Woo-hoo! NY Teamsters ratify historic 5-year contract with Phoenix/Lobo Beverages

Phoenix Beverages Owner Rod Braymen, Local 812, Recording Secretary John Ulrich and the members of the Phoenix Beverages Negotiating Committee after endorsement.

Here's great news from our brothers at Teamsters Local 812: They ratified a terrific contract that solidifies job security, pay increases, pension and medical protection. 

They all work for Phoenix/Lobo Beverages in Brooklyn and Montgomery, N.Y. Brother John Ulrich, lead negotiator, and the local's executive board spent four days going over the entire contract proposal with members. Handouts were issued in English and Spanish, and Angel Martinez, business agent, was on hand for members who needed more translation. The contract was approved by a 3-1 margin. 

Ed Weber, president of Teamsters Local 812, said the executive board is extremely happy the company was able to rebound after suffering $30 million in damage from Hurricane Sandy last year. He said, 

We as the 812 executive board unanimously endorsed this contract proposal in its entirety and are happy to see the hardworking 812 members at Phoenix/Lobo achieve their goals and have five years of job security as well.

"Congratulations to John and the rest of the agents on a job well done," said Joe Vitta, secretary-treasurer of Local 812. 

Brother Ulrich, who has negotiated more than 100 contracts, said the negotiations were the best he'd ever been involved in because both sides wanted it to work. 



Phoenix/ Lobo Beverages employs over 400 Local 812 members and delivers products such as Heineken, Miller, Guinness, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Brooklyn Brewery, Newburgh Brewery, Polar Beverages, Snapple, Canada Dry, RC Cola and Diet Rite from Long Island, all of New York City through Westchester County all the way up to Columbia County in upstate New York.

Here are some comments about the contract from members of Teasmters Local 812: 

Jim Surdi, business agent: 

This new agreement at Phoenix/Lobo Beverages catapults the 812 members employed here right to the top of the New York beverage industry in every category. They will see the difference right away like the Coke drivers did in 2006.

John Ulrich, lead negotiator/recording secretary:

This contract truly solidifies Phoenix Beverages as leader of the New York beer/soda and beverage industry. The owners were receptive and heard their employees concerns. We as the membership also heard the company loud and clear. Mr. Braymen reinforced that if he was going to have the best contract, he wanted the best workers in the trade.

Joe Sancricola, driver/shop steward:

This is the best contract I have even seen in my career at Phoenix Beverages. ... I have seen firsthand what John and the rest of the board have done to make this happen. When we were organized by Local 812 we were making $100 a day. It seems like a lifetime ago. I see what I have now and I am really grateful for having Local 812. I will be able to work another 10 years with the addition of bulk routes as well.

Mike Radway, Phoenix order builder:

The company is giving me the opportunity, that is all I can ever ask. ... because I work harder we will give you am extra weeks vacation and pay me the average week instead of just the base pay. That's what I am talking about. I am very happy.

Larry DeBellis,

 business agent: 

This contract is a real game changer, the number of issues resolved and the amount of progress made is huge. It was great that owners Rod and Greg Braymen were at the table and listened while explaining the changes on their end of the business. ...  To achieve this type of contract is incredible.

Angel Martinez, business agent:  

There was tremendous communication from both sides of the table and we worked together to fix problems we’ve encountered over the past five years instead of just finding problems and blaming each other. 

David Acosta, Phoenix shop steward: 

Mr. Braymen and his son Greg came to every negotiation. They explained their position and their concerns. They told us "they understand this is not an easy job and know how hard we work but they need consistency and need responsibility." I agree with that or we all be out of a job.

Local 812 represents approximately 4,000 members throughout, New York City, Long Island and Upstate New York exclusively in the Brewery & Soft Drink arena.

Your Teamster union dues: Never settle, never stop, always fight to stay on top

Teamsters Local 812 in Great Neck, N.Y., posted this great piece about what it does for its members on the Teamsters Local 812 Facebook page. We just had to share the whole thing with you: 

A union gives every member the opportunity to stand up for justice and dignity. Our struggles are about more than contracts – they are about the right of everyone who works hard for a living to have some power on the job, some way of talking back to management without worrying about being fired.

We are a group of workers in the beverage industry — an organization that joins us together to give us a voice in the workplace, strengthens our rights on the job and secures a better life for ourselves and our families. Your dues provide the resources necessary to run this organization.

Dues pay for the costs involved in negotiating contracts, handling grievances and arbitrations, legal representation, educating members and stewards on how to resolve problems.

Dues pay salaries for union organizers and staff, the cost of running the office (rent, phone, utilities, copying, supplies, printing, mailings).

Dues pay for shop steward training programs, rally and strike expenses and everything else we need to fight for justice.

Dues pay for our website, 812 newsletter "The Voice" and the Local 812 RV. Our RV has saved lives through medical testing, assisted in shop service and organizing campaigns while advertising our union, our mission, our purpose and our goals for the future.

We have worked hard to make our union stronger. We have won industry-standard new contracts to protect benefits, preserve retirement, and ensure that Teamsters Local 812 members have the respect and dignity they deserve. During strikes we preserved health insurance and pension benefits and made sure all strikers could return to work proudly or be placed in other companies with the same or better pay and benefits. Those strikes included Pepsi Meadowbrook (1987), Pepsi Newburgh (1989), Canada Dry (1996) and Coca-Cola (2000).

1. In 2011, Local 812 stopped Coca-Cola from closing the Haulage Department, saving 100 trailer jobs that were destined to be outsourced.
2. In 2012, through the Political Action Committee of Teamsters Local 812, we saved 200 jobs due to the over $20 million worth of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy at the Atlantic Ave. Brooklyn facility of Phoenix Beverages. We did it by rallying Politicians to come to the aid of the company. 
3. In 2013, we saved 120 jobs at Pepsi Bottling Ventures (Long Island) after it was purchased by Pepsi Cola of New York, guaranteeing jobs, hours, seniority and benefits for all. 
4. Teamsters Local 812 successfully fought and won in court Gov. Patterson's "fat tax" and Mayor Bloomberg's "Big Soda Ban," saving hundreds of union and non-union beverage jobs in New York. 
5. Successfully fought Coke to reinstate and create merchandiser mileage rights, merchandiser route picking, bargaining unit work, merchandiser work language for pack-outs, drivers' rights, scheduling improvements, and successfully fought labor standards in the warehouse while increasing by over 150 new members in Coca-Cola.
6. Successfully negotiated to save over 60 jobs at Oak beverages in Brooklyn after the company announced the closure. We succeeded in no job loss, increased pay for travel, transportation for others by private bus to travel to the other Oak facility. 
7. Route picking in Anheuser Busch of New York and increase of 40 new union jobs.

Over the past three years, we have won significant contracts for 98 percent of our membership at a value of over $1 billion. At companies like Coca-Cola Refreshments, Pepsi Cola of New York, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Pepsi Cola Distributors Association, Canada Dry of New York, Snapple Beverages, Good O, Anheuser Busch of New York, Clare Rose, Anheuser Busch of Long Island, Ippolito Distributors, Anheuser Busch of Staten Island, Union Beer, Anheuser Busch in Brooklyn, Boening Brothers, Miller, Yuengling on Long Island, ACG Gas, Long Island, 5 Boros, Westchester and Rockland counties, Borough Recycling, Betta Way Trucking, as well as many smaller independent beverage distributor contracts. These contracts have set the standard in the overall beverage industry across the nation.

We have negotiating committees already in place for 2014 contracts at Phoenix Beverages, Lobo Distributors, Long Feng Trucking, Windmill Distributors, Cedar Beverages, Phoenix MTO Recycling, and Oak Beverages. These companies deliver products such as Miller Beer, Heineken, Guinness, Yeungling, Bass, Georgi Vodka, Polar, Colt 45 and more.

We are organizing Big Geyser in Long Island, Craft Beer Guild in New Paltz, Oak Beverage Salesmen, Phoenix Merchandisers, not to mention the victories at Snapple Newburgh, Lobo Distributors, Phoenix MTO and others.

Your dues payments make sure we have adequate finances to continue our progress. Together, we can and will improve conditions and build power for Soft Drink and Brewery Workers throughout the New York region and country.