Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 26, 1995 TAG: 9507260048
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ELKTON LENGTH: Medium
The company hasn't faced a union election since 1988, when the labor movement ended a 10-year boycott of Coors and workers in Golden, Colo., voted against collective bargaining.
A majority of the 238 eligible workers at the Elkton plant signed cards in favor of holding the election today and Thursday. The main issues are benefits and job security at the plant, where the number of full-time temporary production workers had risen to 75.
``We want a contract so we can keep what we have,'' said Tavares Williams, an electrician. Workers are worried that temporary employees, who make about $7 an hour with no benefits, could replace permanent employees, who make about $16 an hour, Williams said.
Coors, the nation's third-largest brewer, opened the Elkton plant eight years ago. The beer is brewed in Colorado, condensed and shipped in refrigerated rail cars to Elkton, where, after water is added, the beer is put in bottles, cans and kegs.
Coors Brewing owner Peter Coors visited the plant Monday and urged workers in private meetings to vote against union representation.
Teamsters representatives countered with a rally and picnic Tuesday in Elkton. They brought in workers from an Anheuser-Busch brewery in Williamsburg and the Shenandoah's Pride Dairy to talk about the benefits of union representation
``There are some very wide, gaping issues between the two parties, but it's been a fair campaign,'' said Bud Benack, a Teamsters international representative.
A victory at the Elkton plant, Teamsters international representative Bud Benack said, could improve the chances of the Teamsters eventually representing workers at the Colorado brewery, which has been nonunion since 1978.
by CNB