees. Here is a typical example of an industry who sought protection from competition from state government, the legislature. Shame on government. Next, here are employees and a union who sought government help and legislation to create and protect unions and prevent an employer from running its company free of union interference. Shame on government. Winners? Both the company ( not going broke) and the union employees ( getting some benefits post the union dues). Losers? Of course, the consumers who end up with higher beer prices, pay the societal tab for the damage created by the elected officials the consumers voted for.