March 17, 2020
Group of five specialized workers join their Pepsi warehouse coworkers as members of Local 174
Sunday morning, a group of five Pepsi Gen Ops workers voted unanimously to ratify their first-ever Agreement with Teamsters Local 174. The group of workers, who handle the check outs and recoup of Pepsi products as well as other duties that support the warehouse operations, had formerly been nonunion, and spent years on the sidelines watching the strides their unionized coworkers were able to make in their Teamster contracts. This week, they finally join them as full members of Teamsters Local 174 after ratifying a Memorandum of Agreement that will last until the Pepsi Agreements with Teamsters Locals 174, 117, and 313 expire in May of 2023.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will make a substantial difference in the lives of these workers. Not only will they receive major pay increases, but they will also gain access to greatly improved healthcare and second-to-none retirement benefits. In addition to economic improvements, the group will also be covered by the strong work rules of the mature Pepsi contract, granting them Seniority rights, Just Cause discipline, and above all, a real voice in their workplace.
The MOA is set to expire at the same time as the full Pepsi contract, at which time this group of workers will join the Pepsi warehouse workers and transport drivers under the Local 174 Pepsi Agreement. Once they are rolled into the full Agreement, their bargaining power will grow even stronger as this group of five workers stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the full group of 350 Teamsters negotiating regionally for a contract together.
“This MOA marks another tremendous victory for the members of Teamsters Local 174, and especially for these Pepsi workers,” said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. “With every new group we are able to add at core Teamster companies and industries, we raise the bar even higher for everyone else in that industry. We are happy for these workers, whose lives are about to improve dramatically as a direct result of their decision to join the Teamsters. It is never too late for workers to choose a better future!”
Founded in 1909, Teamsters Local 174 represents 8,600 working men and women in Seattle and the surrounding areas. “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamstersLocal174.