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For Immediate Release
May 22, 2017

MARTIN LUTHER KING COUNTY LABOR COUNCIL PASSES RESOLUTION AGAINST BEVERAGE TAX

Resolution is an important step in fight against Seattle’s proposed beverage tax

On Wednesday May 17, 2017, Teamsters Local 174 presented a Resolution before the Martin Luther King County Labor Council urging them to “Beware of the Beverage Tax: It is not what it seems.” The Resolution, which demanded that any beverage tax proposal include measures to address the negative impact on working families, was passed by the Council in a unanimous vote of the delegates.

In recent years, beverage taxes have become more and more attractive as potential revenue sources for cities and municipalities across the United States, including in the City of Seattle. However, these taxes have been shown time and time again to be destroyers of good jobs in the beverage industry and other related industries. Despite mounting evidence of this, beverage tax proponents have consistently failed to consider the adverse impacts these taxes have on the thousands of Union members who produce, warehouse, and deliver these products.

This Resolution demands that these adverse impacts be taken into account, and if they are not, then the Labor Council will be duty bound to oppose and defeat the proposal.

“We are pleased that the Martin Luther King County Labor Council has taken this important step in protecting working people in the City of Seattle,” said Teamsters Joint Council 28 President Rick Hicks. “A beverage tax in Seattle would be devastating to workers in the beverage and related industries, and it is time the proponents of this tax started taking that seriously. This Resolution is a step in that direction.”

The full text of the Resolution is below:

RESOLUTION

BEWARE OF THE BEVERAGE TAX: IT IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle is in the process of creating a proposal to implement a beverage tax

WHEREAS, beverage taxes have taken many forms over the years and have generally been defeated on valid grounds, and

WHEREAS, for those cities currently experiencing a budget shortfall, the beverage tax has become an increasingly attractive revenue source, and

WHEREAS, the beverage tax proponents have changed their strategy by cleverly expanding the list of stated reasons for the tax beyond obesity by including diet soda, universal pre-school programs, improved libraries, community centers and parks, while at the same time refusing to consider the adverse impact that this special tax will have on the thousands of Union members who produce, warehouse and deliver these products, and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Martin Luther King County Labor Council here assembled commit to protect the jobs of our working families by demanding that any beverage tax proposal include measures to address the potential adverse impact upon our members, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the proponents refuse to address the unfair impact upon our members, we are duty bound to oppose and defeat the proposal.

Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 7,200 working men and women in the Seattle area. Visit www.teamsters174.net for more information. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.

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